A well-respected horse racing expert, Jeff Siegel picks his best horses for Preakness 2022.
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Jeff Siegel Preakness Pick: Bet Early Voting (+550) at BetOnline
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The 2022 Preakness Stakes is airing live on Saturday, May 21; free Jeff Siegel picks, odds, bets, Preakness expert picks and predictions are available here. This is the 147th running of the Preakness Stakes. Coverage begins at 2 p.m. ET on NBC at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland.
This race is the middle jewel of the Triple Crown. The field this year consists of nine competitors. Of course, Jeff Siegel has his sights set on Early Voting to upset Epicenter. Meanwhile, Siegel’s favorite dark horse is Armagnac
All of the Jeff Siegel picks for Preakness 2022 are featured below.
- Early Voting (+550) at BetOnline
- Epicenter (+100) at BetOnline
- Dark Horse — Armagnac (+2500) at BetOnline
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Preakness Horses, Post Positions, Trainers, and Jockeys
The 2022 Preakness Stakes will feature nine of the best three-year-old race horses at Pimlico Race Course.
Horses that are exiting the Kentucky Derby have dominated the Preakness over the last two decades. In the last 20 years, 15 Preakness winners have raced at Churchill Downs in the first leg of the Triple Crown prior to winning at Pimlico.
That should make Simplification one of the best Preakness bets this weekend. After drawing the rail at Pimlico Race Course, Simplification comes into the 2022 Preakness with +1000 odds to trot into in the winner’s circle.
Simplification is trained by Antonio Sano but will have a new jockey for Preakness 2022. John Velázquez will be called upon to ride in the Preakness. Velazquez started 11 times in the Preakness and has come close to winning three times with runners-up Animal Kingdom in 2011; Itsmyluckyday in 2013; and Authentic in 2020.
Coming out of post 8, Epicenter will be well-positioned to win his first G1 race. Trained by the legendary Steve Ausmussen, Epicenter was the odds-on favorite to win the Kentucky Derby but finished as the runner-up at Churchill Downs. A two-time Grade 2 winner, Epicenter will be ridden by Joel Rosario, making him the overwhelming favorite to win Preakness 2022.
In the middle of the group, Secret Oath and Early Voting will be jockeying for position from post 4 and post 5.
Only six fillies have ever won the Preakness Stakes but the odds indicate that Secret Oath has a chance to make history in 2022. Trained by six-time Preakness winner D. Wayne Lukas, Secret Oath won the Kentucky Oaks and has +550 odds to win the 2022 Preakness out of post 4.
This will be Early Voting’s first start away from Aqueduct but the horse is expected to attract a lot of attention from horseplayers this weekend.
The Gun Runner colt had the points necessary to qualify for the Kentucky Derby but trainer Chad Brown elected to give him six weeks between starts instead. Jockey José Ortiz has ridden all three of Early Voting’s races and should be familiar with the horse on Saturday.
At +550 odds to win the Preakness, Early Voting will be a popular pick out of post 5 for bettors that don’t want to back the favorite.
Another popular longshot bet will be Creative Minister, who will be racing out of post 2 this weekend.
After an impressive showing at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Oaks and Derby cards, Creative Minister enters Pimlico with +1200 odds to win Preakness 2022. The 108 Equibase Speed Figure that Creative Minister earned at Churchill is the highest among Saturday’s field.
The Creative Cause colt is trained by Kevin McPeek, who won the Preakness two years ago when his filly Swiss Skydiver left Kentucky Derby-winner Authentic in the dust.
