Michelle Yu Preakness Picks 2022 | Michelle Yu Horse Racing Picks

Michelle Yu Preakness Picks 2022 Michelle Yu Horse Racing Picks Predictions

Horse racing expert Michelle Yu revealed her free horse racing picks, best bets and predictions for Preakness 2022.


Michelle Yu Preakness Picks: Bet Epicenter (+125) at MyBookie
Place Bet

The 2022 Preakness Stakes is set for Saturday, May 21.

Yu revealed her Preakness picks on YouTube. This is the 147th running of the Preakness Stakes, and 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.

Additionally, the track distance is 9.5 furlongs (1 3/16 miles). This race was first inaugurated on May 27, 1873. A total of 14 horses are allowed to compete. However, nine horses are racing this year. BetOnline odds and free Michelle Yu horse racing Preakness picks are below. Yu’s trifecta is shown.

The Best Horse Racing Betting Sites for Preakness 2022

$1,000 Belmont Stakes Betting Offer + $25 Free Horse Racing Bet
Claim Now
$2,500 in Free Bets on Belmont Stakes 2022
Claim Now
$1,000 Horse Racing Betting Offer for Preakness 2022
Claim Now
$500 in Free Horse Racing Bets for Preakness 2022
Claim Now
$750 Bitcoin Betting Offer for Belmont Stakes 2022
Claim Now


RELATED: USA Today Preakness Picks 2022 | Preakness Expert Predictions 2022


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

RELATED: NY Post Preakness Picks 2022 | Preakness Predictions 2022


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 BetOnline Sportsbook MyBookie Racebook BetUS logo
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

RELATED: Steve Kornacki Preakness Picks 2022 | Expert Preakness Predictions 2022


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.

RELATED: Michelle Yu Preakness Picks 2022 | Michelle Yu Horse Racing Picks


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.


RELATED: The Best Online Sportsbooks in the US


Michelle Yu Preakness Picks | Michelle Yu Horse Racing Picks 2022

Heading into the 2022 Preakness Stakes, longtime reporter and horse racing analyst Michelle Yu has revealed her Preakness picks. Yu used to work for trainers Steve Asmussen and Ron Moquett, and she is married to trainer Ryan Hanson. So, maybe one of her picks is a little bit biased. Yu likes Epicenter — the 6-5 favorite to win the race — over Early Voting and Secret Oath. However, those two other competitors are her second and third favorites.

Furthermore, she said during a YouTube live stream with SportsLine that her favorite longshot winner is Creative Minister. Along with Epicenter and Simplification, Happy Jack is returning from the Kentucky Derby. Though, Yu is focused more on Creative Minister.

Continue scrolling for the best bets, picks, predictions and odds for the 2022 Preakness Stakes from Michelle Yu. The first-place winner of the Preakness will receive $600,000, 60% of the total purse. Yu’s trifecta picks in order are Epicenter, Early Voting and Secret Oath. A trifecta is the exact finishing order of a horse race.

Epicenter (+120) at MyBookie | 2022 Preakness Expert Picks

First off, Epicenter is the 6-5 favorite to win the Preakness Stakes. Although it might seem boring to read the same old clichés and explanations for sticking with the No. 1 favorite, Yu has a positive feeling about Epicenter. On Monday, the horse drew the No. 8 post position, and she is not changing her pick. Keep in mind, 10 Preakness winners raced from the No. 8 post.

The 2006 Preakness winner, Bernardini, was the last horse at position No. 8 to win the race. Epicenter placed first in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby in March. The horse bested Zozos and Pioneer of Medina. Not to mention, Epicenter finished first at the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes in February, outrunning Smile Happy and Zandon.

Early Voting (+550) at BetOnline | 2022 Preakness Predictions

Now, Early Voting possesses 7-2 odds of winning this race. This is the second horse of Yu’s trifecta. Last 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 finished in second place behind Mo Donegal at the Grade 2 Wood Memorial Stakes.

While Early Voting skipped the Kentucky Derby, trainer Chad Brown is one of the best in the business. 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 fifth spot, which was six years ago.

Secret Oath (+550) at BetOnline | Michelle Yu Preakness Predictions

Next, Secret Oath has 9-2 odds of winning the Preakness. This is Yu’s third and final horse of her trifecta. Racing from the No. 4 post position, she is a three-year-old filly. Fourteen horses have won the Preakness from this gate number. In 2020, Swiss Skydiver won the race at this starting position.

Before placing a bet, consider the fact that only five fillies have won this race: Flocarline (1903), Whimsical (1906), Rhine Maiden (1915), Nellie Morse (1924) and Rachel Alexandra (2009). In December, Secret Oath won the Allow race. Then, the horse won the Martha Washington Stakes.

Also, she won the Grade 3 Honeybee race in February, besting Ice Orchid and Yuugiri. For the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby, Secret Oath placed third back in April. Moreover, Secret Oath won the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks in May. Even if she doesn’t win the Preakness, thousands of bettors are expecting her to finish in the top 3.

Dark Horse — Creative Minister (+1200) at BetOnline | Michelle Yu Horse Racing Picks

Yu’s longshot winner is Creative Minister. The three-year-old colt is her favorite dark horse. Racing from the No. 2 post position, Creative Minister has 10-1 odds of winning the Preakness. She joked around mentioning Simplification as a potential winner, but her first dark-horse pick was Creative Minister. For one noteworthy point, the horse has never won a Grade 1 or Grade 2 race. Instead, he won the MSW in April.

Equally important, Creative Minister won the AlwOC at Churchill Downs earlier this month. Yu loves this underdog. In fact, at 12-1 odds, Yu picked the winner of last year’s Kentucky Derby: Medina Spirit. Twelve horses have won the Preakness at the No. 2 post position. Cloud Computing was the last horse to win the Preakness at the No. 2 post back in 2017.

Arrow to top