You might see Preakness odds rendered in three different formats. The most common format used by betting sites that allow you to bet on the Preakness Stakes will be fractional odds. The three most popular bets on the Preakness Stakes are the classic win, place and show.

The Preakness Stakes has been a major part of the racing schedule in America pretty much since it first came into existence. It was first held in 1873 as a way to pit top three-year-old horses against each other. And for the most part, it has continued uninterrupted since then, becoming one of the great traditional horse races in the United States.

What gave it even more importance was when it was first included as part of the three most important three-year-old horse races in the country. Once this “Triple Crown” gained more popularity, the Preakness Stakes became a must-win for horses (and their handlers) who wanted to achieve horse racing accolades.

On this page, we’ll be going over the race’s history, a few of the big contenders, how to place horse racing bets, as well as go over the types of bets you’ll be able to make at the best 2020 Preakness Stakes betting sites. As you can see, this will give you plenty of insight into making winning wagers on the 2020 Preakness Stakes. Keep reading below to learn more.

A Brief History on the Preakness Stakes

For most of its history, the Preakness Stakes has served as the second leg of the Triple Crown, in between the Kentucky Derby ahead of it and the Belmont Stakes. The order was shuffled this year, of course, and it is now the anchor race in the series.

The Triple Crown caught the attention of racing fans because of how difficult it is for a horse to win all three races in the same year. In most years, the three races take place in a span of five weeks. In addition to that, they are all contested at different distances, meaning that any horse able to win all three races would have to be extremely versatile.

In the case of the Preakness Stakes, it takes place at a distance of 1 3/16 miles. Generally, that is the shortest distance out of the three Triple Crown races. 1 3/16 miles is a somewhat unusual distance for Thoroughbreds, requiring a bit more getaway speed than the typical distance race.

The Preakness Stakes is a major cultural event in the state of Maryland. It is a race associated with the Black-Eyed Susan, which is the type of flower presented as a kind of trophy to the winning horse. Pimlico Race Course, which hosts the event, also has a rich tradition in the area.

Obviously, some of the traditions that people associated with the Preakness Stakes might be upended this year. But the delay in the race, from May to October, shouldn’t slow down the betting rush. Expect millions to be bet on the 2020 Preakness Stakes.

2020 Preakness Stakes Contenders

The horse to watch at the 2020 Preakness Stakes is undoubtedly Authentic. This is because of the dominant performance that he delivered in the Kentucky Derby a few weeks ago. In that race, the colt overcame an outside post and led most of the way as he gained a convincing victory.

In addition, Authentic was able to dispose of the challenge of Tiz The Law. That horse, trained by Barclay Tagg, was looking like a prohibitive favorite not just to win the Derby, but to go on to the Preakness as well. If he had managed that, it would have been a Triple Crown achievement, since Tiz The Law had already captured the Belmont Stakes in June.

But Authentic never got the memo and interrupted the coronation. And now, he goes into the 2020 Preakness Stakes as a likely favorite. It doesn’t hurt that he is trained by Bob Baffert, who has broken just about every major trainer record for stakes races.

Authentic won’t get the chance for a rematch with Tiz The Law. That horse’s handlers have decided to skip the Preakness Stakes and look ahead to future races (like perhaps the Breeders’ Cup). That means Authentic should be a heavy favorite.

The odd thing is that we’ll never know what might have been in terms of Authentic’s Triple Crown aspirations. Remember that Baffert kept him out of the Belmont Stakes back in June, believing that the race didn’t quite fit well with the horse’s training schedule. Instead, Authentic will have to settle for trying to win two out of three.

But he won’t be alone in this quest. Expect other horses who have competed in the Triple Crown to line up against Authentic in the 2020 Preakness Stakes. And expect some newcomers, who have perhaps been less tested throughout the year and might be fresher, to enter the field as well.

Here is a look at a few of the possible contenders for this year’s race, a week ahead of the official announcement of the field and the official field with their post positions.

