+36
Shackleford, with 12-1 odds, managed to hold off Kentucky Derby champion Animal Kingdom and win the 136th Preakness Stakes.
Listen, I'm just going to be upfront with you. I was sort of hoping Shackleford would win the 136th Preakness Stakes because I wanted to be able to spend some time reflecting on Rusty Shackleford, who of course is the alias of King of the Hill's Dale Gribble. Well, Shackleford did win, so here is my favorite Rusty Shackleford scene of all time.
2011 Preakness winner Shackleford played the role of front-runner to perfection: after racing out to second place behind Flashpoint early, he held off Animal Kingdom late to claim the Preakness. Here at the full 2011 Preakness results; you can check the full 2011 Preakness payouts for more.
Shackleford's Preakness victory follows a fourth-place performance in the 2011 Kentucky Derby. Animal Kingdom becomes just the latest horse to win the Kentucky Derby and fail to complete the Triple Crown, last accomplished by Affirmed in 1979.
Dialed In, which could have secured a $5.5 million payday with a Preakness victory, finished fourth after a late charge from last place.
Need more 2011 Preakness Stakes coverage? Check our Preakness StoryStream for odds, contender profiles, post positions and more. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
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The results are officially in for the 2011 Preakness Stakes, with Shackleford to win, Animal Kingdom to place, and Astrology to show. Here are the payouts. How did you do?
SHACKLEFORD $27.20 $10.20 $6.80
ANIMAL KINGDOM $4.20 $3.60
ASTROLOGY $8.00
$2 EXACTA $114.80
$2 TRIFECTA $1,401.80
$2 SUPERFECTA $6,212.60
We have certainly see larger payouts before. A win is a win, though, and you have our congratulations if you came up big on Saturday.
The 2011 Preakness Stakes is now in the books, with Shackleford emerging as the winner. Stay with our StoryStream for odds, contender profiles, post positions and more. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
Preakness winner Shackleford was the horse that looked least likely to do anything at the gate. As the 2011 Preakness field was being fed into the chutes at Pimlico, Shackleford balked repeatedly, looking unfocused and gleaming with sweat.
It turned out not to matter: Shackleford broke cleanly and swiftly, and burned a blazing first furlong in second place alongside fellow fast starter Flashpoint. But both horses slowed their pace slightly, giving Shackleford a chance to conserve a bit of energy while remaining out in front. That proved to be valuable when Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom made his way through a massive pack in the middle of the track for a stretch run.
Animal Kingdom made a superb charge, especially in the final 300 yards, but Shackleford's large lead helped him hold off Animal Kingdom's challenge on the outside, and he won by three-quarters of a length.
Jockey Jesus Castanon gave an emotional interview from on top of Shackleford after winning his first Triple Crown race. "I know my dad is watching over me," Castanon said, both in Spanish and in English. Castanon's father died in November 2010.
Need more 2011 Preakness Stakes coverage? Check our Preakness StoryStream for odds, contender profiles, post positions and more. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
Shackleford has won the 2011 Preakness Stakes. This result is not yet official, but the finish was clear enough to be able to call. Shackleford's wire-to-wire win was very nearly snatched away from Animal Kingdom, the reigning Kentucky Derby champion who made a furious charge in the final 200 yards.
Just before post time, Shackleford faced 12-1 odds. This is what our horse racing expert, Matt Gardner, had to say about Shackleford before the Preakness:
With Flashpoint to his inside, it would seem imperative that Shackleford is at least right on the early leader's hip pocket going into the first turn. If he's not, he's yet to show that he can run at his best if he's more than a length or two back early on.
Clearly, then, this is a surprising run for Shackleford.1978's Affirmed will remain the most recent Triple Crown winner for yet another year.
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico racetrack. Stay with our StoryStream for odds, contender profiles, post positions and more. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
Saturday morning's line had Animal Kingdom as the favorite to win the 2011 Preakness Stakes; the updated Preakness odds suggest that he's slightly less well-favored this afternoon. The Kentucky Derby champion's odds have risen from Saturday's morning line of 2-1 to 3-1 as of 3:20 p.m. this Saturday, according to the Albany Times-Union, making him a slight favorite over Dialed In.
Animal Kingdom and Dialed In were briefly co-favorites this afternoon at 3-1, but the latter horse has slipped slightly to 7-2 in the most recent odds.
