Which Horse Will Win The 2022 Preakness Stakes On Saturday?

Early Voting

The 147th running of the Preakness Stakes takes place at Pimlico racecourse this Saturday, with nine horses lining up for the run for the Black-Eyed Susans. All the talk in the build-up to the race has surrounded the recent Kentucky Derby runner-up Epicenter, but let’s take a look a which horse we think will win the 2022 Preakness Stakes this weekend.

Plus, to help you enjoy the event we’ve listed the best Preakness Stakes bookmaker free bets and sign-up offers to snap up and use on Saturday’s Pimlico race.

2022 Preakness Stakes Runners, Riders, Stall Numbers & Betting

1. SIMPLIFICATION @ 6/1 with BetOnline
Trainer: Antonio Sano
Jockey: John R Velazquez

2. CREATIVE MINISTER @ 10/1 with BetOnline
Trainer: Kenneth McPeek
Jockey: Brian Joseph Hernandez Jr

3. FENWICK @ 50/1 with BetOnline
Trainer: Kevin McKathan
Jockey: Florent Geroux

4. SECRET OATH @ 9/2 with BetOnline
Trainer: D Wayne Lukas
Jockey: Luis Saez

5. EARLY VOTING @ 7/2 with BetOnline
Trainer: Chad C Brown
Jockey: Jose L Ortiz

6. HAPPY JACK @ 30/1 with BetOnline
Trainer: Doug O’Neill
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione

7. ARMAGNAC @ 12/1 with BetOnline
Trainer: Tim Yakteen
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr

8. EPICENTER @ 6/5 with BetOnline
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Joel Rosario

9. SKIPPYLONGSTOCKING @ 20/1 with BetOnline
Trainer: Saffie A Joseph Jr
Jockey: Junior Alvarado

Note: Odds are subject to change


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Preakness Stakes Tips and Predictions – Which Horse Will Win The 2022 Pimlico Race?

Epicenter All The Rage

Since running a close second in the Kentucky Derby a few weeks ago, the Steve Asmussen-trained Epicenter has been the clear Preakness Stakes favourite. He got chinned on the line that day by the shock winner – Rich Strike – but showed great guts to battle up the Churchill Downs stretch with Zandon (3rd).

With Rich Strike not heading to the Preakness Stakes and the third Zandon also not entered, then punters are sure to treat this as a race Epicenter can bounce back to winning ways. This will be his sixth career run and he’s yet to finish out of the first two, while his yard already have two Preakness Stakes wins under their belt.

Those against Epicenter might look to the wide draw in 8 as a negative, as 8 of the last 10 winners hailed from stalls 6 or lower. While a case can also be made that this 3 year-old had a very tough race that last day – has it left it’s mark?

Will There Be Another Shock Winner?

The likely Preakness Stakes outsiders will be Fenwick, Happy Jack and Skippylongstocking, who are all 20/1 plus in the betting. We saw a shock 81/1 winner of the Kentucky Derby, so you never know – these 3 year-olds can improve quickly during the early part of their careers, but you feel the trio mentioned still have a fair bit to answer based on what they’ve shown in recent races.

D Wayne Lukas Eyes Seventh Preakness Stakes Win

Veteran trainer D Wayne Lukas first won the Preakness Stakes in 1980 and since then has mopped up another five successes in the race. The most recent came in 2013 (Oxbow) and he’s got a leading chance of making it 7 wins with his filly Secret Oath. She landed the Kentucky Oaks a few weeks ago in good fashion and has won 5 of her 7 starts.

She’s likely to go off around second favourite for the Preakness Stakes and if successful will mean her handler – D Wayne Lukas – equals the most Preakness Stakes wins for a trainer (7). She also gets a handy 5lbs mares’ allowance from the colts in the race, but the small worry is that the last time she took on the boys (Arkansas Derby) she could only manage third.

Lively Preakness Stakes Outsider

Creative Minister has won his last two, with the last being a Allowance Optional Claiming Race on Kentucky Derby day a few weeks ago and looks a 3 year-old colt on the up. Yes, this will be another big step up in grade but is lightly-raced and hails from the 2020 winning yard of Kenneth McPeek so it would be no shock if he improved again to play a part. Interesting too that his connections have supplemented him for a huge $150,000.

Armagnac also won a Allowance Optional Claiming Race – this time at Santa Anita – last time, but the concern with him is the step up in trip as that win came over 1m 1/2, while he’s drawn in one of the wider stalls at 7.

Main Challengers To Epicenter

Epicenter will of course have most of the backers and it’s easy to see why. But with a wide draw (8) and a hard race last time then a case can certainly be made for the likes of Secret Oath, who won the Kentucky Oaks, Early Voting, who comes here fresh from 43 days off and Simplification, who was a running-on fourth in the Kentucky Derby last time out.

Preakness Stakes Best Bet

Overall, Epicenter is the clear one to beat with the form in the book. But, as mentioned a few times the fact he had a tough race last time and the wide draw here (8) give us a few reasons to take him on.

With that in mind, step forward EARLY VOTING and SIMPLIFICATION.

Early Voting will be fresher than most after last racing at the start of April and that was a close second to a useful sort in Mo Donegal. Beatne just a neck that day and with that only his third career run can have more to come. The Chad C Brown team look to have a decent chance of adding to their 2017 win in this race.

Simplification is the other to have onside. This Antonio Sano-trained runner was running on well (4th) in the Kentucky Derby last time out and in the end was only beaten 3 1/2 lengths. He had to be switched outside that day too so might have got a tad closer, while you feel that he probably didn’t have as hard a race as Epicenter, who was involved in a long battle up the stretch.

 


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Best Betting Sites To Bet On 2022 Preakness Stakes


RELATED: Preakness Stakes Runners, Riders and Draws for 2022 Pimlico Race


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