The Preakness Stakes is the second race of the three Triple Crown treks. As you know, the Kentucky Derby runs first, followed by the Preakness and it’s all capped off by the Belmont Stakes.
The race first began in 1873 and although the math doesn’t really add up, the 2016 rendition will be the 141st running of the Preakness. They took a few years off in the late 1800’s. It’s a 1 3/16 mile long track or 9.5 furlongs, if you will. The race also has a $1.5 million dollar purse / prize money breakdown.
If you’re a little more interested in the Predictions, Picks and Preview of the Preakness, click the link. Or, if you’re a little more inclined to check out our Expert Picks and Predictions, click that link. If you’d like to get the full lowdown of how betting on the Triple Crown middle child works though, we invite to read on!
Obviously, your winnings will reflect the amount of difficulty you choose. If you pick your horse to win, you’ll have tougher odds but a higher payout than a horse that’s chosen to show.
Types of Side Bets
Daily Double
The Daily Double consists of picking the winner of consecutive races. This is a very difficult thing to do, clearly. So while the odds are against you, the payout can be very appealing!
Exacta
You pick the first two horses to cross the finish line in EXACT order. It’s not an easy thing to do by any means, but it can be and has been done on many occassions. It takes courage though, so dig down deep!
Exacta Box
You pick the first two horses to cross the finish line in EITHER order. This one is a little easier and the odds will reflect that. Again though, a good pay day could be in the cards for your afternoon at the track.
Trifecta
You pick the first three horses to cross the finish line in EXACT order. Put on your man pants (or lady pants) and buck up. It’s not as hard as you may think.
…alright that’s not completely true. It probably is just as hard as you might think.
Trifecta Box
You pick the first three horses to cross the finish line in EITHER order. You’ve got this! We believe in you!
Betting Online
You have a few options: Free Bet, Individual Bet and Triple Crown Futures. Did you take a look at the links? Excellent. Now let us explain how the betting itself works.
If your horse is showing NEGATIVE ODDS (for example -200), that shows you how much you’ll need to wager to win $100.
If your horse is showing POSITIVE ODDS (for example +200), that’ll show you much you will win in return for wagering $100.
As for the Triple Crown Futures betting – the horse that won the Kentucky Derby is now the only horse in contention for the TC title. All other horses can no longer qualify for the honor, because you need to win all three (Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes) to wear the crown.
