Bet the 2020 Preakness Stakes online at TVG. Preakness stakes betting guide, strategy & picks. Learn how to bet Preakness Stakes on Saturday, October 3. Bet The Preakness Stakes Online Twinspires.com offers a fluid and easy-to-use desktop portal for those looking to bet the Preakness Stakes. It’s free to sign up, and deposit is simple and fast. You can easily sign up on the day of the race you’re looking to bet, or sign up in advance to get the best odds! May 09, 2019 Daily Double: You pick the winner of this race and the winner of another race - typically the race right before or right after this one. At the Preakness you can also bet a double that includes the. The Preakness Stakes betting odds are finally determined by the pari-mutuel system at the track which means your potential payout depends on how much money is in the pot overall, divided by how many bets are placed. The odds will fluctuate in the build-up to the race and never more so than in the final few moments before post time.
The Preakness Stakes is the third leg of the 2020 Triple Crown after being rescheduled to Saturday, Oct. 3. Tiz the Law won the Belmont Stakes on June 20 and he finished runner-up in the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5. However, Tiz the Law will skip the Preakness and run next in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 7 at Keeneland. The Preakness Stakes draw was completed Sept. 28 and Kentucky Derby winner Authentic was made the 9/5 morning line favorite with Art Collector (5/2) the second choice.
In another change to Triple Crown races, the Preakness Stakes joins the Belmont Stakes as a “Win and You’re In” qualifying race to the Nov. 7 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland.
Trainer Bob Baffert is the leading trainer in Triple Crown history with 16 victories after winning his record-tying sixth Kentucky Derby with Authentic. He is tied for the most wins in the Preakness with seven victories and his last two winners won the Triple Crown – Justify (2018) and American Pharoah (2015).
Best Preakness betting sites 2021
Preakness Stakes post positions and odds
| Post Position | Horse | Opening Odds (2020) | Jockey | Last Race |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Excession | 30/1 | Sheldon Russell | 2nd in Rebel Stakes |
| 2 | Mr. Big News | 12/1 | Gabriel Saez | 3rd in Kentucky Derby (G1) |
| 3 | Art Collector | 5/2 | Brian Hernandez Jr. | 1st in Ellis Derby |
| 4 | Swiss Skydiver | 6/1 | Robby Albarado | 2nd in Kentucky Oaks (G1) |
| 5 | Thousand Words | 6/1 | Florent Geroux | 1st in Shared Belief |
| 6 | Jesus' Team | 30/1 | Jevian Toledo | 3rd in Jim Dandy (G2) |
| 7 | Ny Traffic | 15/1 | Horacio Karamanos | 8th in Kentucky Derby (G1) |
| 8 | Max Player | 15/1 | Paco Lopez | 5th in Kentucky Derby (G1) |
| 9 | Authentic | 9/5 | John Velazquez | 1st in Kentucky Derby (G1) |
| 10 | Pneumatic | 20/1 | Joe Bravo | 1st in Pegasus Stakes |
| 11 | Liveyourbeastlife | 30/1 | Trevor McCarthy | 2nd in Jim Dandy (G2) |
Where to bet the Preakness Stakes and race schedule
The 145th Preakness Stakes is set for Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020. Here is more information and tips on betting the Preakness Stakes, and how you can watch and wager on this year’s event.
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020
- Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
- TV: NBC
- Tablet, Online, Mobile: NBC Sports App and streamed live on NBCsports.com/live and fuboTV
- Track & Location: Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland
- Distance: 1 3/16 miles (9 furlongs) – since 1925
- Surface: Dirt
- Horses: 3-Year-Old Thoroughbreds
- Track Record: Secretariat (1:53.00 in 1973)
- Largest Margin of Victory: Smarty Jones (11 lengths in 2004)
The Preakness post-position draw is Monday, Sept. 28, and Preakness oddsmaker Keith Fuestle will set the odds immediately after the draw. The field is limited to a maximum of 14 starters, but the only years the Preakness starting gate was filled to capacity were 2011, 2005, and 1992.
Fans can wager legally at racetracks, simulcast centers such as Off Track Betting (OTB) Centers, and on advanced deposit wagering platforms such as TVG, BetAmerica and TwinSpires, where bettors in 31 states can legally bet on horse races from their mobile devices and web browsers. You can also wager on horse racing legally in the state of Nevada at the hundreds of casinos with race and sportsbooks.