• Art Collector: Winner of five consecutive races, Art Collector seemed like one of the top Derby contenders but was held out at the last minute due to a foot injury. Luckily, the injury seems to be healing in time to have him trained for the Preakness. If he can shake off the rust, it could be interesting to see how he handles a matchup with Authentic.
• King Guillermo: Much like Art Collector, he was a hot sleeper pick heading into the Derby, only to be scratched right before the race because of injury. Unlike Art Collector, King Guillermo’s injury might not be healed in time for the Preakness. If he does run, he has already proven to be game when not given much of a chance to win.
• Dr Post: The good news is that he has had good experience facing graded stakes horses this year. But the bad news is that this horse hasn’t seen the winner’s circle since April. Dr Post has to prove that he can step up against classier competition and be more than just best of the rest.
• Big News: Nobody gave him much of a chance when he entered the Kentucky Derby. Yet there he was, coming from nowhere for a surprising third-place finish. If he can build on that, he could present an interesting challenge for Authentic.
• Finnick The Fierce: This horse might get some name recognition points as one of those who was scratched from the Kentucky Derby in the hours leading up to the race. The concern is that he hasn’t won at anything higher than an allowance level. On top of that, he might have to deal with Art Collector, who handled him (and the rest of the fields) in their last two stakes races together.
• Thousand Words: This is an interesting situation in that this colt would be a second Bob Baffert entry and could steal the thunder from his more celebrated stablemate. Thousand Words seemed poised for a big day at the Derby before being scratched. He was outstanding in beating highly-touted Honor A.P. in a stakes in California in his last race.
• Mystic Guide: This colt could be peaking at the right time. In his last start, he knocked off Dr Post in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga. Now, he could be in line to face his first ever Triple Crown competition while he’s at the absolute top of his game.
• Pneumatic: He hasn’t raced since winning the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth in August. Pneumatic does have the benefit of Triple Crown experience, having finished fourth in the Belmont behind Tiz The Law in June. A return to the center stage could be in the offing for him.
• Happy Saver: It’s not unusual for a local horse to take his chances in the Preakness Stakes. This year’s local boy could be Happy Saver. He won the Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel Park, another Maryland track, earlier this month. The question is whether that’s enough of a springboard for him heading into this tough challenge.

How to Bet on the Preakness Stakes

Betting on horse races can be a bit confusing for those who have done it before. But it’s really a simple system once you get the hang of it. Once you do understand, you’ll be able to make wagers on the 2020 Preakness Stakes and just about any horse race that you can imagine.

The key to understanding horse racing betting has to do with figuring out pari-mutuel wagering. Pari-mutuel is just a fancy name that essentially lets you know that your odds are not set, even after you’ve made the wager. This is in opposition to fixed odds wagering, which is in play for most other sports bets.

For example, if you were betting on a team to win a certain game in football or basketball, you might be given odds for the team in question. You might also get a point spread added to the equation.

But in either case, these conditions would not change for your bet, no matter what happens from the time that you bet to the time that the game begins. If you bet on a football team that is a seven-point underdog, those odds will stay in place for you even if the team they’re playing against gets 10 players hurt in the run-up to the game. The odds will change for everybody else who hasn’t bet yet, but your odds are fixed.

In horse racing, the odds aren’t final until the race begins. And those odds are determined by the different pools for each horse and each wager.

For Example:

You might bet at a horse at 4 to 1 to win. This means that, conceivably, you would make $4 back for every dollar that you bet. But if the horse receives a lot of betting attention leading up to the race, those odds could easily drop to 3 to 1, 2 to 1, or lower. The odds that you would be paid if the horse wins would be based on the final odds, not the odds that were quoted when you originally wagered on it.

You might find gambling websites that allow you to make fixed odds bets on the 2020 Preakness Stakes. Because it is such a popular race, websites might look to accommodate all kinds of action.

But you have to be careful with fixed odds betting on a race like the Preakness Stakes. Because of the possibility of a horse scratching right before race time (something that happened with several horses in the 2020 Kentucky Derby), you might end up placing an early wager on a horse that doesn’t even run. It’s doubtful that a site will offer you anything in return if that happens.

