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Tips for Betting the 2009 Preakness Stakes

Written by Jimmy Boyd

preakness-tips-51409 With the 2009 Preakness Stakes all set to go down this Saturday, it’s time to take a look at some tips to help you pick the winning horse.

Respect the Kentucky Derby Winner – Many won’t give the 2009 Kentucky Derby champion Mine That Bird its due this Saturday. Most have chalked up the Derby long shot’s performance as a complete fluke. Recent history tells us not to write off a Derby winner, however. Keep in mind that the Derby field is the cream of the crop so coming out on top cannot ever be a total fluke. Plus, the Derby field is always larger than the Preakness field so beating less horses in the Preakness is seemingly an easier task. Other doubters will blame the sloppy track at Churchill Downs for why their horse struggled, overlooking the fact that Mine That Bird had to deal with the same conditions. On top of all these factors, the Kentucky Derby winner has gone on to win the Preakness in seven of the last 12 years, and we likely would have been looking at eight if it weren’t for the Barbaro tragedy.

Fresh Isn’t Always Best – Many horse racing bettors will elect to go with a fresh horse in the Preakness with the thinking that its legs will be more ready for the 1-3/16 mile sprint than one which just ran in the Derby two weeks prior. Sure, the Kentucky Derby is the toughest challenge out there for three year old thoroughbreds, but running in it has been great preparation for the Preakness if anything. Over the last 25 years, only two winners in Baltimore did not run in the Derby. Only Red Bullet and Bernardini have pulled off the feat of winning the Preakness without running in the Derby during this stretch and both were impressive horses. Still, as good a horse as Bernardini was, he likely benefited from the Barbaro tragedy. Right now, Rachel Alexandra appears to be the only fresh horse capable of winning the Preakness who sat out the Derby.

Bad in the Derby Doesn’t Mean Bad in the Preakness – Just because a horse doesn’t bring it’s A-game on Derby Day, we can’t write them off, forgetting all of their previous success. This year’s Derby favorite, Friesan Fire, finished 18th in the Derby, but that doesn’t mean he won’t show up this Saturday. Remember Point Given. He ran a disappointing fifth as the Derby favorite in 2001, but he responded with a lengthy Preakness win and the fastest Belmont run in history. He was one of those horses you just knew was better than he showed at Churchill Downs. Afleet Alex is another example of a horse that did not perform up to potential in the Derby, running 3rd, but went on to win both the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. You’re probably thinking that these horses were both among the leaders, though. Well, here’s another example for you. Louis Quatorze finished 16th in the 1996 Kentucky Derby but bounced back to win the Preakness.

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