For a complete breakdown of the Preakness 2022 horses, trainers, jockeys, and sires, check out the chart below.
| Post Position | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Sire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Simplification | Antonio Sano | John Velazquez | Gun Runner |
| 2 | Creative Minister | Kevin McPeek | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Creative Cause |
| 3 | Fenwick | Kevin McKathan | Florent Geroux | Curlin |
| 4 | Secret Oath | D. Wayne Lukas | Luis Saez | Arrogate |
| 5 | Early Voting | Chad Brown | Jose Ortiz | Gun Runner |
| 6 | Happy Jack | Doug O’Neil | Tyler Gaffalione | Oxbow |
| 7 | Armagnac | Tim Yakteen | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Quality Road |
| 8 | Epicenter | Steve Ausmussen | Joel Rosario | Not This Time |
| 9 | Skippylongstocking | Saffie Joseph Jr. | Junior Alvarado | Exaggerator |
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Preakness Odds | Preakness 2022 Odds
The second leg of the Triple Crown, Preakness 2022 will take place on Saturday, May 21 at Pimlico Race Course.
Rich Strike, the 80-1 longshot that won the Kentucky Derby, will not be running in the Preakness, which means there will be no Triple Crown winner in 2022.
Still, there is plenty of value for horseplayers that want to bet on the horse races at Pimlico Race Course this weekend.
The 2022 Kentucky Derby featured 20 horses but with just nine Preakness horses in the field at Pimlico, this should be a much friendlier horse race for bettors.
In fact, a double-digit longshot has finished first or second in nine of the last 10 Preakness Stakes. Favorites have also performed particularly well historically at the Preakness Stakes and 15 of the last 20 Preakness winners have run in the Kentucky Derby.
This year, Simplification, Happy Jack, and Kentucky Derby runner-up Epicenter are the only horses that raced in the 147th Run for the Roses earlier this month.
Following a second-place finish at Churchill Downs, Epicenter has emerged as the betting favorite with the best Preakness odds. At +145, BetUS is offering the best Epicenter odds for Preakness 2022 while BetOnline has Epicenter odds at +100 ahead of the Triple Crown race.
After Epicenter, Secret Oath (+550) and Early Voting (+550) are next on the Preakness odds board while Simplification (+1000) and Creative Minister (+1200) are among the longshots with a legitimate shot to win.
Meanwhile, Kentucky Oaks-winner Secret Oath is trying to become just the seventh filly to win the Preakness Stakes in 2022.
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas will also be running with a chance to make history. If Secret Oath finishes as the 2022 Preakness winner, Lukas will tie legends Bob Baffert and Robert Wyndham Walden for the most Preakness wins all-time (seven).
Check out the table below for the best Preakness odds from BetOnline, one of the best horse racing betting sites in the US.
| Preakness Odds |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epicenter | +100 | +100 | +145 |
| Early Voting | +550 | +350 | +500 |
| Secret Oath | +550 | +450 | +550 |
| Simplification | +1000 | +800 | +850 |
| Creative Minister | +1200 | +1400 | +1250 |
| Armagnac | +2500 | +2800 | +1650 |
| Skippylongstocking | +2500 | +2800 | +2550 |
| Happy Jack | +3300 | +4000 | +3300 |
| Fenwick | +5000 | +8000 | +5850 |
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Preakness Betting Trends | 2022 Preakness Stakes Betting Trends
Before you make your Preakness picks, there are a few trends that have earned horse bettors a substantial profit at Pimlico Race Course.
Let’s go over some of the best Preakness betting trends below.
- Four of the last 15 Preakness winners have won in gate-to-wire fashion, including Triple Crown winners American Pharoah and Justify.
- Only three horses in the last 15 years have rallied from the back half of the Preakness field to reach the winner’s circle.
- Horses exiting the Kentucky Derby have dominated the Preakness, visiting the Winner’s Circle 15 times in the last 20 years.
- 22 of the last 25 Preakness Winners had previously won a Graded Stakes Race.
- 17 of the last 25 Preakness Winners had previously won a Grade 1 Race.
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What is the Biggest Longshot to Ever Win the Preakness Stakes?
Throughout its storied history, the Preakness has been kind to favorites and short-priced runners.
The Preakness has been raced 146 times but the second leg of the Triple Crown has only crowned four winners at higher than 15-1 odds. At 23-1, Master Derby won the 1975 Preakness Stakes and is the current record-holder for the Preakness winner with the longest odds.
