2008 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 17; Big Brown Heavy Favorite

Posted on Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

Big Brown faces 12 challengers in the 133rd running of the $1 million Preakness Stakes (gr. I) on May 17, at Pimlico Race Course.

Undefeated in 4 starts, Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown will break from the 7th post as the heavy 1-2 favorite in Saturday’s 2008 Preakness Stakes. Eleven Preakness winners have come from the No. 7 post, the last being Silver Charm in 1997.

Big Brown is trying to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978. During that stretch, six horses have won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness but were beaten in the 1 1/2 mile Belmont Stakes, most recently Smarty Jones in 2004.

All carrying 126 pounds, the Preakness entries, from the rail out with jockeys and morning line odds:

Macho Again under jockey Julien Leparoux, 20-1
Tres Borrachos under jockey Tyler Baze, 30-1
Icabad Crane under jockey Jeremy Rose, 30-1
Yankee Bravo under jockey Alex Solis, 15-1
Behindatthebar under jockey David Flores, 10-1
Racecar Rhapsody under jockey Robby Albarado, 30-1
Big Brown under jockey Kent Desormeaux, 1-2
Kentucky Bear under jockey Jamie Theriot II, 15-1
Stevil under jockey John Velazquez, 30-1
Riley Tucker under jockey Edgar Prado, 30-1
Giant Moon under jockey Ramon Dominguez, 30-1
Gayego under jockey Mike Smith, 8-1
Hey Byrn under jockey C.C. Lopez, 20-1

The only other Kentucky Derby runner in the Preakness field is Arkansas Derby winner Gayego who is the second horse betting choice at 8-1. Last year, Curlin won the Arkansas Derby en route to winning the Preakness. Smarty Jones (2004) and Afleet Alex (2005) are also previous winners of the Arkansas Derby who went on to capture the Preakness.

Horse trainer Todd Pletcher, who is 0-for-3 lifetime in the Preakness, saddles Behindatthebar, the Coolmore Lexington Stakes winner the third choice at 10-1. Jockey David Flores will ride Behindatthebar this Saturday.

The other 10 Preakness horses were all listed at odds of 15-1 or higher.

Ken McPeek trains Racecar Rhapsody, a 30-1 longshot ridden by jockey Robby Albarado, who rode last year’s Preakness winner Curlin to victory.

“Other than Big Brown, it looks like the race is wide open,” horse trainer Ken McPeak said. “We all know that anything can happen. You can’t have any fear. It’s good for him to be tested again. If he’s going to be a Triple Crown winner, then make him work for it.”

Kentucky Bear was the first Preakness horse to arrive at Pimlico this week. Kentucky Bear drew the 8th post and will try to win for just the 2nd time in 4 career starts.

“We expect a lot on Preakness day,” said trainer horse Reade Baker, adding that Big Brown is beatable. “He beat all those horses at Churchill Downs, but he didn’t beat us.”

The Preakness Stakes is the 12th race in Pimlico’s May 17 horse racing program. Preakness post time is 6:15 pm.

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"2008 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 17; Big Brown Heavy Favorite" was posted on Wednesday, May 14th, 2008 at 8:24 pm and is filed under Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Pimlico Track, Preakness Stakes, Race Tracks News, Stakes Races, Triple Crown, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.