Horse racing is one of the earliest sports in history- its origin is believed to date back centuries ago. Many say it started in Britain, and some have argued that it started with the Central Asian nomads. Regardless, it remains one of the fascinating sports in the world, and many punters are generally drawn to wagering on it.
There are a variety of sports events every year. All these sports have major events taking place throughout the season. It’s the same for horse racing. There is the Kentucky Derby hosted in Kentucky, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, the Royal Ascot in Ascot, England, the Dubai World Cup in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and there is also the Preakness Stakes, hosted in Pimlico Race Course, in that old city of Baltimore, Maryland.
Customarily, Preakness stakes betting would start from choosing your horse from the racecard, tracking the name and number, determining the type of bet you’d like to make, and wagering an amount on your choice with a bookmaker. That process hasn’t changed for the 2022 event.
This article will provide you with all the information you need about the upcoming event, betting tips, the types of bets to make, and more.
What is the Preakness Stakes?
The Preakness Stakes is an American horse race fixed on the third Saturday of every May. It started in 1873. Although the sport has changed since its inception, it is still running in its Grade I race. The horses cover 9.5 furlongs, in the distance, on the dirt-filled track. The competition has been kept as a culture and tradition, and the Woodlawn Vase, the trophy, has been a symbol of excellence for every winner.
It’s a thoroughbred horse sport. Mostly, the qualifications of any contender are three years. You either get to be spectators, competitors, or bettors in the race. By reading this content, you are probably keen on having your money on any of the performing and entertaining horses. Here are the post positions for the 2022 sport.
Preakness Stakes Post Positions
The Post Positions Draw for the 147th Preakness Stakes was held on the 16th of May. The result has many trainers smiling while others murmur about the disadvantageous arrangements. The event organizers have revealed that there would be a total of nine contenders, with their respective positioning, which are:
Simplification, Creative Minister, Fenwick, Secret Oath, Early Voting, Happy Jack, Armagnac, Epicenter, and Skippy Longstocking.
The Prediction: Who Has the Best Chance at Winning?
While the news of the Kentucky Derby winner Rich Striker’s absence might be disappointing, many notable talents will be at the race on the 21st of May.
With most of the runner-ups from the first jewel of the Triple Crown contesting for the winner of this second event, it is safe to say it will be an entertaining event.
However, you might be unsure who to root for and place your bets on, as any of them can emerge as the champion. We will help you out with our predictions which we arrived at by considering the horses’ achievement, fluidity, and experience.
The Preakness Stakes is a short race at 1 3/16 miles, roughly 1900 meters. This means that the starting speed is a crucial requirement to win the competition, and the horses’ stamina is also important as the short distance means that they have to keep to their speed throughout.
Epicenter tops the leaderboard with these prerequisites. The Kentucky Derby runner-up has the needed speed to lead the competition, as seen in the Derby, where Rich Striker only overtook him by a stretch. In contrast, Creative Minister and Armagnac have lower odds.
Creative Minister has the draw of the second position, which is believed to be the most successful in the sport’s history. He has a great closing speed which can come in handy for the short races, but he is also a beginner with just three competitions in his career, and he came out victorious in two of them.
If the Creative Minister uses his position to his advantage. He might overtake Simplification, the third runner-up in the first jewel thoroughbred competition, who had a bit of a slow-starting speed in the concluded competition. Early voting did not play in the Derby to prepare better for the second jewel, but his achievement as the 2017 Horse of the Year and the wins recorded so far during his career give much hope.
On the other hand, Armagnac is a great speed starter, as proved in the Santa Anita Park race on the 8th of May, where he set the pace and kept to his speed. While he is an underdog, he has enough value to be a great bet.
While Secret Oath, the winner of the Kentucky Oak, is one of the top picks, she is new to the big racing community and has not engaged in many competitions in her short career. Also, only six fillies won the Stakes in 147 years, making it a tough tournament for her. Happy Jack is uncertain as he is yet to win a medal since his debut in January.
Types Of Bets in The Preakness Stakes 2022
There are many kinds of bets on the exhilarating game taking place in Pimlico. Gamblers have access to many classifications, from the simple ones to the more exotic bets, and these are some of the most popular types that all horse-race gamblers should know:
1. The Simple Bets
● Place
This allows punters to wager on a horse to finish in second place and above. This is a profitable deal as it guarantees a win whether your choice finishes in the first place or not.
● Win
This is a wager on a horse to emerge as the victorious runner in the competition. If your choice does not win, you lose the bet. However, you will get a much higher payout than the place stake if you make a successful prediction.
● Show
You can wager on your horse to finish in the third position or higher as the place stake. However, this wager gives low profit even if your choice beats the others as the victor.
● Across the Board
This is placing the three bets written above on a single contender. If the horse finishes in third, the show wager wins. However, if it emerges as the first position, you win all three stakes, and the second position gives you the show and place profits.
2. Exotic Bets
These kinds of wagers are based on the order of emergence. You can wager on specific victories of two or more contenders. Which horse comes first, second, third, etc. While these bets are rare to predict, they give bigger payouts than simple ones. Its variants include:
● Exacta
This predicts the first and second finishing places in the correct order.
● Trifecta
This wager foretells the first to third place finishing order in the race. For instance, you can wager on three horses to finish first, second, and third.
● Superfecta
Yes. You guessed right. Superfecta is the wild presumption of four contenders finishing in the order a gambler has predicted. Getting this right could give you a massive windfall.
Final Notes
The Preakness Stakes is a thrilling experience for every horse racing fan. If you are watching the marathon in Pimlico, you should know your horses, get your ticket, and enjoy the enthralling experience as it unfolds. On race day, you can also enjoy the Preakness signature cocktail called the Black-Eyed Susan.
Interested fans can also attend the competition’s pre-party a day prior, to catch some fun before the big day.
Photo: Pixabay