Here are the full updated odds for the 136th running of the Preakness:
Astrology 15-1
Norman Asbjornson 35-1
King Congie 17-1
Flashpoint 20-1
Shackleford 12-1
Sway Away 14-1
Midnight Interlude 12-1
Dance City 11-1
Mucho Macho Man 9-2
Dialed In 7-2
Animal Kingdom 3-1
Isn't He Perfect 25-1
Concealed Identity 24-1
Mr. Commons 45-1
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico racetrack. Stay with our StoryStream for odds, contender profiles, post positions and more. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
On Saturday morning, Animal Kingdom still stands as the favorite to win the 2011 Preakness Stakes. The reigning Kentucky Derby champion boasted the same 2-1 odds on Saturday's morning line as he had in previous days. The odds haven't remained completely static, however.
Mucho Macho Man's odds have fallen from 9-2 to 6-1. We'll have to wait and see how impulse betting is affected following the death of wrestling legend "Macho Man" Randy Savage. Experience tells us that plenty of people bet this way.
Here is the full morning line for the 136th running of the Preakness:
Astrology 15-1
Norman Asbjornson 30-1
King Congie 20-1
Flashpoint 20-1
Shackleford 12-1
Sway Away 15-1
Midnight Interlude 15-1
Dance City 12-1
Mucho Macho Man 6-1
Dialed In 9-2
Animal Kingdom 2-1
Isn't He Perfect 30-1
Concealed Identity 30-1
Mr. Commons 20-1
Our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
The 136th running of the Preakness Stakes is mere hours away. NBC has the television coverage, and if you're not near a TV, NBC will make the Preakness available to watch online.
Coverage on both NBC and NBCsports.com begins at 4:30 p.m. ET. Post time, for the time being, is listed at 6:18 p.m. In the past, NBC has done a great job of streaming horse races online -- the Kentucky Derby from earlier this month was shown online in high video and audio quality.
As 4:30 p.m. nears, NBC Sports should make a link available on its website. This online broadcast, along with NBC Sports' live streaming of Sunday Night Football, the events broadcast by ESPN3, and CBS Sports' March Madness On Demand, signals a growing trend toward offering fans an opportunity to watch events online for free. We can only hope that this catches on with other networks and sports leagues.
Our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms
The 2011 Preakness gets underway on Saturday evening, live from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Animal Kingdom will run for the second leg of the Triple Crown after a late push in the Kentucky Derby landed him in the winner's circle at Churchill Downs just two weeks ago. With 13 other horses in the field at the Preakness, Animal Kingdom will have his hands full as he tries to keep the Triple Crown dreams alive with the Belmont upcoming.
Here is the vital information for Saturday's race.
Post Time: The field will be called to the post at 6:19 p.m. EDT at Pimlico. The Preakness undercard is also set to run throughout the day, with the first post scheduled for 10:45 a.m.
TV Coverage: Like the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes will be broadcast on NBC. Coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. EDT and runs through the end of the main event: The 2011 Preakness. Versus has the broadcast for the undercard, with coverage set to begin at 2:30 p.m.
Odds: The morning line odds were set shortly after the post positions were announced and Animal Kingdom was installed as the 2-1 favorite. Familiar names are listed among the contenders, with Mucho Macho Man and Dialed In both holding solid odds for Saturday's race. The morning line odds can be found here.
Previews: We have plenty of previews, odds posts and more in our 2011 Preakness StoryStream. In addition to a look at the race, Matt Gardner took a look at whether Animal Kingdom can become the first Triple Crown since Affirmed did it in 1978.
We'll be back with more on the race, including updated looks at the odds, in this StoryStream.
Our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
Animal Kingdom has held steady at 2/1 in the early odds for the 2011 Preakness Stakes, but the rest of the field is moving around, albeit marginally. Dialed In and Mucho Macho Man hold the second- and third-best odds, with Dialed In at 4/1 and Mucho Macho Man at 9/2. After those three, the field is wide-open, with the rest of the contenders all in double-digits and lumped together in bunches.
Sway Away is at 10/1, followed by Shackleford at 12/1. At the Kentucky Derby, Shackleford set the pace, but faded down the stretch as Animal Kingdom made his run and blew away the field at the wire. Newcommer Dance City is at 15/1, along with Bob Baffert trained Midnight Interlude, another one of the Derby holdovers. The odds are subject to change throughout the day as bets come in ahead of the 2011 Preakness Stakes on Saturday.
Make sure you read our latest Preakness betting tips.
Here are the latest odds for the Preakness Stakes. Call to the post is set for 3:19 p.m. at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland.
Animal Kingdom 2/1
Astrology 16/1
Concealed Identity 30/1
Dance City 15/1
Dialed In 4/1
Flashpoint 20/1
Isnt He Perfect 30/1
King Congie 24/1
Midnight Interlude 15/1
Mr. Commons 30/1
Mucho Macho Man 9/2
Norman Asbjornson 32/1
Shackleford 12/1
Sway Away 10/1
Our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
Less than 24 hours before the 136th running of the Preakness Stakes, Animal Kingdom remains the strong favorite. The Kentucky Derby winner, which sported 2-1 odds to lead Friday's morning line, has most recently been picked by nola.com to emerge the winner in Saturday's race.
