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Big Brown's Top Preakness Contenders

The Kentucky Derby winner is almost always the Preakness Stakes favorite and in this year's edition we have no arguments against Big Brown getting the big edge by oddsmakers. We can gain a little bit more of an understanding about the Preakness Stakes by watching the Kentucky Derby again. What it has told me is that Big Brown is a freak of nature the way LeBron James is in the NBA. We also see that Big Brown is the fastest race horse we have seen this year so he will have no trouble with the shorter distance at Pimlico. But what we can't see from the Derby this year, is how the other Preakness Stakes contenders stack up as none of the Derby horses are very likely to take on Big Brown on two weeks rest and training. They'll hope to challenge him again at the Belmont Stakes if he comes into that race with a Triple Crown shot. So the question now is if a new batch of horses have a shot at taking down the imposing Big Brown. We already know he's Goliath, now it's time to search for David. I'll walk you through of few of the probable Preakness horses and their chances of beating Big Brown in this article.

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Harlem Rocker – This is a Todd Pletcher horse which tells me that he will be no pushover. He had a nice win at the Withers at Aqueduct at the end of April. He got a late start, not racing until Valentine's Day, but since then he has won his last three starts. This horse will likely be second in line to Big Brown in the final odds.

Behindatthebar – Another Pletcher horse giving hope to the super trainer to win his first Preakness. He won the Lexington two weeks before the Kentucky Derby and he continued to train at Keeneland instead of trying his luck at the Derby. Having never run on dirt makes this horse a question mark, but having had extra time to train could be an advantage.

Recapturetheglory – This is the only Kentucky Derby horse currently even considering a run and because he finished fifth in the big race will most certainly be a big long shot in the Preakness. We know that he does have some talent though as he was the Illinois Derby winner.

Giant Moon – He looked to be a force to be reckoned with when he won his first four races of the season but a ninth place finish in the Gotham followed by a fourth in the Wood Memorial has soured some on him. If he can return to form, he could be one to challenge Big Brown.

Kentucky Bear – He wanted a shot at the Derby but didn't have enough graded earning to qualify. He'll take on the Preakness instead and look to foil Big Brown's run for the Triple Crown. He like, Big Brown, has little race experience – just three races prior to this one. So either freshness helps him or inexperience hurts him.

These are five horses which at least have a shot at pulling off a major upset against Big Brown at the 2008 Preakness Stakes. Make sure you check out Jimmy Boyd's 2008 Preakness Stakes predictions and picks to see who he likes to win, place, and show in the second leg of the Triple Crown.

May 12, 2008