With only eight horses in the field, there aren’t as many opportunities for a massive payday at the Preakness Stakes like there are at the Kentucky Derby. However, with six of the eight horses listed with odds of 16-1 or more to win the race, there is still plenty of money to be made. Justify and Good Magic are deserved favorites due to their 1-2 finish at the Derby, but these three horses could upset the apple cart and win the Preakness Stakes.
2018 Preakness Stakes Odds (Courtesy of BetDSI)
Justify 2-5
Good Magic 7-2
Quip 16-1
Diamond King 16-1
Bravazo 20-1
Sporting Chance 22-1
Tenfold 25-1
Lone Sailor 25-1
Quip is tied for the lowest odds of all the longshots at the Preakness Stakes. He was originally slated to run in the Kentucky Derby a few weeks ago before his owners decided to pull him out of the crowded field. That may prove to be a very wise decision if he hits the board at Pimlico.
There were fears that Quip did not have the stamina to go the distance at Churchill Downs, so it made sense to make sure he is fresh for the Preakness. He is a horse that likes to jump out early and get the lead, so this is not his ideal situation. Justify is a front runner too and it is unlikely that Quip is going to be able to pull away from him too much early in the race.
@PreaknessStakes contender #Quip with trainer @BrissetRodolphe up worked 4f in :48.1 and galloped out 5f in 1:03 @keeneland for b/o @WinStarFarm and #SFRacing and @Chinahorseclub. The #DistortedHumor colt ships Wednesday to @PimlicoRC More @BH_MDaugherty pic.twitter.com/pXYVW2W7OU
— Anne Eberhardt Keogh (@BH_AEberhardt) May 13, 2018
His highest speed rating is 98, but Quip has posted some nice workouts recently. Running 48.1 over four furlongs is nothing to sneeze at. He is going to be very fast out of the gate and won’t be boxed into no man’s land by other horses. That positioning could give him enough of an edge to hold on for the win.
Bravazo was somewhat impressive at the Derby. He wasn’t given much of a chance to win, but he was able to navigate a tough field and finish well enough for his owners to enter him into the Preakness Stakes.
The final #KentuckyDerby results 👀 pic.twitter.com/qnyaBg97W6
— SB Nation (@SBNation) May 5, 2018
His numbers at the Derby are the reason to be optimistic about his chances heading into this race too. He was at his best in the stretch when he made it all the way up to fourth before running out of gas a bit in the end.
Additionally, most of the other horses here, he has proven he has the stamina to run races on short rest. He has not run on just two weeks of rest before, but he has raced with only three weeks’ rest twice in his career.
Sporting Chance is looking to live up to his name. He has not had the same success at the age of three that he did at the age of two, but at least the ability is there. At the age of two, he won the Hopeful Stakes at the wire and topped a field that included two of the Derby horses.
In the victory, he posted a speed rating of 98. He hasn’t come close to that number since then, but at least we know he is capable of a strong performance. As long as he doesn’t get hemmed in like he has in a couple other races, Sporting Chance could pull off the upset. He has run in the mud before and is more rested than the horses that took part in the Derby.