Though talk of a Triple Crown is admittedly premature, we may as well set the table: if Animal Kingdom can live up to its short odds and take the Preakness, the Belmont is all that separates the three-year-old from becoming the first Triple Crown winner in over 30 years. Affirmed most recently won in 1978; in total, 11 horses have accomplished the feat.
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico racetrack. Stay with our 2011 Preakness Stakes StoryStream for odds, contender profiles, post positions and more. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
Shortly after the Preakness post position draw, the morning line odds, set by the Pimlico oddsmaker, were also released into the wild. As expected, Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom was installed as the early favorite at 2-1, well ahead of the rest of the field. Coming off the Derby win, Animal Kingdom is expected to draw heavy betting action in the second leg of the Triple Crown as he tries to follow-up his strong performance at Churchill Downs
If the morning line odds are any indications, the Kentucky Derby holdovers are the clear contenders at the Preakness Stakes. Dialed In, Mucho Macho Man and Shackleford are each among the top-five in the morning line, and are joined by newcomer Dance City. Midnight Interlude and Sway Away are also in the mix at 15-1 to win the Preakness on Saturday.
Here is the full list of morning line odds, along with the post positions for Saturday's race.
No. 1 Astrology 15-1
No. 2 Norman Asborjson 20-1
No. 3 King Congie 20-1
No. 4 Flashpoint 20-1
No. 5 Shackleford 12-1
No. 6 Sway Away 15-1
No. 7 Midnight Interlude 15-1
No. 8 Dance City 12-1
No. 9 Mucho Macho Man 6-1
No. 10 Dialed In 9-2
No. 11 Animal Kingdom 2-1
No. 12 Isn’t He Perfect 30-1
No. 13 Concealed Identity 30-1
No. 14 Mr. Commons 20-1
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico racetrack. Stay with our 2011 Preakness Stakes StoryStream for odds, contender profiles, post positions and more. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
Most Preakness picks for the 2011 race are going to come down to either Animal Kingdom or Dialed In, the top two contenders according to the current Preakness Stakes odds. Daily Racing Form's Steven Crist, for one, thinks Dialed In is the only horse with a chance to beat the Kentucky Derby champ, and he thinks he'll pull it off. He also likes Sway Away and King Congie.
The Baltimore Sun rounds up some Preakness picks and predictions from around the country, with two taking Animal Kingdom, one picking Dialed In and another prediction possibly overlooked Mucho Macho Man. The Washington Post's Andrew Beyer [video] says he had his heart set on Dance City as an overlooked contender, but that the Kentucky Derby changed his mind. He now has Animal Kingdom finishing just ahead of his longtime dark horse.
Also picking Animal Kingdom: Batavia Downs' Todd Haight, who also likes Dialed In and picks Flashpoint as his longshot, and The Rail's Joe Drape, who has Mr. Commons, Mucho Macho Man, Midnight Interlude and Dialed In rounding out his top five.
You can see the full Preakness 2011 odds here.
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico racetrack. Stay with our 2011 Preakness Stakes StoryStream for odds, contender profiles, post positions and more. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
With a win at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Derby, Animal Kingdom went from long-shot and afterthought to Triple Crown candidate in the span of two minutes. On Saturday, Animal Kingdom will attempt to follow-up the Derby win by adding the second jewel of the Triple Crown to his resume at Pimlico in the Preakness Stakes. Though Animal Kingdom did beat out 18 other horses to win the Kentucky Derby, questions about the strength of the field and strength of the horse persist, leaving trainers and owners looking forward to a chance to knock the derby winner off.
Matt Gardner took a look at Animal Kingdom and his chances to win the Triple Crown on Wednesday, noting his pedigree and performance at Churchill Downs. History is on Animal Kingdom's side and if the race unfolds like it did in the Kentucky Derby, he's as good a bet as any at Pimlico.
Animal Kingdom is at least on the right side of recent history. In the last 25 years, nine winners of the Kentucky Derby have rolled back to win the Preakness off of a two week rest, a solid 37.5% of all Derby winners during that time (Grindstone skipped the Preakness in 1996 due to injury). Additionally, Animal Kingdom proved his versatility when he won the Derby by closing into a historically slow early pace. That fact alone makes him an interesting prospect at Pimlico; if he can close like he did in the Derby, but with quicker fractions on the front end, will there be a horse that can deny him the top prize?