If you find a site offering pari-mutuel wagering instead, you can avoid this. A scratched horse will allow you to have your bets refunded to you in most cases.

Placing Your Bets

It’s a good idea to have an idea of how to place a wager on a specific horse (or horses) in the 2020 Preakness Stakes at a reputable gambling website. Once you get to the site, you don’t want to become confused by the different terminology, especially if you’re running low on time.

Bet On The Preakness

Here are the key pieces of information you have to have when placing a bet on a race like the Preakness Stakes:

• Track: You have to remember that many tracks will be hosting races. In the case of the Preakness Stakes, you have to make sure that you identify Pimlico Race Course as the track in question. Since it is such a popular race, you might find that gambling websites dedicate a page to it that eliminates the need for identifying the track.
• Race Number: There will be many races in a particular program at a track like Pimlico Race Course, even on Preakness Stakes day. That’s why you need to make sure to identify which race on the program it is that you went to bet. Again, if you find a page dedicated to the race, you won’t have to worry about this.
• Amount of Bet: In the sport of horse racing, the traditional bet size is $2. You can raise it from there if you wish, but that is often the minimum. Different 2020 Preakness Stakes betting sites might tinker with this formula somewhat, but you still have to identify the amount you want to bet.
• Type of Bet: We’ll elaborate a bit on the different types of bets and what whey entail in a bit. Just keep in mind that you have to settle on the type of bet (or bets) you want to place once you settle into the site to make your selection.
• Horse (or Horses) Involved: In most cases, you will need to identify the number of the horse that you want. You can find this in the program for the Preakness Stakes, which will easily be located online. But you might also find that websites include the names on the page for a race as big as the Preakness Stakes.

Types of Bets on the 2020 Preakness Stakes

Each horse racing wager brings you different levels of potential risk and reward. Once you know how each of these bets work, you can start to hone in on how you want to wager on the race. This overview will tell you all you need to know.

For the most part, horse racing bets can be broken down into two types: straight or exotic bets. Straight bets generally involved picking a single horse in a single race. Exotic bets require multiple horses to be involved in some way.

Straight bets are generally better if you want to improve your chance of getting something in return. It is easier to predict the performance of one horse than many. But your potential payback is generally capped when you bet in this manner.

On the other hand, exotic bets are harder to hit in any given race. The chances of multiple horses coming in the order you need them to finish diminish from what you could get with a straight bet. Because this is the case, exotic bets often pay back much higher than straight bets.

Here are the main types of straight bets:

• Win: Your horse must win the race for you to win your bet
• Place: Your horse must finish first or second for you to win your bet
• Show: Your horse must finish first, second or third for you to win your bet

And here are the main types of exotic bets:

• Exacta: Bet on the first two horses in the order of finish in a single race
• Trifecta or Triple: Bet on the first three horses in the order of finish in a single race
• Superfecta: Bet on the first four horses in the order of finish in a single race
• Daily Double: Pick the winner of two consecutive races on the card
• Pick 3 and so on: Pick the winners of three races in a row or however many are listed in the name of the bet

How to Pick the Winner of the 2020 Preakness Stakes

Picking winning horses in horse racing is not an easy thing to do. You’ll find veterans of horse racing wagering who claim to have a system to help them out. Others will go off of their intuition.

If you’re a newcomer to betting on horse racing, you can start your handicapping (which is another name for deciding which horses to pick) in a number of ways. You can watch lots of races and get a feel for the horses involved. That takes a lot of time and dedication, especially because you need to keep at it for a while to collect the information you need.

But you could also go about it by simply looking at a horse racing program. Programs, or “racing forms” as they are sometimes called, give you all the necessary statistical information on every horse in every race at a particular track. Since the 2020 Preakness Stakes will be garnering a lot of betting attention, it’s a good possibility that you can find the program page for it online.

