The 142nd Preakness Stakes, first run in 1873

Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, MD. (135,000 fans expected approximately)

Distance: 1 3/16 miles

Last year’s winner: Exaggerator 

Record: 1:53 minutes, Secretariat (1973)

Surface: Dirt

Post time: 5:45 PM CT/6:45 PM ET, NBC will televise

Weather, perfect, 68 degrees in Baltimore, clear

Prediction

I like this race to be a duel between the 2 favorites along with a dark horse that could surprise. Always Dreaming (4:5) is in the No.4 post and Classic Empire (3:1) is No.5. I like them to leg it out the entire race with Conquest Mo Money (15:1) making a possible upset run. I still like the Derby winner, which has who I consider the best jockey and trainer in the race, with Hall of Famer John Velazquez on board the 3 year old colt and the Hall of Fame Todd Pletcher fine tuning the horse for this race. I also have been impressed with exercise rider Nick Bush. Pletcher made a change in exercise riders four days before the Derby and Bush has been spectacular training the horse in practice runs. This horse has a chance to be historic, and I mean by that, can be a Triple Crown winner, the 13th all time. It’ll have to navigate the difficult 1 1/2 miles at the Belmont Stakes 3 weeks from tomorrow, Saturday, June 9th, and that’s always unpredictable with the distance, but I do like this beautiful and powerfully built colt to win the second leg of the Triple Crown and have a chance to make elite history at the Belmont.  I do see Classic Empire giving this horse everything it wants tomorrow. Conquest Mo Money will be a surprise contender.

Winner:

Always Dreaming

Like Jockey John Velazquez and stellar Derby winner Always Dreaming to capture the second leg of the Triple Crown (Photo courtesy of Paulick Report)