The Kentucky Derby was run at an incredibly slow pace, but Animal Kingdom showed an impressive burst of speed down the stretch to reel-in Shackleford and distance himself from the field. We know he can close, but with a field that should set a quicker pace, we're about to find out whether that same burst of speed will still be held in reserve at the end.
As the morning line favorite, Animal Kingdom has the weight of expectations, unlike at the Kentucky Derby where he was a long-shot at 20-1 odds. There's no sneaking up on anyone and the rest of the field is gunning for Animal Kingdom. Instead of a sleeper, he is the target this time around and it'll be interesting to see how he handles a race with what should be a different dynamic than the Derby.
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico racetrack. Stay with our 2011 Preakness Stakes StoryStream for odds, contender profiles, post positions and more. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
With the Preakness Stakes post position draw out of the way, we know the field and where each of the 14 contenders will start at Pimlico on Saturday. Animal Kingdom, Dialed In and Mucho Macho Man will be side-by-side in the starting gate, occupying the No. 9 through No. 11 gates. The three are all atop the morning line odds, led by Animal Kingdom, the early favorite to win the Preakness.
With the starting order known, the picks are beginning to roll in. From the looks of it, the middle of the pack on the post will be the storyline to watch as the four horses with the best odds -- Dance City is fourth-best -- will all start next to each other. Shackleford, at 12-1, will be all by his lonesome in the No. 5 gate, but is another horse to keep an eye on, especially after a strong performance at the Kentucky Derby.
Over at ESPN, Jay Cronley made his picks and a few familiar faces dot the top-four. Once again it's Dialed In at the top, followed by Mucho Macho Man and Animal Kingdom.
1. Dialed In: Late to many important dates, but always entertaining.
2. Mucho Macho Man: Tactical.
3. Animal Kingdom: The Belmont brass loves him. Favorites fly at Pimlico.
4. Dance City: Barely raced.
And just for fun, Kegasus, the half-man, half-horse, all party-animal mascot of the Preakness Stakes, also picked a winner on Wednesday. Kegasus went with chalk and chose the favorite: Animal Kingdom. You can read more about the controversial mascot over at SB Nation DC.
This comes straight from the half-horse's mouth: Kegasus picks Animal Kingdom to keep his Triple Crown hopes alive and win Saturday's Preakness.
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico racetrack. Stay with our 2011 Preakness Stakes StoryStream for odds, contender profiles, post positions and more. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
Dance City is one of the new guns in the Preakness Stakes and he should serve a purpose at Pimlico on Saturday. At 12-1 odds, Dance City can't be overlooked, though he does lag behind Animal Kingdom, Dialed In and the other Kentucky Derby holdovers in the eyes of the oddsmakers. But if there's a new horse that could challenge Animal Kingdom in the second leg of the Triple Crown, it could be Dance City.
The Derby was run at a snail's pace until the horses rounded the final turn, but don't expect that to be the case in the Preakness. Dance City is one of the reasons the tempo could be much quicker, as And Down The Stretch They Come's Matt Gardner explained.
The connections of Flashpoint tried to rate him in the Florida Derby and it didn't work out at all; he needs to be up front to run his best. Astrology doesn't appear to be a "need to lead" colt but he's shown a good deal of pace in the early stages of his past couple of efforts. Dance City has never raced further than a head back at the six furlong mark in any of his four career starts and would appear to be another colt that will need to be up front to run his best race.
Matt Gardner also did an outstanding job looking at the pedigree of each horse in the Preakness Stakes field to get a better look at the bloodlines and a better feel for the horses. You can find his Preakness pedigree profiles here.
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico racetrack. Stay with our 2011 Preakness Stakes StoryStream for odds, contender profiles, post positions and more. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
The 2011 Preakness Stakes post position draw, announced by Pimlico Race Course officials Wednesday afternoon, was kind to Sway Away, Dance City, Midnight Interlude and Mucho Macho Man, while contenders like Animal Kingdom and Astrology must be disappointed. Well, they would be, if they were humans and knew how to count. Though surely they can sense the disappointment of their trainers, jockeys and owners. Moving on.
Why does this matter? Horses on the outside of the pack have tougher chances of victory on most tracks than those with interior starting points. The draw will certainly affect each contender's odds; you can check the latest Preakness odds here, but be advised those are going to change shortly. More post position draw theory here.