What should you be looking for when you look at a program? Here are some of the things which can help you identify the top horses in each race:

• Past performances: These will be the lifeblood of every program page. You’ll be able to see the most recent races for each of the horses in the race and how they performed. In other words, you can see where they finished in the race (1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, etc.).
• Class: It can sometimes be better to focus on the class of horses that a horse has been facing rather than on the order of finish. A horse who has been finishing last against great horses might be better equipped to win a race than a horse who has been performing well against much weaker horses. Focus on the purse amounts for their most recent races.
• Distance: This is an underrated factor in terms of handicapping races. Sometimes, a horse just seems to fit a certain distance better. In terms of the 2020 Preakness Stakes, you should be focusing on distances similar to 1 3/16 miles, which is the distance they’ll be running at Pimlico.
• Post Position: Post position refers to where the horses line up in the gate each race. Occasionally, you can spot a handicapping advantage in a particular horse who has been dealing with tough, outside post positions for several races in a row. When they move to the inside, they can be primed for a big performance.
• Connections: By connections, we mean the owners, trainers, and jockeys involved with the horses. There’s a reason why you see familiar names like Bob Baffert (trainer) or Mike Smith (jockey) year in and year out in the Triple Crown conversation. By the same token, it can often be difficult for an inexperienced jockey or trainer to break through in a race as big as the Preakness Stakes.
• Pedigree: This one can be a bit more difficult, in that it requires some working knowledge of the history of horse racing. The bottom line is that, if a horse comes from a bloodline of great performers, there is a good chance that pedigree will rub off on them. If you don’t know the names of top thoroughbreds from the past, you can often find information in race programs concerning the most successful sires to help you along.

Now that you’re familiar with the history and how to bet on the 2020 Preakness Stakes, feel free to browse our other guides on horse racing betting.

What To Bet On Preakness Picks

Or if you’re into other sports, check out our site’s latest pages! You’re sure to find something you’ll be interested in. Lastly, good luck with your horse racing bets!

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The final leg of the 2020 Triple Crown is Saturday, Oct. 3 for the Preakness Stakes. The COVID-19 health crisis and pandemic casued a shakeup in the racing schedule, and this year’s Preakness at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore takes place a full month after the Kentucky Derby.

Fans and recreational race bettors are focusing on Authentic, who won the Kentucky Derby and opened as the 9/5 favorite for the Preakness. His strongest challenger according to the morning line odds is Art Collector (5/2), who missed the Kentucky Derby after suffering a minor foot injury in training less than a week before the race.

Other Kentucky Derby runners returning for the Preakness are Ny Traffic (15/1) and Max Player (15/1), who finished third in the Belmont Stakes and is the only horse running in all three Triple Crown races in 2020. Also, Thousand Words will run in the Preakness after being scratched from the Kentucky Derby for acting up in the paddock.

How To Bet On Preakness 2020

Authentic and Thousand Words are both trained by Bob Baffert, who has won a record-tying seven Preakness Stakes. Trainer Steve Asmussen has three horses running in the Preakness – Max Player, Excession and Pneumatic.

Preakness Stakes post positions and odds

Post positions and opening odds were released on Monday, Sept. 28. Due to its rescheduled date, the Preakness Stakes has also been designated a “Win and You’re In” Breeders’ Cup qualifying race with the winner earning automatic entry into the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

The Preakness Stakes is race 12 on Saturday, Oct. 3 with post time at 5:36 p.m. ET and NBC carries the TV coverage from 4:30 to 6 p.m. ET.

You can also watch all the races on a live feed at TVG.

Betting odds provided by TVG (Click here to get $300 risk-free bet, just for signing up!)

Post	Horse	Current Odds	Jockey / Trainer
1	Excession	30/1 (Bet Here)	Sheldon Russell Steve Asmussen
2	Mr. Big News	12/1 (Bet Here)	Gabriel Saez Bret Calhoun
3	Art Collector	5/2 (Bet Here)	Brian Hernandez, Jr. Thomas Drury, Jr.
4	Swiss Skydiver	6/1 (Bet Here)	Robby Albarado Ken McPeek
5	Thousand Words	6/1 (Bet Here)	Florent Geroux Bob Baffert
6	Jesus' Team	30/1 (Bet Here)	Jevian Toledo Jose D'Angelo
7	Ny Traffic	15/1 (Bet Here)	Horacio Karamanos Saffie Joseph, Jr.
8	Max Player	15/1 (Bet Here)	Paco Lopez Steve Asmussen
9	Authentic	9/5 (Bet Here)	John Velazquez Bob Baffert
10	Pneumatic	20/1 (Bet Here)	Joe Bravo Steve Asmussen
11	Liveyourbeastlife	30/1 (Bet Here)	Trevor McCarthy Jorge Abreu

