2008 Preakness Stakes Predictions

With the Preakness Stakes now less that a week away, it is getting down to crunch time. This is not a race which you can expect to bet on come raceday and win if you haven't started putting in the time in the research room. We realize that most people who work a busy schedule don't have the time it requires to successfully handicap many races so that is why Jimmy Boyd is here to help save the day. This 2008 Preakness Stakes predictions article will get you up to speed in a hurry on a few of the top horses to keep your eye on this week. 

Big Brown – At 3-10 odds at BodogLife.com, the race favorite does not offer us the same kind of value he did in the Kentucky Derby and these odds are likely to get even worse as the public almost always flocks to the Kentucky Derby winner. We know he's fast and we know he's undefeated, but we also know he's inexperienced. Big Brown is the best horse in this field on paper, mostly because of his Derby win, but it will be interesting to see how he fares against a field of fresh horses.

Harlem Rocker – This is a horse that you may have not even heard of yet but that you need to get to know in a hurry as he is the favorite to upset Big Brown. He is also showing solid value at 11-2 odds at BodogLife racebook. Like Big Brown, he is also undefeated. Oh yeah, and he runs for super trainer Todd Pletcher and this guy does not take on losers. Pletcher had never won a Triple Crown race until he broke that streak in the Belmont Stakes with underdog filly Rags to Riches last year. Perhaps he'll end his Preakness drought with Harlem Rocker.

Riley Tucker – This horse is a big 50-1 longshot at BodogLife.com along with a couple other horses, but he is clearly a stronger contender than these odds give him credit for. The combination of famed trainer Bill Mott, decorated jockey Edgar Prado, and Zayat Stables ownership makes this horse one to be reckoned with. This horse is on the upswing heading in with second and third place finishes in two stakes races at Keeneland which is just what you want. He just might peak at Pimlico. Mott loves this horse. After all, it was named after his son.

Behindatthebar – At 12-1 odds, we have BodogLife's show horse here. This horse won at Lexington two weeks before the Derby and is another one of Todd Pletcher's entries. Pletcher's choice to hold him out of the Derby tells me that he feels this horse is more suited for the shorter Pimlico race course. His speed makes him a strong contender, but the fact that he's never run on dirt might be enough to leave him alone.

Giant Moon – At 25-1 odds, the value is high for this horse which started off by winning his first four races. A ninth place finish in the Gotham can be explained by extreme weather conditions perhaps, but a fourth place finish at the Wood Memorial does not look good. We have see this horse run well enough to pull off the upset here. You can't win four straight races by accident. In a sheer sprint at the shorter Pimilico, he should certainly get a look.

Check out Jimmy Boyd's Preakness Stakes picks to get yourself a winner on raceday.

• 2008 Preakness Stakes Betting Guide
• Can Big Brown Win the Triple Crown
• Odds to win the 2008 Preakness
• Big Brown's Top Contenders at the Preakness
• 2008 Preakness Stakes Picks

May 12, 2008