2022 Preakness Stakes: Top Odds & Best Exotic Bet
The 2022 Preakness Stakes field is small and not overly impressive. That means finding value could be hard to come by.
Nine horses are slated to run Saturday evening at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. But of the nine participants, maybe five have a legitimate chance of winning.
We also won’t see Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike go for the second leg of the Triple Crown at Pimlico, as his owners and trainers have elected to hold him out to prepare for the upcoming Belmont Stakes.
So which horse should you focus your betting on in the Preakness?
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2022 Preakness Stakes
- Racetrack: Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, MD
- Post time: 7:01 p.m. ET
- TV: NBC
2022 Preakness Stakes Betting Odds
| Horse | Odds |
| (8) Epicenter | 6-5 |
| (5) Early Voting | 7-2 |
| (4) Secret Oath | 9-2 |
| (1) Simplification | 6-1 |
| (2) Creative Minister | 10-1 |
| (7) Armagnac | 12-1 |
| (9) Skippylongstocking | 20-1 |
| (6) Happy Jack | 30-1 |
| (3) Fenwick | 50-1 |
Best exotic bet: Epicenter, Early Voting, Secret Oath and Simplification, exacta box, $12 bet
I’m playing it a little safer by boxing the top four horses in one wager. I feel strongly that two of these four horses will finish first and second, but I’m a bit more uncertain about the exact combo. If you want a straight exacta, I would choose Epicenter followed by Early Voting.
I also have no problem doing the same thing for a trifecta box, which will cost you the same amount on a .50 cent trifecta bet. And I’d even throw Skippylongstocking in there if you’re seeking a longer shot. This truly feels like a four-horse race, so I’m going to get chalky and ride these four at Pimlico.
Epicenter Betting Information
- Owner: Winchell Thoroughbreds
- Trainer: Steve Asmussen
- Jockey: Joel Rosario
- Past results: Four victories in seven starts
- Post position: 8th
Rosario and Epicenter will reunite after a really strong effort in Louisville. And there’s no doubting Epicenter’s experience in stakes races, having won the Louisiana Derby and the Risen Star earlier this year. The primary question will be whether Epicenter can deliver another great performance on a swift, two-week turnaround. Horses coming to the Preakness off the Kentucky Derby tend to have an advantage, but there’s definitely concerns regarding Epicenter’s stamina after running such a hard race at the Derby.
Secret Oath Betting Information
- Owner: Briland Farm
- Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
- Jockey: Luis Saez
- Past results: Five wins in eight starts
- Post position: 3rd
Secret Oath hung around in the middle of the pack before charging hard down the final quarter-mile. Saez was aboard Secret Oath during that race, and that rapport will matter at Pimlico.
But perhaps the more interesting performance was Secret Oath’s third-place finish in the Arkansas Derby in April. In that race, the filly finished behind Kentucky Derby participants Cyberknife and Barber Road, who finished 18th and sixth in the Derby, respectively. Neither Cyberknife or Barber Road are participating in the Preakness.
Secret Oath’s performance in the Arkansas Derby has me questioning whether she can hold up against Epicenter and Simplification, who finished second and fourth in the run for the roses.
Early Voting Betting Information
- Owner: Klaravich Stables
- Trainer: Chad C. Brown
- Jockey: Jose Ortiz
- Past results: Two wins in three starts
- Post position: 5th
Early Voting’s long layoff is a legitimate concern. However, Chad Brown trained one of the five horses who won the Preakness despite not racing Derby weekend, helping Cloud Computing win the Preakness in 2017.
Early Voting nearly pulled off a wire-to-wire victory in his most recent performance but lost by a neck to a charging Mo Donegal. However, the loss was proof of Early Voting’s strong early speed.
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