2009 Preakness Odds Preview
Preakness Betting – Rachael Alexandra The Wild Card
The 134th Running of the $1,000,000 Preakness Stakes - The Second Jewel of the Triple Crown
Saturday May 16th, 2009
Location: Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, MD
Time: 6:15PM (EST) – NBC
After Mine That Bird pulled one of the biggest upsets in Kentucky Derby history, the focus now shifts to the Preakness odds on May 16th. There was some original yet brief trepidation that Mine That Bird wouldn’t be racing in the Preakness but that quickly died down.
While Mine That Bird will be among the favorites for the Preakness odds, some other horses will factor. Pioneer of The Nile, who finished second at the Derby and third place finisher Musket Man will also be contenders at the second jewel of the triple crown.
An interesting horse could become a wild card in the Preakness odds: Rachael Alexandra. Alexandra won the Kentucky Oaks race by an incredible 20 lengths and was bought up by Jess Jackson and transferred to trainer Steve Asmussen.
It’s not a guarantee that this horse will run in the Preakness but it has already made many people nervous because of its performance at the Oaks.
The real key is the speed at which Rachael Alexandra won the Oaks. For the first time in the history of the sport (since they measured speed), the Oaks winner ran faster than the Derby winner. Clearly, that’s a pretty good indicator of what Rachael Alexandra is capable of.
Rachael Alexandra won’t be the only new face at the Preakness as plenty of other new horses will join the crowd.
Mr. Fantasy, the recent winner of the Withers Mile, along with Just A Coincidence, Big Drama and This Ones For Phil, who won the Sunshine Millions Dash, will join the field.
The x-factor will be how Rachael Alexandra fares at the Preakness. Considering so many pundits already believe that Rachael Alexandra could have won at the Derby, the horse is going to become more and more of a sexy pick as the Preakness odds approach. There is a lot of hype surrounding it and a few people have already described Rachael Alexandra as the best filly ever, which sets enormous expectations for the horse.
The final field of 14 horses for Pimlico will be set on Wednesday, May 14 as the horses prepare to head to Baltimore.
Next week Pimlico Racetrack welcomes the horses for the second leg of the Triple Crown — 134th Preakness Stakes. Get your future Bets in now at BetOnline.com Racebook.
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While it is still uncertain whether Rachael Alexandra will even run this race, she would be a boutique choice at best. I would wheel her in a bet or package her in a boxed exacta/trifecta pick, but not as an outright winner.