For instant analysis and commentary, check out And Down The Stretch They Come's discussion thread on the Preakness post position draw. The complete list of starting positions for the 2011 Preakness:
No. 1: Astrology
No. 2: Norman Asbjornson
No. 3: King Congle
No. 4: Flashpoint
No. 5: Shackelford
No. 6: Sway Away
No. 7: Midnight Interlude
No. 8: Dance City
No. 9: Mucho Macho Man
No. 10: Dialed In
No. 11: Animal Kingdom
No. 12: Isn't He Perfect
No. 13: Concealed Identity
No. 14: Mr. Commons
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico racetrack. Stay with our 2011 Preakness Stakes StoryStream for odds, contender profiles, post positions and more. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
Horses are not like most other competitive athletes: they don't need planes for transport, just trailers. And Animal Kingdom is likely to benefit from that, because he might not be shipped to Pimlico, site of the 2011 Preakness Stakes, until race day this Saturday.
Animal Kingdom trainer H. Graham Motion told the Thoroughbred Times on Monday that it was "more than likely" his horse wouldn't be shipped until race day. On Tuesday, Motion told the Daily Racing Form that no decision about when to ship Animal Kingdom had been made.
Motion can wait to ship Animal Kingdom because of proximity: currently, the horse is being trained at Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md., about an hour from Pimlico. And it might pay off if Animal Kingdom's reportedly strong work this week continues through Saturday.
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico racetrack. Stay with our 2011 Preakness Stakes StoryStream for odds, contender profiles, post positions and more. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
Another change in the 2011 Preakness Stakes field means another set of odds. Nehro pulled out of the Preakness on Tuesday, robbing the field of one of its better contenders and leaving Animal Kingdom as a significant favorite for Saturday's race at Pimlico. Before the development, Nehro held the second-best odds at 5-1, with Animal Kingdom favored at 5-2.
The current odds show a clear set of tiers, with a host of familiar names from the Kentucky Derby listed as contenders. At 2-1, Animal Kingdom holds the best odds, followed by Dialed In and Mucho Macho Man, who each hold 6-1 odds. Dialed In went off as the favorite at Churchill Downs but never factored into the race.
Shackleford has the fourth-best odds at 12-1, followed by a trio of horses, including Midnight Interlude, at 15-1. Isn't He Perfect is the long-shot at 50-1, along with Saratoga Red, though the latter is not yet guaranteed a spot in the field.
The latest odds from Daily Racing Form can be found below.
Animal Kingdom 2-1
Dialed In 6-1
Mucho Macho Man 6-1
Shackleford 12-1
Astrology 15-1
Dance City 15-1
Midnight Interlude 15-1
Flashpoint 20-1
King Congie 20-1
Sway Away 20-1
Mr. Commons 20-1
Concealed Identity 30-1
Norman Asbjornson 30-1
Isn't He Perfect 50-1
Saratoga Red * 50-1
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico racetrack. Stay with our 2011 Preakness Stakes StoryStream for odds, contender profiles, post positions and more. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
After a week filled with horses shuffling in and out of the 2011 Preakness Stakes field, 14 horses will have their names draw and assigned to post positions on Wednesday. The post draw will give us a firm look at the field, as well as what position each horse will occupy in the gates. Unlike the Kentucky Derby, where the field is comprised of a whopping 20 horses, the Preakness post draw will have less of an impact on the race with less traffic to navigate through.
While it's been a foregone conclusion, Pimlico oddsmaker Frank Carulli confirmed Animal Kingdom will be the morning line favorite when it's released on Wednesday. The morning line, or the initial track odds, is set immediately following the post draw.
Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom will be the morning-line favorite for Saturday's 136th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. The track's oddsmaker, Frank Carulli, indicated Monday that the Run for the Roses champ will be his top choice when post positions are drawn Wednesday afternoon.
The post positions will be announced at 5 p.m. EDT at Pimlico. The Preakness Stakes gets underway on Saturday at 6:25 p.m. EDT.
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico racetrack. Stay with our 2011 Preakness Stakes StoryStream for odds, contender profiles, post positions and more. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
A late surge and strong finish at the 2011 Kentucky Derby has Mucho Macho Man in a prime position heading into the Preakness Stakes on Saturday. Mucho Macho Man came up just short, finishing in third behind Animal Kingdom and Nehro, but showed positive signs in the Derby. This week, he's back and ready to run again in the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Mucho Macho Man became a trendy pick ahead of the Kentucky Derby and showed why at Churchill Downs. A trip to the winner's circle wasn't in store, but may be on Saturday in the Preakness Stakes.
The big youngster from the Kathy Ritvo barn may not have actually be three-years-old yet, but he proved his heart and talent through his strong finish in the Derby. A few more strides and he is second in Louisville; any improvement in Baltimore makes him a big contender.
At 6-1, Mucho Macho Man currently holds the third-best odds in the field, though the morning line won't be revealed until the post positions are drawn later this week. Keep an eye on the early action Mucho Macho Man receives as it should be a sign of how bettors feel about his Kentucky Derby run and chances at the Preakness Stakes.