Betting the Preakness Stakes

Why is the 1 3/16 mile Preakness Stakes such a great wagering opportunity? For starters, the 2020 Preakness Day card at Pimlico is an All-Stakes 12-race card starting at 11:00 a.m. ET with purses totaling $2.7 million.

The 145th running of the Preakness Stakes is a $1 million race and is part of a Daily Double that follows Race 10 – the $250,000 Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles. Star filly Swiss Skydiver has decided to pass on that race and instead run against the boys in the Preakness Stakes.

The Preakness not only has provided solid payouts in Win-Place-Show betting and Exacta and Trifecta wagering over the years, but the 2020 race will provide big payouts as part of a Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5. There is also a 20 cent Rainbow Pick 6 that starts in Race 6.

The weather in Baltimore on Saturday, Oct. 3 is forecast to be sunny with temperatures in the 60’s, providing a fast track on the main dirt surface.

Bet On Preakness Today

How to identify the Preakness Stakes winner

Some keys to handicapping the contenders and determining which runners can pass the test are speed figures, contender profiles, race dynamics and past performances. Horse Racing Nation and its Super Screener have for years provided proven criteria, contender profiles, pace projections and odds evaulation to determine value and identify not only winners, but longshots that can hit the board to add bigger payouts when betting on the Exacta, Trifecta and Superfecta.

Over the past 20+ years, nearly half of the winners of the Kentucky Derby repeated in the Preakness. However, the 2020 race is spread out a full month after the Kentucky Derby while the Preakness is usually run two weeks following the Kentucky Derby in May.

Equibase Speed Figures (ESF) measure how fast a horse has been running in each of its races – adjusted for track, distances and conditions.

The race dynamics and projected pace suggests that favorite Authentic will break to the front and likely run on the lead or alongside Swiss Skydiver. Pace pressure somes from Ny Traffic and Art Collector. Sitting just behind those leaders through the second call of the race should be Thousand Words with off the pace runners Liveyourbeastlife, Pneumatic and Jesus’ Team needing to make a move from off the pace as they head towards the far turn. The deep closers in the race will need the leaders to fall off or a pace breakdown and Max Player along with Mr. Big News and Excession will try to rally from further back.

Preakness stakes betting analysis

Here is the field and capsules for the horses in the 2020 Preakness Stakes.

Main Contenders

Authentic – The race favorite offers fair value at best but is a legit top contender. He broke from the outside in the Kentucky Derby and was able to secure the lead and hold off the favorite Tiz the Law to win. Now he’ll be challenged on the lead by the filly Swiss Skydiver but has proven he can balance and maintain his energy as a 4-time graded stakes winner.

Art Collector – He’ll get a stalking trip behind the leaders and can take advantage if the pace comes up quick and pressured. A solid foundation and reliable board hitter who has not raced in 60 days after being scratched from the Kentucky Derby the week of the race.

Secondary Contenders

Swiss Skydiver – This fine filly has finished first or second in six consecutive races including behind Art Collector when challening the colts in the Blue Grass Stakes. Stamina and speed are her strength and she now runs in her ninth straight race this year without a significant break. Fair value, and Swiss Skydiver is the 55th filly to run in the Preakness and is trying to become the sixth to win the race.

Thousand Words – He’s a grinder with raw talent but sub-par value in this race. Thousand Words has been off for 60 days when he won the Shared Belief with his best speed figure running on the lead to defeat Honor A.P. – one of the favorites in the Kentucky Derby. A high-priced purchase and will card in this race with talent but not consistency.