However, double-digit odds have performed well at the Preakness in recent history. Six of the last 16 Preakness winners have been priced at 10-1 odds or higher.
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Jeff Siegel Preakness Picks | Jeff Siegel Picks for Preakness 2022
Leading into the 2022 Preakness Stakes, reporter and horse racing analyst Jeff Siegel believes Early Voting will be the controlling speed in this race. And Siegel has noticed his improvements over the past few months. While Epicenter has had seven starts, Siegel thinks viewers have not yet seen the best of Early Voting.
Aside from Epicenter, the 6-5 favorite to win the Preakness, the only other horse Siegel sees beating Early Voting head-to-head in the final stretch is Armagnac. Since he is under the impression that bettors have already seen the best of Epicenter, Siegel is wanting to take a bigger gamble for this race.
Moreover, the first-place winner of the Preakness will receive $600,000, 60% of the total purse. Keep reading for the best bets, picks, predictions and odds for the 2022 Preakness Stakes from Jeff Siegel.
Early Voting (+550) at BetOnline | 2022 Preakness Predictions
First off, Early Voting is Jeff Siegel’s favorite pick to win the Preakness. He has 7-2 odds of winning this race. His best and most recent Beyer Speed Figure (BSF) is 96. The BSF factors in the time of the race, speed of the horse and conditions of the track. In December, Early Voting won the Maiden Special Weight (MSW) race.
Then, in February, the horse won the Grade 3 Withers Stakes. In April, Early Voting placed second behind Mo Donegal at the Grade 2 Wood Memorial Stakes. Since Early Voting skipped the Kentucky Derby, he is well rested for this race.
Trainer Chad Brown has worked hard to push his horse beyond his limits. Brown’s recent wins include the Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes in 2021 and Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf this year.
Early Voting is racing at the No. 5 post position. Exaggerator was the last horse to win the Preakness at the No. 5 post position, and that was back in 2016.
Epicenter (+100) at BetOnline | 2022 Preakness Expert Picks
Next, Epicenter is the 6-5 favorite to win the Preakness Stakes. However, as stated above, Jeff Siegel believes everyone has already seen him at his best. Did the horse peak at the Kentucky Derby? He came in second behind the 80-1 underdog Rich Strike. Siegel is not trying to discourage bettors, who are ready to place their bets on the favorite to win, but he likes Early Voting more.
Statistically, it makes sense why Epicenter should be the favorite. His best BSF is 102, the highest rating for this race. His most recent BSF score is 100, and this score was recorded at the Kentucky Derby. If Epicenter can duplicate another similar performance, trainer Steve Asmussen could win his third Preakness Stakes (2007 and 2009).
Ten Preakness winners raced from the No. 8 post position. Bernardini, the 2006 Preakness winner, was the last horse at position No. 8 to win the race. Epicenter placed first in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby in March. He defeated Zozos and Pioneer of Medina. Plus, Epicenter won the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes in February; he bested Smile Happy and Zandon.
Dark Horse — Armagnac (+2500) at BetOnline | Jeff Siegel Picks for Preakness
Finally, Jeff Siegel’s longshot winner is Armagnac. At 12-1 odds, he is not expecting this horse to win, but he decided to mention it anyways. Siegel knows Armagnac has the underlying potential and speed to catch either Epicenter or Early Voting. The three-year-old colt is racing from the No. 7 post position. Fourteen horses have won the Preakness from the seventh gate. Justify last won the Preakness at the No. 7 position in 2018.
Furthermore, Armagnac came in sixth place at the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes in March. Happy Jack, starting at the No. 6 position at the Preakness, has 30-1 odds of winning. Also, finishing behind Taiba, Messier and Happy Jack, Armagnac placed fourth in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby in April. Earlier this month, he won the AlwOC race at Santa Anita Park. His best and most recent BSF score is 93.
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