Longshot Rich Strike shocked the horse racing world a couple of weeks ago when he came out of nowhere to win the Kentucky Derby. Though Rich Strike isn't in this race, fans and handicappers have to be wondering if another virtual unknown will capture "The Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown".
The 2022 Preakness Stakes will take place on Saturday, May 21 at Pimlico Downs in Baltimore, Maryland, with a post time of 7:01 PM Eastern Time. Let's take a look at the two best bonus offers, the current odds, and our best bets for this prestigious race. For even more info about each of these bonus offers, check out our Best Bonus Offers for 2022 Preakness Stakes.
Odds to Win 2022 Preakness Stakes
Updated Odds from DRF Bets
| Horse |
Odds |
| Epicenter |
6-5 |
| Early Voting |
7-2 |
| Secret Oath |
9-2 |
| Simplification |
6-1 |
| Creative Minister |
10-1 |
| Horse |
Odds |
| Armagnac |
12-1 |
| Skippylongstocking |
20-1 |
| Happy Jack |
30-1 |
| Fenwick |
50-1 |
Breakdown of the 2022 Preakness Stakes Field
As you can tell from the above odds, this is shaping up to be a much different kind of race than the Kentucky Derby, which was jam-packed with 20 horses in the field. Barring any last-minute changes, this will be the smallest Preakness field in four years. Here's a bit more info about each horse as well as their post positions.
1. Simplification (6-1)
Though the No. 1 post isn't a great starting slot, Simplification is coming off a respectable 4th-place finish at the Kentucky Derby. We feel that this colt is being a bit overlooked by the oddsmakers, especially since he's won three out of his eight career races.
The reports coming out of Simplification's camp have been positive so far this week. Assistant trainer Jesus Prada has been talking about how much Simplification likes this track. Our only concern is that Simplification will have a new jockey for The Preakness, as veteran John Velazquez will take over for Jose Ortiz, who will be riding Early Voting.
2. Creative Minister (10-1)
Creative Minister is an interesting case. This colt has won two of his three starts but he doesn't have any experience against this type of elite field.
That being said, Creative Minister's trainer, Kenny McPeek, won this race a couple of years ago. Couple that with the fact that Brian Hernandez Jr. is an experienced jockey, and Creative Minister could surprise some folks in this race.
3. Fenwick (50-1)
Fenwick is by far the biggest longshot in this field. Similar to Rich Strike, Fenwick was entered just before the deadline on Monday.
Some folks have even said that they were shocked to see Fenwick in the Preakness field. However, as we saw in the Kentucky Derby, anything can happen in a horse race!
4. Secret Oath (9-2)
The only female horse in the field, Secret Oath knows how to win (5 wins in 8 races) but has only raced against colts once in her career. It will be interesting to see how she responds against an elite field like this one.
Secret Oath won the Kentucky Oaks and is trained by D. Wayne Lukas, who has won The Preakness six times in his career. That stat alone makes it easy to see why Secret Oath is currently listed as the third favorite. Fillies have only won The Preakness six times, but Secret Oath certainly has the potential to be the seventh.
5. Early Voting (7-2)
The second favorite in the field, Early Voting has lived up to his name by getting lots of early attention from both oddsmakers and handicappers alike. This colt actually qualified for the Kentucky Derby but his team opted to rest him with the hopes of increasing his chances of winning The Preakness.
Early Voting shouldn't have any trouble keeping up with Epicenter, as the two colts have similar top speeds. However, Early Voting may have an edge just because he's had five weeks of rest.
6. Happy Jack (30-1)
Happy Jack is looking to bounce back after a disappointing 14th-place finish at the Kentucky Derby. Happy Jack's handlers made the decision to put blinkers on him for this race with the hopes of improving his early speed out of the gate.
Happy Jack comes from good bloodlines but he has yet to show the speed and stamina necessary to win a Triple Crown race. We'll pass, even at the generous 30 to 1 odds.
7. Armagnac (12-1)
Armagnac burst onto the scene with a surprising 4th-place finish as a 70-1 longshot in the Santa Anita Derby. Armagnac was moved from legendary trainer Bob Baffert to Tim Yakteen while Baffert serves out a suspension.
It's kind of surprising to see these kinds of odds on Armagnac, especially since he had to win an allowance race just to qualify for The Preakness. This is another hard pass for us.
8. Epicenter (6-5)
Epicenter is the heavy favorite for The Preakness and deservedly so. This three-year-old colt is the most accomplished horse in the field as he has four wins and two runner-up finishes in only seven starts.
Epicenter's trainer Steve Asmussen has earned two Preakness victories in his career and will be looking to get the disappointing taste from the Derby out of his mouth.
9. Skippylongstocking (20-1)
With the most lovable name in the field, Skippylongstocking is sure to garner some attention at The Preakness. This bay colt has won two of his nine career races and could be a nice sleeper pick to finish in the money on Saturday evening.
Skippylongstocking has champion bloodlines, as his father Exaggerator won The Preakness back in 2016. That makes him a viable longshot to keep an eye on in this race.
Best Bet to Win 2022 Preakness Stakes: Early Voting
While most experts believe that this is Epicenter's race to lose, we are rolling with Early Voting to win this race. Veteran trainer Chad Brown and owner Seth Klarman made a bold move by skipping the Kentucky Derby. Klarman was raised within walking distance of this track, so to say he knows it well would be a gross understatement.
This team has pushed all their chips towards the center of the table for this one race. Since they have a horse like Early Voting, who has placed 1st, 1st, and 2nd in three career starts, we can't say that we blame them.
Looking for even more advice? Our current DRF Bets promotion includes a free formulator for the race. Enjoy The Preakness everybody!
