With arguably the wildest Kentucky Derby in history now behind us, the Preakness Stakes is shaping up to be fascinating. Maximum Security and Country House are both out, which creates a wide open field. The ironically named Improbable is now the favorite to win the race. Bob Baffert only has one horse in this year's Preakness, and it's Improbable. Rounding out that superteam is jockey Mike Smith, who has two Preakness wins including last year, when he rode Justify to a Triple Crown. Which horse is going to win the Run for the Black-Eyed Susans? What long shot hits the board? Visit SportsLine now to get Jody Demling's Preakness winner, see which huge long shot contends, and get the finish positions for every single horse, all from the man who's nailed 9 recent Preakness winners. Updated odds Improbable 3-1 Bourbon War 9-2 Alwaysmining 6-1 War of Will 6-1 Owendale 8-1 Win Win Win 11-1 Anothertwistafate 14-1 Warrior's Charge 15-1 Laughing Fox 16-1 Bodexpress 16-1 Signalman 20-1 Everfast 22-1 Market King 25-1 There will be a lot of talent looking to compete with Baffert and Smith, including jockeys Florent Geroux and Jose Ortiz. Here's the complete field of horses, trainers and jockeys in this year's Run for the Black-Eyed Susans. Improbable Trainer: Bob Baffert Jockey: Mike Smith Kentucky Derby finish: Fourth War of Will Trainer: Mark Casse Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione Kentucky Derby finish: Seventh Alwaysmining Trainer: Kelly Rubley Jockey: Daniel Centeno Kentucky Derby finish: N/A Win Win Win Trainer: Michael Trombetta Jockey: Julian Pimentel Kentucky Derby finish: Ninth Anothertwistafate Trainer: Blaine Wright Jockey: Jose Ortiz Kentucky Derby finish: N/A Bourbon War Trainer: Mark Hennig Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr. Kentucky Derby finish: N/A Owendale Trainer: Brad Cox Jockey: Florent Geroux Kentucky Derby finish: N/A Signalman Trainer: Kenny McPeek Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr. Kentucky Derby finish: N/A Bodexpress Trainer: Gustavo Delgado Jockey: Unknown Kentucky Derby finish: 13th Laughing Fox Trainer: Steve Asmussen Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr. Kentucky Derby finish: N/A Everfast<doc-sep>Charlie Riedel/Associated Press The Preakness is often a race that requires the most prescient strategy from both the trainer and the jockey. The key elements of horse racing are speed, power and endurance, but the tight turns of Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, the shorter home stretch and the 1 3/16-mile distance must all be taken into account when devising strategy for the race. This race does not always go to the swiftest. Instead, it often goes to the best strategists and the sharpest jockeys. The luster may be off the Preakness for some horse racing fans because Kentucky Derby-awarded winner Country House is not racing due to illness. That means there will be no back-to-back Triple Crown winner as there was in 1977 and '78 when Seattle Slew and Affirmed took home all three jewels in the same racing season. Maximum Security, the horse that was first under the wire at Churchill Downs and was disqualified, is not racing either. Preakness Stakes Video Play Button Videos you might like When: Saturday, May 18. Where: Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, Maryland. Post time: 6:48 p.m. Eastern Distance: 1 3/16 mile Winner’s share: $900,000. TV: NBC, 5 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Eleven horses had been scheduled to run in the Preakness, and Market King was added to the field Sunday afternoon, per The Blood-Horse. The 12-horse field is the largest for the race since 2011. Post positions are scheduled to be drawn Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET at Pimlico. Improbable is the early favorite at 3-1, per VegasInsider.com, and Market King is a long shot at 50-1, per Neil Greenberg of the Washington Post. Here's a look at the early odds in the race: Improbable, 3-1 War of Will, 7-2 Alwaysmining, 5-1 Bourbon War, 6-1 Owendale, 6-1 Anothertwistafate, 10-1 Win Win Win, 10-1 Warriors's Charge, 12-1 Signalman, 15-1 Laughing Fox, 20-11 Bodexpress, 30-1 Market King, 50-1 Odds for all horses other than Market King via VegasInsider.com. Early look at the favorites Improbable was fifth under the wire at the Kentucky Derby but was moved up to fourth place following the Maximum Security disqualification. The Bob Baffert-trained horse was the 4-1 favorite at Churchill Downs and had a relatively good trip. He was just behind the leaders with a quarter of a mile to run and had an opportunity to fire down the home stretch, but he could not improve his position. The big question going into the race was Improbable's ability to go the distance, and he did not answer that in a positive manner. The Preakness is slightly shorter than the Derby, so that could work out well for him. War of Will was fully involved in the Derby disqualification, because Maximum Security veered off into his lane as he passed the quarter pole and was turning for home. The Mark Casse-trained colt was surging at the time of the incident, but he had to check up to avoid a collision and could not mount a further rally. However, he showed enough to be considered a dangerous runner. These two have an excellent chance to impose their will in Baltimore.