Preakness Stakes Odds: Justify Heavily Favored at Pimlico

It’s not unusual to see the Kentucky Derby winner open as the favorite at the Preakness Stakes. However, Justify is a massive 2/5 favorite on the Preakness futures market at press time, moving up from 5/8 following his impressive performance in the slop at Churchill Downs. Good Magic, who finished second at the Derby, is the only horse within shouting distance at 7/2.

Justify certainly deserves to be the favorite for the 2018 Preakness Stakes, which takes place Saturday, May 19 (6:20 PM ET post time on NBC) at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. But his odds got even shorter when a number of horses who ran at the Derby were pulled out of contention for the Preakness. It’s believed that Audible, who finished third in Louisville, will be saved for the Belmont Stakes; the Todd Pletcher-trained colt opened as the second favorite for the Preakness at 5/1 before being taken off the list.

Among the fresh horses expected to chase down Justify at Pimlico are Diamond King and Quip, each available at 16/1. Diamond King is coming off a victory at the Federico Tesio Stakes, while Quip finished second to Magnum Moon at the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby.

Preakness Stakes Odds: Justify in the Clear at Pimlico?

With almost all his competitors from the Kentucky Derby deciding to pull out, Justify is a heavy 2/5 favorite to continue his Triple Crown quest by winning the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, May 19 at Pimlico Race Course. Good Magic is the second favorite at 7/2 after finishing second at Churchill Downs.

At press time, the only other Derby horses considered possible for the Preakness are Bravazo (20/1), who finished sixth, and Lone Sailor (25/1), who came in eighth. Among the horses who skipped the Derby, Diamond King and Quip are the top Preakness contenders at 16/1.