Max Player – Plenty of value for Max Player, who finished third in both the Belmont Stakes and Travers before taking plenty of kickback from the rail in the Kentucky Derby but still ralling to finish fifth. Steve Asmussen took over training Max Player prior to the Kentucky Derby and jockey Paco Lopez rides him for the first time in his first Preakness stakes. He may ask Max Player to run closer to mid-pack then his previous deep closing efforts.

Top Longshots

Pneumatic – He offers excellent value with a solid chance to hit the board and potentially steal the race. Pneumatic has improved each of his last four races and won his most recent start after racing wide and finishing fourth in the Belmont Stakes.

Liveyourbeastlife – He rates a small chance to win but has solid value to hit the board or complete the superfecta. Liveyourbeastlife has moved forward and progressed in five 2020 starts. His second graded stakes start was a month ago and he finished second in the Jim Dandy with a slow pace and got caught up in the far turn and still kicked down strong to pass horses. He was the best in the race while finishing second and in front of Jesus’ Team.

Ny Traffic – He just missed catching Authentic to finish second in the Haskell while running his best race and third straight runner-up finish in graded stakes. Ny Traffic then was a non-factor in the Kentucky Derby and was injured. Not a likely winner and adds pressue to the pace setters.

Mr. Big News, Excession and Jesus’ Team are the least likely to win or hit the board.

Preakness Stakes recent history

The 2019 Preakness drew more than 130,000 fans to Pimlico Race Course and the Preakness Stakes topped $54.4 million in all-sources wagering. Each of the last four years has seen between $93 million and $100 million wagered on the Preakness day card, which this year has 12 races versus 14 in recent years.

Owners of horses in the Preakness Stakes and limited guests will be permitted at Saturday’s race after Gov. Larry Hogan issued an order raising spectator capacities at Maryland’s racetracks to 250.

Here are the Preakness winners since 1997 with odds, times and connections.

Year	Winner	Post	Odds	Time	Jockey	Trainer
2020	Swiss Skydiver	4	11/1	1:53.28
2019	War of Will	1	6/1	1:54.34	Tyler Gaffalione	Mark Casse
2018	Justify	7	1/2	1:55:93	Mike Smith	Bob Baffert
2017	Cloud Computing	2	13/1	1:55:98	Javier Castellano	Chad Brown
2016	Exaggerator	5	3/1	1:58:31	Kent Desormeaux	J. Keith Desormeaux
2015	American Pharoah	1	4/5	1:58.46	Victor Espinoza	Bob Baffert
2014	California Chrome	3	3/5	1:54.84	Victor Espinoza	Art Sherman
2013	Oxbow	6	15/1	1:57:54	Victor Espinoza	D.W. Lukas
2012	I'll Have Another	9	3/1	1:55.94	G. Stevens	D. O'Neill
2011	Shackleford	5	12/1	1:56.21	M. Guiterrez	D. Romans
2010	Lookin At Lucky	7	5/2	1:55.47	J. Castanon	B. Baffert
2009	Rachel Alexandra	13	9/5	1:55.05	M. Garcia	S. Asmussen
2008	Big Brown	6	1/5	1:54.80	C. Borel	R. Dutrow Jr.
2007	Curlin	4	7/2	1:53.46	K. Desormeaux	S. Asmussen
2006	Bernardini	8	12/1	1:54.65	R. Albarado	T. Albertrani
2005	Afleet Alex	12	3/1	1:55.04	J. Castellano	T. Ritchey
2004	Smarty Jones	7	3/5	1:55.59	J. Rose	J. Servis
2003	Funny Cide	9	9/5	1:55.61	S. Elliott	B. Tagg
2002	War Emblem	8	5/2	1:56.36	J. Santos	B. Baffert
2001	Point Given	11	2/1	1:55.51	V. Espinoza	B. Baffert
2000	Red Bullet	4	7/1	1:56.04	G. Stevens	J. Orseno
1999	Charismatic	6	8/1	1:55.32	J. Bailey	D.W. Lukas
1998	Real Quiet	10	5/2	1:54.75	C. Antley	B. Baffert
1997	Silver Charm	7	3/1	1:54.84	K. Desormeaux	B. Baffert