<doc-sep>Andy Lyons/Getty Images After a controversial 2019 Kentucky Derby, the focus will now turn to the Preakness Stakes, as Country House aims to follow up victory at Churchill Downs with a win at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. Country House did not cross the finish line first at the Run for the Roses but was handed the title after Maximum Security became the first winner in the race's 145-year history to be disqualified on the day. The Kentucky Derby winner was a 65-1 longshot, which suggests victory in the second leg of the Triple Crown is unlikely. It is unclear if Maximum Security, who was disqualified for interference, will race at Preakness, but Kentucky Derby runner-up Code of Honor is expected to feature. 2019 Preakness Stakes Date: Saturday, May 18 Video Play Button Videos you might like Post time: 6:20 p.m. ET TV broadcast: NBC Live-stream: NBCSports.com or through the NBC Sports app. Preakness Odds, per Oddschecker Maximum Security 5-4 Country House 4-1 Tacitus 6-1 War of Will 8-1 Code of Honor 9-1 Game Winner 10-1 Improbable 10-1 Predictions Trainer Bill Mott says Country House's win at Churchill Downs means there is pressure on the colt to run at Preakness to keep his Triple Crown dreams alive, per Jason Frakes at the Louisville Courier Journal. "You get shamed into it a little bit, for sure," he said. "If you don't, you've got no (guts) and, 'What’s wrong with the horse and how can you not go to the Preakness?' That's all part of it. Everybody wants to see the Derby winner in the Preakness." The Kentucky Derby winner certainly looked in good shape after Saturday's win, as shown by horse racing writer Tim Wilkin: While Country House is in the midst of a busy schedule, it would be a surprise if he did not feature at Preakness, but it is difficult to see him claiming the second leg of the Triple Crown. The colt could not match Maximum Security at Churchill Downs and raced in the Louisiana Derby and Arkansas Derby before heading to Kentucky. The Preakness Stakes will represent his fourth race in eight weeks, which will surely prove to be a factor and affect his chances in Baltimore. The decision to award the win to Country House after he finished behind Maximum Security caused plenty of controversy and has attracted criticism: However, Maximum Security's performance at Churchill Downs suggests he will take some beating if he returns to action at Preakness. The colt led from start to finish and looked the strongest and fastest horse in the field. Yet there is still some doubt over whether Maximum Security will feature. Owner Gary West told Gary B. Graves at the Associated Press that when the Triple Crown is out of the question "sometimes it doesn’t make sense to wheel the horse back in two weeks." Code of Honor, Tacitus and Improbable all came in behind Country House, and it is likely they will be among the favourites if they make it to Preakness. Sports writer Steve Luhm explained why Improbable may be worth backing: There will be plenty of attention on the Preakness after the events at Churchill Downs, and the field looks wide open, although it would be a surprise to see Country House win again despite his victory in Kentucky.<doc-sep>Gregory Payan/Associated Press After an unprecedented and controversial finish to the 2019 Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes was all set up to be one of the most anticipated in years. Unfortunately, that's not likely to be the case with no chance at a Triple Crown contender crossing the finish line first on Saturday. Country House won the Run for the Roses on May 4, but only after the first horse to cross the finish line, Maximum Security, was disqualified. Neither horse will be taking to the track at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore for health reasons. So there will be Triple Crown (or pseudo-Triple Crown, for those who think Maximum Security deserved better) this year, clearing the way for another horse to make a claim to fame and fortune at the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes. 2019 Preakness Stakes Date: Saturday, May 18 Video Play Button Videos you might like Post Time: 6:48 p.m. ET Where: Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland TV: NBC Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Post Position Info According to HorseRacingNation.com, there are 12 prospective horses in the Preakness Stakes field as of Sunday. Post positions will be drawn on Wednesday, so as of right now, we just have the horses and their pedigrees, trainers and jockeys to go on. Here's the field, according to HorseRacingNation.com: Market King Improbable War of Will Alwaysmining Bourbon War Owendale Anothertwistafate Win Win Win Signalman Laughing Fox Warrior's Charge Bodexpress