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico racetrack. Stay with our 2011 Preakness Stakes StoryStream for odds, contender profiles, post positions and more. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
Nehro, the runner-up in the 2011 Kentucky Derby, was projected to be one of the favorites in Saturday's Preakness Stakes. On Tuesday, though, owner Ahmed Zayat has announced that he will not run Nehro in the Preakness. In particular, Zayat expressed worry over overworking his horse.
Zayat made the decision Tuesday morning, even though Nehro has responded well after finishing second behind Animal Kingdom at Churchill Downs on May 7.
Zayat says Nehro "couldn't look any better," but added, "I'm just concerned about him having four hard races in eight weeks."
Nehro had sported 5-1 odds prior to the announcement -- the second-strongest odds of any horse aside from Kentucky Derby champion Animal Kingdom. This figures to give Animal Kingdom, who held 5-2 odds before the announcement, an even better chance at setting himself up for a chance to win the elusive Triple Crown.
Check back with this StoryStream for updates regarding the 2011 Preakness Stakes. And for more on the world of horse racing, check out SB Nation's horse racing blog, And Down The Stretch They Come.
The 2011 Preakness Stakes' Wednesday post position draw will provide the week's biggest pre-race day odds adjustment. Contenders who find themselves placed on the field's outskirts will see their odds worsen, while those with favorable starting positions closer to the middle will become hot bets to win.
The latest Preakness Stakes odds, according to Daily Racing Form (asterisks indicate horses that would not be included if every other contender joins the field):
Animal Kingdom 5-2
Nehro 5-1
Dialed In 6-1
Mucho Macho Man 6-1
Saratoga Red * 10-1
Shackleford 12-1
Astrology 15-1
Dance City 15-1
Midnight Interlude 15-1
Flashpoint 20-1
Mr. Commons 20-1
King Congie 20-1
Sway Away 20-1
Norman Asbjornson 30-1
Concealed Identity 30-1
Isn't He Perfect * 50-1
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico. Stay with our Preakness Stakes StoryStream for more on the race. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
With Wednesday's post position draw looming for the 2011 Preakness Stakes, the time is now for owners and trainers to make the final call on whether or not to enter their horses. Concealed Identity, who opens at 30-1, is the only horse in the preliminary field who has raced exclusively in Maryland. Concealed Identity is the offspring of 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Smarty Jones, and according to his owners, the Preakness undercard is still a possibility.
The Preakness undercard, the James W. Murphy Stakes, has a purse of $100,000 and would be a much more winnable race for a horse whose owners have expressed concerns about throwing him into the fire that is a Triple Crown race. Concealed Identity could show up in either the Preakness Stakes or the James W. Murphy Stakes, and we'll learn his fate on Wednesday. One way or another, even if it isn't in the big show, Concealed Identity should be racing at Plimlico this weekend.
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico. Stay with our Preakness Stakes StoryStream for more on the race. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
With less than a week to go until the 2011 Preakness Stakes, we're beginning to see which horses will make a run at Animal Kingdom in the second leg of the Triple Crown. Trainers are lining horses up to take a shot at the Kentucky Derby winner, a sign of the perceived weakness many see in both Animal Kingdom and the Derby field as a whole. But with only 14 pole positions to go around, the field is significantly smaller than the Kentucky Derby, and many trainers are still making decisions on whether to head to Pimlico.
One horse that will not be making a trip around the track in the Preakness Stakes is Santiva, the sixth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby. But Santiva's withdrawal from the Preakness Stakes is clouded in mystery, with trainer Eddy Kenneally only revealing it had nothing to do with the horses health.
Santiva, who finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), is fine physically, according to trainer Eddie Kenneally.
“The horse is doing great, but he is not running in the Preakness,” Kenneally said.
Santiva's loss is, apparently, Sway Away's gain as it moves up into the top-14 and appears to be set to race in the Preakness on Saturday. With only six starters from the Derby attempting to make the field, there will be plenty of fresh faces and new guns, including Sway Away, at Pimlico on Saturday.
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico. Stay with our Preakness Stakes StoryStream for more on the race. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
Kentucky Derby runner-up Nehro is still a "maybe" to join the 2011 Preakness field as of Sunday, owner Ahmad Zayat again asserted. He says the final decision will come Monday after a morning breeze to assess his temperment. Nehro has put in three races in six weeks, all of them highly competitive and resulting in second-place finishes. One more would be a lot to ask of any contender, but Zayat thinks it's worth considering:
However, he is doing very well. His coat, his energy level, his demeanor have all been excellent since the Derby. After he breezes Monday, I will sit down with (trainer) Steve Asmussen and make a decision as to where we go.