Horse racing wagers and bets
In addition to the traditional “straight” wagers (Win, Place, Show), fans can also attempt to cash big in the various “exotic” pools. Exacta (top two finishers), Trifecta (top three), Superfecta (top four), and Super High Five (top five) wagering are all offered, and cashing a ticket in any of these pools can produce a bigger payday.
- Win: Bet on the horse you think you will win the Kentucky Derby.
- Place: Get paid the place price if your horse finishes first or second.
- Show: A show bet pays the least, but you win and get paid the show price if your horse finishes first, second or third.
- Exacta: Predict the first two horses in the correct order.
- Trifecta: Predict the first three horses in the correct order.
- Superfecta: Predict the first four horses in the correct order.
- Super High Five: Predict the first five horses in the correct order.
The Preakness Stakes betting odds are finally determined by the pari-mutuel system at the track which means your potential payout depends on how much money is in the pot overall, divided by how many bets are placed. The odds will fluctuate in the build-up to the race and never more so than in the final few moments before post time.
Picking a Preakness winner
There are many ways to handicap a horse race, and there is no shortage of opinions or angles when it comes to the handicapping the Preakness Stakes following the Kentucky Derby results. From a beginner’s betting guide to the most sophisticated tools for informed handicappers, there are many pieces of information and betting guides to assist you in identifying a potential Preakness winner and narrowing the list of top contenders.
- Handicapping horses and the races takes much time, research and intuition. Beyond studying past performance charts and horse stats, speed figures, class ratings, tracks and bias, jockey and trainer stats, horse pedigree and even post position (Preakness draw is Wednesday, Sept. 30), a handicapper has to have insight and ability to find various ways to identify horses that are ready to win. That’s especially true in a ‘normal’ year for the Derby horses that are running in the Preakness with just a two-week recovery. But the 2020 races are four weeks apart. You can review race videos, tracks, surfaces or find horses that had troubled trips in recent races. But it’s important to distill information that can help you identify horses that may offer some value next time out or others in good form or improving that can provide value wagering opportunities.
- Races and horses should be backed based on positive attributes and not as a result of who’s the best of the worst. As you study some of the betting guides and training tools, you’ll become better prepared and equipped to analyze races in a more meaningful way. That includes the Preakness Stakes along with the Kentucky Derby and the prep races leading up to the Derby. Understanding ‘how’ a horse has run leading up to a race versus the far less important ‘where’ the horse finishes and ‘what’ time he/she completed their recent races will help you become more proficient.
- Trainer Bob Baffert has won the Preakness a record-tying 7 times (D. Wayne Lucas) including in 2015 with American Pharoah and 2018 with Justify, who both went on to win the Triple Crown. Baffert is the trainer for both Authentic and Thousand Words in the 2020 race Preakness.
These sections below will be updated with additional horses and information as more runners are confirmed for the Preakness Stakes.
Front runners and “need the lead”
The pace often makes the race, and the Preakness will be no different. The horses that “need the lead” or will be forwardly placed and pressing the pace include two leading contenders and favorites Authentic and Art Collector. They will be joined up front by filly Swiss Skydiver.
Stalkers ready to pounce
With Tiz the Law opting to not run in the Preakness, there is one less top contender looking to stalk and pounce. Ny Traffic may make up more ground as he did when closing in on Authentic in the Haskell before losing by a nose.
Value Horses
Thousand Words and NyTraffic going off at higher odds provides some horses with some value below the top tier runners. Art Collector moves up as the second choice with Tiz the Law out, but sharp horse players believe he’s a real shooter after missing the Kentucky Derby. Trainer Bob Baffert is going for his record eighth Preakness win and will have two chances with Authentic and Thousand Words both leading contenders.
Last year, War of Will was identified on these pages as a value horse and he pulled the upset and won at 6/1 odds.