Of those 12 thoroughbreds, four ran in the Kentucky Derby. Improbable, a Bob Baffert-trained horse, did the best by finishing in fourth place. War of Will also raced well, placing seventh. Win Win Win did little to live up to its name in ninth place, and Bodexpress brings up the rear with 13th place at Churchill Downs (it should be noted that all of these horses were bumped up a spot after Maximum Security was relegated to 17th because of the disqualification). The early favorite for the Preakness is Improbable. The horse is becoming increasingly popular with bettors, moving from 10-1 opening odds to 2-1 odds as of Monday, per SportsLine.com. Improbable was one of the favorites heading into the Kentucky Derby after the initial front-runner, Omaha Beach, had to drop out of the race. Baffert has done well at the Preakness, with seven of his horses winning the Run for the Black-Eyed Susans. Other top contenders, per SportsLine.com, include War of Will, Alwaysmining and Win Win Win. Nick Wass/Associated Press While there won't be the excitement of a Triple Crown chase this year, there is another reason to tune in for the Preakness. This could be one of the last times the race is run in Baltimore. The Los Angeles Times' John Cherwa explained: "The people of Baltimore seem to adore the Preakness and believe it is part of the city's fabric. The problem is the place is a dump. This year they closed down 7,000 grandstand seats because they are unsafe. The track needs to be rebuilt at a cost of about $400 million. Pimlico currently runs only 12 days a year. This is yet another crisis the Stronach Group is dealing with, in addition to the horse deaths at Santa Anita. The Maryland Jockey Club, which is Stronach, in the last few days averted a strike by union workers at the track. They have been without a contract since the end of 2017." Pimlico has hosted the Preakness since 1873. It seems impossible the race should be run anywhere else, and yet it's a distinct possibility. According to Cherwa, Pimlico will host the Preakness for at least another year, but beyond that, it's impossible to say. One of the jewels of the Triple Crown might have to find a new place to call home.<doc-sep>
Michael Reaves/Getty Images Following on the heels of the Kentucky Derby, the 144th running of the Preakness Stakes is set to take place on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The race is typically the second jewel in the coveted Triple Crown, but that honor is off the table this year. The winner of the Kentucky Derby, Country House, won't be running in the Preakness; according to trainer Bill Mott, via The Blood-Horse, the chestnut colt has a cough. It's the first time since 1996 that the Derby winner will sit out the Preakness. The original—later disqualified—winner of the Run for the Roses, Maximum Security, is also out of Saturday's race due to cuts on his hind legs. Derby contenders Code of Honor and Tacitus will be absent as well. The lack of a Triple Crown contender could cause a drop-off in viewership ahead of the Preakness, but there's still plenty of intrigue on the line and talent in the stables heading into the race. Let's break down the race info and the expected lineup in the days before the event. Video Play Button Videos you might like 2019 Preakness Stakes Date: Saturday, May 18 Location: Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, Maryland Post Time: 6:48 p.m. ET Distance: 1 3/16 mile (9.5 furlongs) TV: NBC Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Prior to the post position draw set for Wednesday, here is the anticipated lineup for Saturday's running of the Preakness, as well as early odds courtesy of SportsLine. Note that the 14-horse field is not yet finalized. Improbable 2-1 War of Will 3-1 Alwaysmining 8-1 Win Win Win 8-1 Anothertwistafate 9-1 Bourbon War 10-1 Owendale 10-1 Signalman 14-1 Bodexpress 16-1 Laughing Fox 18-1 Warrior's Charge 30-1 Market King TBD The smaller field of the Preakness will give some of the horses who disappeared in the Derby a chance to show what they can do. The probables who did not race at Churchill Downs are Signalman, Owendale, Alwaysmining, Anothertwistafate, Bourbon War, Mr. Money and Laughing Fox. Current favorite Improbable came in fourth at the Kentucky Derby, behind Country House, Code of Honor and Tacitus. The three-year-old colt is trained by Bob Baffert and will be ridden by jockey Mike Smith, who steered Justify to the Triple Crown last year. In the Derby, he was ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., who will be on Bourbon War at Pimlico. Baffert-trained horses have won the Preakness seven times, but Improbable is the only horse from his stable expected to run in this year's race. War of Will, who finished seventh in the Kentucky Derby, is another mount to keep your eye on come Saturday, should he run. Casual thoroughbred racing fans may not know much about Alwaysmining this year, since he didn't run in the Derby, but he brings a bevy of experience to the race, having won seven of his 12-lifetime starts.