Off Track at Pimlico Won’t Stop Preakness Favorites

The forecast for Saturday’s Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico does not look promising, with a 90% chance of rain, but an off track may play right into the hands of the main contenders in the race.

The undefeated Nyquist is the current betting favorite for the Preakness at odds of 4-7 and he has shown he can handle a racing surface with some moisture in it.

Rain fell part of the day on April 2 at Gulfstream Park and the track was listed as good for the Florida Derby (G1). The colt took the field gate to wire and he earned a career top Beyer Speed Figure of 103 in the outing.

The colt is by the hot sire Uncle Mo out of a Forestry mare and that is a solid off track pedigree. If his Triple Crown bid ends in Baltimore, the racing surface likely will not be to blame.

Exaggerator finished 1 ¼ lengths behind Nyquist in the Kentucky Derby, coming from 17 lengths back to pass nearly the entire field to finish in the runner up spot. He has now finished behind Nyquist four times.

However, this colt has done some of his best running over wet tracks. The first was a solid runner up finish in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) last fall at Keeneland over a muddy track.

Then in November he encountered a muddy surface at Delta Downs and handled the off track and tight turns well to prevail by a neck.

His most impressive effort came in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) in April where he caught a sloppy track at Santa Anita.

The colt rallied from 16 lengths back to draw away and win by 6 ¼ lengths, earning his career top Beyer Speed Figure of 103.

By two-time Horse of the Year Curlin out of a Vindication mare, he has one of the best off track pedigrees in the Preakness field. He is the current second choice in the early betting at 15-4.

The promising Stradivari likely goes off as the third choice in the betting and is currently listed at 8-1. He will be making his stakes debut in the Preakness after beating maidens and first level allowance foes in his last two starts by a combined 25 ¾ lengths.

His maiden win last December in his second career start came over a wet track at Gulfstream Park listed as good. He did not run fast, earning just a 79 Beyer, but he won with plenty left in the tank and it was just his second career outing.

By Medaglia d’Oro out of an American Chance mare, he has a solid off track pedigree as well.

Collected is the fourth choice in the betting at 16-1, winning the Lexington Stakes (G3) in his last outing. He was fourth in the Southwest (G3) at Oaklawn Park in his lone start over a wet track, but does have a strong off track pedigree.

Post Navigation