The Preakness has been dominated in recent years by horses who set or press/stalk the pace, but most of the time those were simply the best horses like Justify, American Pharoah, California Chrome, Big Brown and the filly Rachel Alexandra. Exaggerator was able to come from well off a hotly-contested pace to win the 2016 Preakness. An improving 3-year-old or fresher and talented colt like Art Collector or Thousand Words may be able to pull another upset, but not at odds like Clould Computing (13/1) in 2017 or Oxbow (15/1) in 2013.
Preakness Stakes history and results
| Year | Winner | Post | Odds | Time | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Swiss Skydiver | 4 | 11/1 | 1:53.28 | ||
| 2019 | War of Will | 1 | 6/1 | 1:54.34 | Tyler Gaffalione | Mark Casse |
| 2018 | Justify | 7 | 1/2 | 1:55:93 | Mike Smith | Bob Baffert |
| 2017 | Cloud Computing | 2 | 13/1 | 1:55:98 | Javier Castellano | Chad Brown |
| 2016 | Exaggerator | 5 | 3/1 | 1:58:31 | Kent Desormeaux | J. Keith Desormeaux |
| 2015 | American Pharoah | 1 | 4/5 | 1:58.46 | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert |
| 2014 | California Chrome | 3 | 3/5 | 1:54.84 | Victor Espinoza | Art Sherman |
| 2013 | Oxbow | 6 | 15/1 | 1:57:54 | Victor Espinoza | D.W. Lukas |
| 2012 | I'll Have Another | 9 | 3/1 | 1:55.94 | G. Stevens | D. O'Neill |
| 2011 | Shackleford | 5 | 12/1 | 1:56.21 | M. Guiterrez | D. Romans |
| 2010 | Lookin At Lucky | 7 | 5/2 | 1:55.47 | J. Castanon | B. Baffert |
| 2009 | Rachel Alexandra | 13 | 9/5 | 1:55.05 | M. Garcia | S. Asmussen |
| 2008 | Big Brown | 6 | 1/5 | 1:54.80 | C. Borel | R. Dutrow Jr. |
| 2007 | Curlin | 4 | 7/2 | 1:53.46 | K. Desormeaux | S. Asmussen |
| 2006 | Bernardini | 8 | 12/1 | 1:54.65 | R. Albarado | T. Albertrani |
| 2005 | Afleet Alex | 12 | 3/1 | 1:55.04 | J. Castellano | T. Ritchey |
| 2004 | Smarty Jones | 7 | 3/5 | 1:55.59 | J. Rose | J. Servis |
| 2003 | Funny Cide | 9 | 9/5 | 1:55.61 | S. Elliott | B. Tagg |
| 2002 | War Emblem | 8 | 5/2 | 1:56.36 | J. Santos | B. Baffert |
| 2001 | Point Given | 11 | 2/1 | 1:55.51 | V. Espinoza | B. Baffert |
| 2000 | Red Bullet | 4 | 7/1 | 1:56.04 | G. Stevens | J. Orseno |
| 1999 | Charismatic | 6 | 8/1 | 1:55.32 | J. Bailey | D.W. Lukas |
| 1998 | Real Quiet | 10 | 5/2 | 1:54.75 | C. Antley | B. Baffert |
| 1997 | Silver Charm | 7 | 3/1 | 1:54.84 | K. Desormeaux | B. Baffert |
The Preakness Stakes has been a major part of the racing schedule in America pretty much since it first came into existence. It was first held in 1873 as a way to pit top three-year-old horses against each other. And for the most part, it has continued uninterrupted since then, becoming one of the great traditional horse races in the United States.
What gave it even more importance was when it was first included as part of the three most important three-year-old horse races in the country. Once this “Triple Crown” gained more popularity, the Preakness Stakes became a must-win for horses (and their handlers) who wanted to achieve horse racing accolades.
On this page, we’ll be going over the race’s history, a few of the big contenders, how to place horse racing bets, as well as go over the types of bets you’ll be able to make at the best 2020 Preakness Stakes betting sites. As you can see, this will give you plenty of insight into making winning wagers on the 2020 Preakness Stakes. Keep reading below to learn more.
A Brief History on the Preakness Stakes
For most of its history, the Preakness Stakes has served as the second leg of the Triple Crown, in between the Kentucky Derby ahead of it and the Belmont Stakes. The order was shuffled this year, of course, and it is now the anchor race in the series.