If Nehro does race, he'll be among the favorites. The latest odds have him as a 5/1 pick, second to only Animal Kingdom/s 5/2.
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico. Stay with our Preakness Stakes StoryStream for more on the race. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
We still don't know which horses will be in the 2011 Preakness Stakes field, but we do have an early set of odds. The field is expected to be a mix of Kentucky Derby horses and newcomers and Animal Kingdom, winner of the Derby, will be an entrant as he tries for the second-leg of the Triple Crown.
Unlike the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness field is limited to just 14 horses, a far cry from the maximum of 20, or 19 in the 2011 Derby, entered at Churchill Downs. Animal Kingdom is the favorite this time around after assuming the underdog role at the Kentucky Derby. A late push down the stretch and a trip to victory lane has changed all that, and bettors will likely jump on the Derby winner in early action.
Here are the very early odds for the Preakness Stakes. The field and morning line will be set when post positions are drawn. The odds come from Daily Racing Form and an asterisk means the horse isn't guaranteed entry to the field of 14 and may be bumped.
Animal Kingdom 5-2
Nehro 5-1
Dialed In 6-1
Mucho Macho Man 6-1
Saratoga Red * 10-1
Shackleford 12-1
Astrology 15-1
Dance City 15-1
Midnight Interlude 15-1
Flashpoint 20-1
Mr. Commons 20-1
King Congie 20-1
Sway Away 20-1
Norman Asbjornson 30-1
Concealed Identity 30-1
Isn't He Perfect * 50-1
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico. Stay with our Preakness Stakes StoryStream for more on the race. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
One week from the 136th Preakness Stakes, Animal Kingdom appears to be in top form. The trainer of the Kentucky Derby winner, Graham Motion, exuded confidence during a press conference Friday.
"I think [a formal workout is] unlikely," Motion said. "I wouldn't normally work a horse who has two weeks between races. If he's good enough, he'll handle it.
"There is nothing I can do between now and then to make him any more competitive."
Meanwhile, those around Mr. Commons are expressing surprise at his aggressive running. From Daily Racing Form:
[Jockey Victor] Espinoza said he was impressed by Mr. Commons’s speed. “I think he has a lot of talent,” he said. “If you need the speed, it will be there. I’m glad I worked him.”
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico. Stay with our Preakness Stakes StoryStream for more on the race. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
Dialed In may have disappointed in the Kentucky Derby, but all is not lost. Thanks to two wins at Gulfstream Park -- in the Florida Derby and Holy Bull Stakes -- Dialed In is eligible for a $5.5 million bonus in addition to the $600,000 winner's share of the purse. All he needs to do is outrun the field at Pimlico in the Preakness Stakes to collect the bonus, a record prize for a North American horse.
Trainer Nick Zito tried his best to downplay the importance of the $5.5 million bonus, going to extremes to prove it's not his motivation as the Preakness nears.
"For me, honestly, I’m telling you now — you could give mine to charity, as long as the feed man don’t mind," Zito said. "He could take his and you could give the rest to charity ... You’ve gotta pay your bills, that’s what it’s about. But I’m blessed, as you know, and I’m not going to change. I’m just grateful to have the horse."
Zito would earn an impressive $550,000 cut while Dialed In's owner, but continued to reiterate it wasn't a big deal in the interview, likely to quell concerns the horse didn't go full-bore in the Kentucky Derby. Dialed In came into the Derby as the race favorite, but got stuck in traffic and finished a disappointing eighth.
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico. Stay with our Preakness Stakes StoryStream for more on the race. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
If there was a word to describe Mr. Commons at this point in his career, it would probably be unknown. While we did get a good glimpse at the thoroughbred during the Santa Anita Derby, where he finished 3rd behind Midnight Interlude and Comma to the Top, he hasn't run since after skipping the Kentucky Derby over heading to Churchill Downs and hoping enough horses would drop-out to get a shot. But Mr. Commons is back and should be ready to go at Pimlico in the Preakness Stakes.
Before the Santa Anita Derby, Matt Gardner profiled Mr. Commons and looked at his pedigree, noting the grass-heavy lineage he comes from.
A son of Artie Schiller (a colt that did his best running on grass during his impressive career), Mr. Commons broke his maiden in a downhill turf event at Santa Anita back on Jan. 15. Following that race, trainer John Shirreffs wheeled him back into to action in an allowance event on the main track in late February and he responded with a solid victory in his first try at two-turns. Trying to predict how this colt will perform on the dirt is a bit of a crap shoot since his pedigree, top and bottom, is all turf.
