2009 Preakness Stakes Pimlico Race Course Horse Racing Odds Betting Preview

Published on May 14, 2009 by admin · No Comments

The 134th running of The Preakness Stakes is this Saturday from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore Maryland. Post time is scheduled for 6:15PM Eastern Time with National Television coverage provided by NBC Television. The Preakness Stakes is race number 12 on the race program and 13 three-year-old horses are scheduled to run in the second leg of the Triple Crown. The morning line 8-5 favorite is the lone filly entered in the race Rachel Alexandra. 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird was 6-1 on the morning line. The Preakness Stakes is run on a dirt surface and is run at a distance of 1 mile and 3/16ths. The colts entered in the race will carry 126 pounds with the fillies getting a 5-pound weight advantage by carrying only 121 pounds. Here is a look at all 13 horses scheduled to run in the 2009 Preakness Stakes at Pilmico Race Course.

Breaking from the inside in post #1 will be Big Drama. Big Drama will be ridden by John Velasquez and is 10-1 on the morning line. Big Drama last raced on March 9th running first in the Grade 2 Swale Stakes at Gulfstream Park but had his number taken down to second after being disqualified. Big Drama likes the lead and the Preakness Stakes favors horses with a front running stalking style. Big Drama must be respected on Saturday. His 108 Beyer in the Swale was the best in his 7-race career. Big Drama skipped the 2009 Kentucky Derby.

From post position number 2 will be The 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird. Mine That Bird has lost his jockey from the Kentucky Derby as Calvin Borel opts for the Kentucky Oaks winner and 8-5-morning line favorite Rachel Alexandra. Mine That Bird loved the off track surface at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Derby running a 105 Beyer number in the slop. Mine That Bird had a dream trip in the Derby and will need to be closer to the lead in the Preakness if he is to take the second jewel of The Triple Crown. There is a 50% chance of rain on Saturday at Pimlico.

Coming out from the 3 hole will be Musket Man. Musket Man is ridden by Eibar Coa and is 8-1 in the morning line. Musket Man finished third in the Kentucky Derby and ran a respectable 95 Beyer at Churchill Downs in the slop. In his races leading up to the Kentucky Derby Musket Man won the Illinois Derby and Tampa Bay Derby in consecutive races. Musket Man was a nose behind the second place finisher Pioneer of the Nile at The Kentucky Derby.

Racing from post position number 4 will be Luv Gov. On board of Luv Gov will be jockey Jamie Theriot. Luv Gov is one of the longest shots in the field at 50-1 and is trained by veteran trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Luv Gov is coming off a maiden win in his last race on Derby Day at Churchill Downs back on May 2nd. The Maiden victory produced his best ever Beyer performance in an 87 figure.

Out of gate 5 will be Friesan Fire. The Grade 2 Louisiana Derby winner was 18th in the Kentucky Derby with a 43 Beyer. Many are making excuses for Friesan Fire about his bad break but its difficult to make excuses for horses in a 1-¼ mile race. Friesan Fire was 7th at first call and fell all the way back to 18th at the wire. Friesan Fire is 6-1 on the morning line and is ridden by Gabriel Saez.

Running from post position number 6 will be Terrain. Terrain is ridden by Jeremy Rose and is a 30-1 long shot in the Preakness Stakes. Terrian has three Grade 1 races in his career finishing 4th in the Blue Grass Stakes back on April 11th at Keenland. He was 4th by 2 ¼ lengths in the Grade 1 Breeders Cup Juvenile race at Santa Anita last year. Terrain was a closing second in the Grade 1 Breeders Futurity last October at Keenland. His third place finish in the Louisiana Derby produced his best ever 91 Beyer performance.

The seven horse will be Papa Clem. Aboard Papa Clem will be Rafael Bejarano and he is 12-1 on the morning line. Papa Clem was near the lead during the Kentucky Derby and finished in 4th seven lengths behind the eventual winner. Papa Clem was just a quarter length behind second place finisher Pioneer of the Nile. Papa Clem produced a 95 Beyer figure in the Kentucky Derby and produced his career best 101 Beyer in the Arkansas Derby in his prep leading up to the Kentucky Derby. Papa Clem has a stalking style and it fits perfectly for the Preakness Stakes.

Out of post position number 8 will be General Quarters. General Quarters is 20-1 on the morning line and is ridden by Julien Leparoux. General Quarters finished 10th in the Kentucky Derby and was never a factor in the race. General Quarters in his other Grade 1 race finished first in the Blue Grass Stakes back on April 11th at Keenland.

Pioneer of the Nile will be breaking 9th in The Preakness Stakes on Saturday. Pioneer of the Nile finished 2nd in the slop of Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Derby in the first Saturday of May. Pioneer of the Nile is the second favorite in the race at 5-1 on the morning line. Pioneer of the Nile recorded a 95 Beyer in the Kentucky Derby. Pioneer of the Nile has raced in 5 Grade 1 races with 2 wins a second and a third place finish. Pioneer of the Nile is ridden by Garrett Gomez who has been aboard the three year old in his past 5 races which produced 4 wins and 1 second place finish in those rides aboard the Bob Baffert trained colt. In all respect to Rachel Alexandra, Pioneer of the Nile in this writer’s opinion should be the favorite in this race.

From the 10 post will be the longshot Flying Private. Alan Garcia rides Flying Private and is the second horse entered in the Preakness by trainer D. Wayne Lukas. And like the other D. Wayne Lukas trained horse in The Preakness Luv Gov, Flying Private is 50-1 on the morning line. Flying Private finished 19th and last in the Kentucky Derby never better than 11th in the race and losing ground throughout. Flying Private has only a maiden win to his credit. Flying Private produced his best Beyer number of 94 in the Lanes End at Turfway Park back on March 21st that produced a second place finish.

Breaking in The Preakness in post position number 11 will be Take The Points. Take The Points will be ridden by Edgar Prado and is trained by Todd Pletcher. Take the Points is 30-1 on the morning line. Take The Points missed the Derby and was a 4th place finisher at the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby back on April 4th. Take The Points highest ever Beyer was produced in an Allowance Race on the dirt surface of Gulfstream Park back on January 31st where he produced a 99 figure.

From the 12 hole will be Tone It Down. Tone It Down is ridden by Kent Desormeaux and is a 50-1 longshot on the morning line. Tone It Down is coming off a third place finish in the Federico Tesio Stakes at Pimlico Race Course back on May 2nd. The Federico Tesio Stakes is often a prep race for The Preakness Stakes. Tone It Down’s best every Beyer number was an 87 he produced at an optional claiming race held at Laurel Park back on March 14th. Tone It Down’s lone win in his brief racing career was an optional claming race back on April 1st at Laurel Park.

Breaking from the outside in The 2009 Preakness Stakes in post 13 will be the lone filly entered in the race Rachel Alexandra. Rachel Alexandra is the morning line favorite in the race at 8-5. Rachel Alexandra will receive a 5-pound weight allowance for fillies in The Preakness and will be carrying 121 pounds in the race. Rachel Alexandra earned a 108 Beyer in her last race the Kentucky Oaks a day before The 2009 Kentucky Derby. Rachel Alexandra in 10 lifetime races has only entered in filly races as she is competing against the boys for the first time in her racing career. She enters the race on a 5 race winning streak. Aboard Rachel Alexandra will be Kentucky Derby winning jockey Calvin Borel. Borel opted for Rachel Alexandra and is off Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird.

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