The Triple Crown caught the attention of racing fans because of how difficult it is for a horse to win all three races in the same year. In most years, the three races take place in a span of five weeks. In addition to that, they are all contested at different distances, meaning that any horse able to win all three races would have to be extremely versatile.
In the case of the Preakness Stakes, it takes place at a distance of 1 3/16 miles. Generally, that is the shortest distance out of the three Triple Crown races. 1 3/16 miles is a somewhat unusual distance for Thoroughbreds, requiring a bit more getaway speed than the typical distance race.
The Preakness Stakes is a major cultural event in the state of Maryland. It is a race associated with the Black-Eyed Susan, which is the type of flower presented as a kind of trophy to the winning horse. Pimlico Race Course, which hosts the event, also has a rich tradition in the area.
Obviously, some of the traditions that people associated with the Preakness Stakes might be upended this year. But the delay in the race, from May to October, shouldn’t slow down the betting rush. Expect millions to be bet on the 2020 Preakness Stakes.
2020 Preakness Stakes Contenders
The horse to watch at the 2020 Preakness Stakes is undoubtedly Authentic. This is because of the dominant performance that he delivered in the Kentucky Derby a few weeks ago. In that race, the colt overcame an outside post and led most of the way as he gained a convincing victory.
In addition, Authentic was able to dispose of the challenge of Tiz The Law. That horse, trained by Barclay Tagg, was looking like a prohibitive favorite not just to win the Derby, but to go on to the Preakness as well. If he had managed that, it would have been a Triple Crown achievement, since Tiz The Law had already captured the Belmont Stakes in June.
But Authentic never got the memo and interrupted the coronation. And now, he goes into the 2020 Preakness Stakes as a likely favorite. It doesn’t hurt that he is trained by Bob Baffert, who has broken just about every major trainer record for stakes races.
Authentic won’t get the chance for a rematch with Tiz The Law. That horse’s handlers have decided to skip the Preakness Stakes and look ahead to future races (like perhaps the Breeders’ Cup). That means Authentic should be a heavy favorite.
The odd thing is that we’ll never know what might have been in terms of Authentic’s Triple Crown aspirations. Remember that Baffert kept him out of the Belmont Stakes back in June, believing that the race didn’t quite fit well with the horse’s training schedule. Instead, Authentic will have to settle for trying to win two out of three.
But he won’t be alone in this quest. Expect other horses who have competed in the Triple Crown to line up against Authentic in the 2020 Preakness Stakes. And expect some newcomers, who have perhaps been less tested throughout the year and might be fresher, to enter the field as well.
Here is a look at a few of the possible contenders for this year’s race, a week ahead of the official announcement of the field and the official field with their post positions.
- Art Collector: Winner of five consecutive races, Art Collector seemed like one of the top Derby contenders but was held out at the last minute due to a foot injury. Luckily, the injury seems to be healing in time to have him trained for the Preakness. If he can shake off the rust, it could be interesting to see how he handles a matchup with Authentic.
- King Guillermo: Much like Art Collector, he was a hot sleeper pick heading into the Derby, only to be scratched right before the race because of injury. Unlike Art Collector, King Guillermo’s injury might not be healed in time for the Preakness. If he does run, he has already proven to be game when not given much of a chance to win.
- Dr Post: The good news is that he has had good experience facing graded stakes horses this year. But the bad news is that this horse hasn’t seen the winner’s circle since April. Dr Post has to prove that he can step up against classier competition and be more than just best of the rest.
- Big News: Nobody gave him much of a chance when he entered the Kentucky Derby. Yet there he was, coming from nowhere for a surprising third-place finish. If he can build on that, he could present an interesting challenge for Authentic.
- Finnick The Fierce: This horse might get some name recognition points as one of those who was scratched from the Kentucky Derby in the hours leading up to the race. The concern is that he hasn’t won at anything higher than an allowance level. On top of that, he might have to deal with Art Collector, who handled him (and the rest of the fields) in their last two stakes races together.
- Thousand Words: This is an interesting situation in that this colt would be a second Bob Baffert entry and could steal the thunder from his more celebrated stablemate. Thousand Words seemed poised for a big day at the Derby before being scratched. He was outstanding in beating highly-touted Honor A.P. in a stakes in California in his last race.