He did show well at the Santa Anita Derby, hugging the rail down the stretch and finishing just over two lengths behind Midnight Interlude. The field, however, was a weak one after Premier Pegasus and Jaycito both scratched in the days leading up to the race. Can we take Mr. Commons' finish as an encouraging sign or will it lead to inflated hope?
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico. Stay with our Preakness Stakes StoryStream for more on the race. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
Nehro, the Cal Naughton Jr. of horse racing, is raring for another chance to take on Animal Kingdom in the 2011 Preakness, having fallen just short in the Kentucky Derby. Unfortunately, he might not get the chance to break his streak of second-place finishes. It's up in the air at the moment, as owner Ahmed Zayat told the New York Post:
I was 70-30 to run in the Belmont, but now I'm 51-50 to run in the Preakness. My heart says one thing, my mind says another. It's a tough decision, but a horse is only a 3-year-old once, and only gets one chance to run in the Derby and Preakness.
At least, my assessment of Zayat's statement depends on interpreting 51-50 as some sort of percentage, not as a reference to the legal code regarding the detainment of the mentally ill by police officers. If that's the case, I have no idea what he's talking about and only hope for the safety of the horse.
Nehro made the list of Preakness entrants ahead of Animal Kingdom, a sign that many view the Derby winner's big victory as something of a fluke.
To get caught up, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
Animal Kingdom approaches the 136th Preakness Stakes, run on May 21st at Pimlico Park in Baltimore, with one third of the Triple Crown wrapped up. But how have the horses that have claimed the Kentucky Derby in recent years done in the shortest of the three Triple Crown races?
In short, fairly well: since Affirmed won the last Triple Crown in 1978, 11 horses have won the first two legs of the Triple Crown, most recently Big Brown in 2008. (An additional five horses have won the second two legs, and two have won the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes, but not the Preakness.) Since 1997, seven horses have won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness.
That's a decent 34.3% success rate for Derby winners in the Preakness, and an even better one of late. It likely means very little to Animal Kingdom, but it's a gaudy statistic that could be burnished at Pimlico this year.
To get caught up, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
The 136th Preakness Stakes will be run on May 21 at Pimlico in Baltimore, Maryland,which also happens to be the area where Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom and trainer Graham Motion hail from. They made the long trek back via van from Louisville to Baltimore Tuesday morning as they prepare for the Preakness Stakes.
"Two days later, it is still surreal," said winning trainer Graham Motion, who is based at Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, MD. "I had thought about it (winning the Kentucky Derby). There is not a trainer that doesn't think about it. I just didn't think it would happen at this stage of my career."
"I have a lot of confidence in this horse. He's the whole package," Motion noted. "I guess, to use a term that's probably overused. He's got a tremendous disposition and is just a really brilliant horse."
Animal Kingdom will be there but some of the horses he defeated at Churchill Downs may not.Second-place finisher Nehro is doubtful for the 1 3/16-mile race. The Derby was the third straight race the colt was the runner-up.
"It's more probable we'd aim for the Belmont," said Nehro's owner Ahmed Zayat, "but I guess we are still possible for the Preakness."
Expected to take another shot at Animal Kingdom is Shackleford, the Derby pacesetter who finished fourth in the 19-horse field.
Dialed In, the 5-1 Derby favorite, has the chance to pick up $5.5 million in bonus money should he win the Preakness. Although he finished eighth in the Run for the Roses. Dialed In is the only three-year-old eligible for the Preakness 5.5 bonus.A full field of 14 is expected to start in this year's Preakness Stakes.
To get caught up, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
Now that Animal Kingdom has won the 2011 Kentucky Derby, all eyes turn to his next potential prize: the 2011 Preakness Stakes.
The 136th Preakness Stakes will be run on May 21st at Pimlico in Baltimore. Animal Kingdom and all of his competitors from the Derby will have two weeks to recover before the Preakness, which covers a mile and three-16ths, or nine and a half furlongs. Post time for the 2011 Preakness Stakes is tentatively 6:25 p.m. Eastern.
The last Kentucky Derby winner to also win the Preakness was Big Brown in 2008. The last horse to win the Triple Crown, placing first at the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes, was Affirmed in 1978.
For more on the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
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2011 Preakness Stakes: Full Video Of Shackleford's Win
by Kevin McCauley
Overcoming some fairly long 12-1 odds, Shackleford crossed the finish line first to become the winner of the 2011 Preakness Stakes, holding off a late charge from Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom by half a length at the finish line.
Incredibly, Shackleford was bucking before going into the gate, refusing to go in. He had to be shoved into his gate by at least a half dozen people, but I guess it turns out that his antics were more about him being pumped up than scared or nervous? Oh man, I'm trying to read into the body language of horses. Full video of the victory after the jump.
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May 21 7:05p