The Definitive Preakness Stakes Field Preview

Who is ready to get their Preak on? A shorter than usual field of ten will be running for the coat of Black-Eyed Susans at Pimlico this Saturday. Although the leadup to the race has been quite controversial, let’s spend less time talking about a supposedly “juiced” horse and more time finding an angle we’d like to wager on instead, unless that angle is the one you’d like to play.

1. Ram- Out of Triple Crown Winner American Pharoah, Ram has never entered a graded stakes race. Trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, this horse may fit on the undercard, and not against this class of talent.
2. Keepmeinmind- Seventh in the Kentucky Derby and fifth in the Bluegrass Prior. This horse hasn’t won this calendar year. This horse also fits in with Grade 2/3 types, not the best of the best.
3. Medina Spirit- Crossed the wire first in the Kentucky Derby after finishing second to Rock Your World in the Santa Anita Derby. Trained by Bob Baffert, the horse really does like the lead and does try hard. But with all the news coming out about being disqualified in the Kentucky Derby, karma may come calling.
4. Crowded Trade- Has three whole career races. Second and third in graded stakes affairs. If you want a new shooter and like 10-1 odds, I don’t hate it. The three-year-old crop this year is good to average.
5. Midnight Bourbon- Sixth in the Kentucky Derby and second in the Louisiana Derby, Steve Asmussen may have faith that the two-week turnaround and better trip will make this one a competitor from a speed standpoint. Irad Ortiz Jr, best jock in America, jumps onboard to see this one through.
6. Rombauer- Third in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, Flavien Prat jumps aboard to see if this horse can take a step forward and compete. A total wildcard if the speed falls apart on the front end.
7. France Go de Ina- Bred in Kentucky but raced in Japan and Meydan, who took sixth in the UAE derby. Shipping the horse here cost a pretty penny. Joel Rosario bumped from Baffert’s Concert Tour picks up the mount and may play spoiler.
8. Unbridled Honor- Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Luis Saez, a hot combination if you ask me, horse comes in off a 2^nd place finish in the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland. Lightly raced and well rested.  
9. Risk Taking- A longshot to believe in. A disappointing seventh in the Wood Memorial derby prep, but won his previous, the Withers Stakes in impressive fashion. A well-timed stalking trip could pay dividends for Jose Ortiz who picks up the mount from his brother.
10. Concert Tour- The other Baffert horse. Unbeaten until his third-place finish in the Arkansas Derby, Bob Baffert decided to wait and not run this horse in the Kentucky Derby. He’s well rested and picks up Mike Smith to ride.