- Mystic Guide: This colt could be peaking at the right time. In his last start, he knocked off Dr Post in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga. Now, he could be in line to face his first ever Triple Crown competition while he’s at the absolute top of his game.
- Pneumatic: He hasn’t raced since winning the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth in August. Pneumatic does have the benefit of Triple Crown experience, having finished fourth in the Belmont behind Tiz The Law in June. A return to the center stage could be in the offing for him.
- Happy Saver: It’s not unusual for a local horse to take his chances in the Preakness Stakes. This year’s local boy could be Happy Saver. He won the Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel Park, another Maryland track, earlier this month. The question is whether that’s enough of a springboard for him heading into this tough challenge.
How to Bet on the Preakness Stakes
Betting on horse races can be a bit confusing for those who have done it before. But it’s really a simple system once you get the hang of it. Once you do understand, you’ll be able to make wagers on the 2020 Preakness Stakes and just about any horse race that you can imagine.
The key to understanding horse racing betting has to do with figuring out pari-mutuel wagering. Pari-mutuel is just a fancy name that essentially lets you know that your odds are not set, even after you’ve made the wager. This is in opposition to fixed odds wagering, which is in play for most other sports bets.
For example, if you were betting on a team to win a certain game in football or basketball, you might be given odds for the team in question. You might also get a point spread added to the equation.
But in either case, these conditions would not change for your bet, no matter what happens from the time that you bet to the time that the game begins. If you bet on a football team that is a seven-point underdog, those odds will stay in place for you even if the team they’re playing against gets 10 players hurt in the run-up to the game. The odds will change for everybody else who hasn’t bet yet, but your odds are fixed.
In horse racing, the odds aren’t final until the race begins. And those odds are determined by the different pools for each horse and each wager.
For Example:You might bet at a horse at 4 to 1 to win. This means that, conceivably, you would make $4 back for every dollar that you bet. But if the horse receives a lot of betting attention leading up to the race, those odds could easily drop to 3 to 1, 2 to 1, or lower. The odds that you would be paid if the horse wins would be based on the final odds, not the odds that were quoted when you originally wagered on it.
You might find gambling websites that allow you to make fixed odds bets on the 2020 Preakness Stakes. Because it is such a popular race, websites might look to accommodate all kinds of action.
But you have to be careful with fixed odds betting on a race like the Preakness Stakes. Because of the possibility of a horse scratching right before race time (something that happened with several horses in the 2020 Kentucky Derby), you might end up placing an early wager on a horse that doesn’t even run. It’s doubtful that a site will offer you anything in return if that happens.
If you find a site offering pari-mutuel wagering instead, you can avoid this. A scratched horse will allow you to have your bets refunded to you in most cases.
Placing Your Bets
It’s a good idea to have an idea of how to place a wager on a specific horse (or horses) in the 2020 Preakness Stakes at a reputable gambling website. Once you get to the site, you don’t want to become confused by the different terminology, especially if you’re running low on time.
Here are the key pieces of information you have to have when placing a bet on a race like the Preakness Stakes:
- Track: You have to remember that many tracks will be hosting races. In the case of the Preakness Stakes, you have to make sure that you identify Pimlico Race Course as the track in question. Since it is such a popular race, you might find that gambling websites dedicate a page to it that eliminates the need for identifying the track.
- Race Number: There will be many races in a particular program at a track like Pimlico Race Course, even on Preakness Stakes day. That’s why you need to make sure to identify which race on the program it is that you went to bet. Again, if you find a page dedicated to the race, you won’t have to worry about this.
- Amount of Bet: In the sport of horse racing, the traditional bet size is $2. You can raise it from there if you wish, but that is often the minimum. Different 2020 Preakness Stakes betting sites might tinker with this formula somewhat, but you still have to identify the amount you want to bet.
- Type of Bet: We’ll elaborate a bit on the different types of bets and what whey entail in a bit. Just keep in mind that you have to settle on the type of bet (or bets) you want to place once you settle into the site to make your selection.
- Horse (or Horses) Involved: In most cases, you will need to identify the number of the horse that you want. You can find this in the program for the Preakness Stakes, which will easily be located online. But you might also find that websites include the names on the page for a race as big as the Preakness Stakes.
