Horse Racing Odds: Always Dreaming Favored at Preakness

Always Dreaming already has the first jewel on the Triple Crown trail: the 2017 Kentucky Derby. At press time, he’s the 10/11 favorite to earn the second at Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, with Classic Empire at 15/4 and nobody else better than 10/1. Post time at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore is 7:35 PM ET on NBC.

The Preakness odds will change somewhat after Wednesday’s post-position draw, but Always Dreaming should go into this race as the clear favorite. Trainer Todd Pletcher says the dark bay has been gaining in energy since winning the Derby on May 6. There were some concerns on Sunday when Always Dreaming stumbled at the beginning of a gallop around the track at Pimlico, but everything appears to be in order for the big race.

Unfortunately, Royal Mo had to be taken off the Preakness list Sunday after suffering a fractured sesamoid in his right foreleg. His racing career is over after successful surgery on Monday, leaving a field of 11 potential horses – including five “shooters” who didn’t race on May 6. Conquest Mo Money has the shortest odds of this group at +1600; the last shooter to win the Preakness was Bernardini in 2006.

Horse Racing Odds: Will Always Dreaming Take Down the Preakness?

Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming is the 10/11 favorite at press time to go back-to-back at Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, the second jewel in thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown. Post time at Pimilco is 7:35 PM ET on NBC.

A field of 11 horses is expected after Wednesday’s post-position draw, with Classic Empire 15/4 the only obvious competition for the Kentucky Derby champion. Lancaster Bomber, the third-favorite at 10/1, wasn’t certain to appear after finishing fourth in the 2000 Guineas on May 6, the same day as the Derby, but it looks like he’ll be in the mix for Saturday.