Everyone’s talking about Always Dreaming for the upcoming Preakness Stakes, so how about we give some spotlight to a trio of worthy dark horse picks? These three are under-the-radar in terms of capturing the event, but they should – at the very least – give A.D. and the rest of the horses some good competition. Read on!
Although Classic Empire is mostly considered the 1B to A.D.’s 1A, Looking at Lee has a great amount of momentum coming in, maybe even the best out of everyone in the competition excluding A.D. There’s a definite upside that you would want in your sleeper pick.
‘Lee had strong performances in the Arkansas Derby (3rd) and Southwest Stakes (4th), and then followed it up by finishing second in the Kentucky Derby.
With his great unpredictability, Hence is your everyday, fun sleeper pick. Don’t let the underwhelming 11th-place finish at the Kentucky Derby discourage you, he still has a handful of commendable performances – four of his last six events had him finishing in the top three.
Let’s also not forget that the horse is blessed to be nurtured under the renowned Calumet Farm and two-time Preakness Stakes winner, Steve Asmussen.
Gunnevara entered the Kentucky Derby as one of the top sleeper picks. Although he only ended up with a 7th place rank in the race, do remember that he showed great heart and resiliency to pick up the pace and recover, as he was originally projected to finish much lower due to a slow start.
Such traits, along with wins over the likes of Classic Empire and Practical Joke to top a couple of races, should make this horse a dangerous sleeper.