Types of Bets on the 2020 Preakness Stakes
Each horse racing wager brings you different levels of potential risk and reward. Once you know how each of these bets work, you can start to hone in on how you want to wager on the race. This overview will tell you all you need to know.
For the most part, horse racing bets can be broken down into two types: straight or exotic bets. Straight bets generally involved picking a single horse in a single race. Exotic bets require multiple horses to be involved in some way.
Straight bets are generally better if you want to improve your chance of getting something in return. It is easier to predict the performance of one horse than many. But your potential payback is generally capped when you bet in this manner.
On the other hand, exotic bets are harder to hit in any given race. The chances of multiple horses coming in the order you need them to finish diminish from what you could get with a straight bet. Because this is the case, exotic bets often pay back much higher than straight bets.
Here are the main types of straight bets:
- Win: Your horse must win the race for you to win your bet
- Place: Your horse must finish first or second for you to win your bet
- Show: Your horse must finish first, second or third for you to win your bet
And here are the main types of exotic bets:
- Exacta: Bet on the first two horses in the order of finish in a single race
- Trifecta or Triple: Bet on the first three horses in the order of finish in a single race
- Superfecta: Bet on the first four horses in the order of finish in a single race
- Daily Double: Pick the winner of two consecutive races on the card
- Pick 3 and so on: Pick the winners of three races in a row or however many are listed in the name of the bet
How to Pick the Winner of the 2020 Preakness Stakes
How To Bet On The Preakness Stakes
Picking winning horses in horse racing is not an easy thing to do. You’ll find veterans of horse racing wagering who claim to have a system to help them out. Others will go off of their intuition.
If you’re a newcomer to betting on horse racing, you can start your handicapping (which is another name for deciding which horses to pick) in a number of ways. You can watch lots of races and get a feel for the horses involved. That takes a lot of time and dedication, especially because you need to keep at it for a while to collect the information you need.
But you could also go about it by simply looking at a horse racing program. Programs, or “racing forms” as they are sometimes called, give you all the necessary statistical information on every horse in every race at a particular track. Since the 2020 Preakness Stakes will be garnering a lot of betting attention, it’s a good possibility that you can find the program page for it online.
What should you be looking for when you look at a program? Here are some of the things which can help you identify the top horses in each race:
How To Bet On The Preakness
- Past performances: These will be the lifeblood of every program page. You’ll be able to see the most recent races for each of the horses in the race and how they performed. In other words, you can see where they finished in the race (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.).
- Class: It can sometimes be better to focus on the class of horses that a horse has been facing rather than on the order of finish. A horse who has been finishing last against great horses might be better equipped to win a race than a horse who has been performing well against much weaker horses. Focus on the purse amounts for their most recent races.
- Distance: This is an underrated factor in terms of handicapping races. Sometimes, a horse just seems to fit a certain distance better. In terms of the 2020 Preakness Stakes, you should be focusing on distances similar to 1 3/16 miles, which is the distance they’ll be running at Pimlico.
- Post Position: Post position refers to where the horses line up in the gate each race. Occasionally, you can spot a handicapping advantage in a particular horse who has been dealing with tough, outside post positions for several races in a row. When they move to the inside, they can be primed for a big performance.
- Connections: By connections, we mean the owners, trainers, and jockeys involved with the horses. There’s a reason why you see familiar names like Bob Baffert (trainer) or Mike Smith (jockey) year in and year out in the Triple Crown conversation. By the same token, it can often be difficult for an inexperienced jockey or trainer to break through in a race as big as the Preakness Stakes.
- Pedigree: This one can be a bit more difficult, in that it requires some working knowledge of the history of horse racing. The bottom line is that, if a horse comes from a bloodline of great performers, there is a good chance that pedigree will rub off on them. If you don’t know the names of top thoroughbreds from the past, you can often find information in race programs concerning the most successful sires to help you along.
Now that you’re familiar with the history and how to bet on the 2020 Preakness Stakes, feel free to browse our other guides on horse racing betting.
Or if you’re into other sports, check out our site’s latest pages! You’re sure to find something you’ll be interested in. Lastly, good luck with your horse racing bets!