After a dominant win at the Kentucky Derby, Always Dreaming will be dreaming of claiming the second leg of the Triple Crown in the 2017 Preakness Stakes. The Todd Pletcher-trained horse will come in as the big favorite, but can any other horse spoil the party at Pimlico? Read on below for our preview of the Preakness.
As expected, Always Dreaming will come into the Preakness as the big -125 favorite after a dominant win at the Derby. Always Dreaming should have a clear advantage in a smaller field that is lacking in speed. He will likely set the early pace, and should be able to have enough in the tank to finish strong.
Meanwhile, Classic Empire figures to be Always Dreaming’s top competitor at Pimlico, according to his +300 odds. Classic Empire will look to make up for his somewhat disappointing showing at the Derby. He wiped out early and couldn’t quite recover as he finished fourth at Churchill Downs.
High-Value Sleepers: Cloud Computing, Gunnevera
Outside of the two clear favorites, Cloud Computing could be a surprise contender at +1,200. He has reportedly been looking good at training, and he should be pretty fresh after he didn’t enter the Kentucky Derby. His latest race was a strong 2nd-place showing at the Gotham Stakes, and he should have the speed to keep pace early.
Gunnevera could also be a worthwhile sleeper bet at +1,500. He’s more of a late race runner who likes to take his time before he gets going, although he’ll have to alter his style a bit to adjust for the slightly shorter track at Pimlico as opposed to Churchill Downs, where he finished 7th.
Long Shot: Multiplier
With just four career starts, Multiplier—a +3,000 long shot—doesn’t have a ton of experience. However, he did put up an impressive display in his win in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby. He’ll also have the help of jockey Joel Rosario, who has a wealth of Triple Crown experience and should be able to get the best out of Multiplier.
Writer’s Prediction
Always Dreaming (-125) takes another big step toward the Triple Crown as he blows the competition away at the Preakness.
Who do you have winning the big race? Create a betting account now to get in on the action for the 2017 Preakness Stakes.
