Rebel Stakes second leg of southwest was 5 lengths faster than first leg; Adirondack King was closing in fast on second leg. With a better post position and with the extra furlong, he is a contender in the Rebel. Preakness Stakes post positions and odds. Post Position Horse Opening Odds (2020) Jockey Last Race; 1: Excession: 30/1: Sheldon Russell: 2nd in Rebel Stakes: 2: Mr. Big News: 12/1: Gabriel Saez: 3rd in Kentucky Derby (G1) 3: Art Collector: 5/2: Brian Hernandez Jr. 1st in Ellis Derby: 4.

The Preakness Stakes is the third leg of the 2020 Triple Crown after being rescheduled to Saturday, Oct. 3. Tiz the Law won the Belmont Stakes on June 20 and he finished runner-up in the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5. However, Tiz the Law will skip the Preakness and run next in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 7 at Keeneland. The Preakness Stakes draw was completed Sept. 28 and Kentucky Derby winner Authentic was made the 9/5 morning line favorite with Art Collector (5/2) the second choice.

In another change to Triple Crown races, the Preakness Stakes joins the Belmont Stakes as a “Win and You’re In” qualifying race to the Nov. 7 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland.

Trainer Bob Baffert is the leading trainer in Triple Crown history with 16 victories after winning his record-tying sixth Kentucky Derby with Authentic. He is tied for the most wins in the Preakness with seven victories and his last two winners won the Triple Crown – Justify (2018) and American Pharoah (2015).

Best Preakness betting sites 2021

Preakness Stakes post positions and odds

Where to bet the Preakness Stakes and race schedule

The 145th Preakness Stakes is set for Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020. Here is more information and tips on betting the Preakness Stakes, and how you can watch and wager on this year’s event.

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020
• Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
• TV: NBC
• Tablet, Online, Mobile: NBC Sports App and streamed live on NBCsports.com/live and fuboTV
• Track & Location: Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland
• Distance: 1 3/16 miles (9 furlongs) – since 1925
• Surface: Dirt
• Horses: 3-Year-Old Thoroughbreds
• Track Record: Secretariat (1:53.00 in 1973)
• Largest Margin of Victory: Smarty Jones (11 lengths in 2004)

The Preakness post-position draw is Monday, Sept. 28, and Preakness oddsmaker Keith Fuestle will set the odds immediately after the draw. The field is limited to a maximum of 14 starters, but the only years the Preakness starting gate was filled to capacity were 2011, 2005, and 1992.

Fans can wager legally at racetracks, simulcast centers such as Off Track Betting (OTB) Centers, and on advanced deposit wagering platforms such as TVG, BetAmerica and TwinSpires, where bettors in 31 states can legally bet on horse races from their mobile devices and web browsers. You can also wager on horse racing legally in the state of Nevada at the hundreds of casinos with race and sportsbooks.

Horse racing wagers and bets

In addition to the traditional “straight” wagers (Win, Place, Show), fans can also attempt to cash big in the various “exotic” pools. Exacta (top two finishers), Trifecta (top three), Superfecta (top four), and Super High Five (top five) wagering are all offered, and cashing a ticket in any of these pools can produce a bigger payday.

• Win: Bet on the horse you think you will win the Kentucky Derby.
• Place: Get paid the place price if your horse finishes first or second.
• Show: A show bet pays the least, but you win and get paid the show price if your horse finishes first, second or third.
• Exacta: Predict the first two horses in the correct order.
• Trifecta: Predict the first three horses in the correct order.
• Superfecta: Predict the first four horses in the correct order.
• Super High Five: Predict the first five horses in the correct order.

The Preakness Stakes betting odds are finally determined by the pari-mutuel system at the track which means your potential payout depends on how much money is in the pot overall, divided by how many bets are placed. The odds will fluctuate in the build-up to the race and never more so than in the final few moments before post time.

Picking a Preakness winner

There are many ways to handicap a horse race, and there is no shortage of opinions or angles when it comes to the handicapping the Preakness Stakes following the Kentucky Derby results. From a beginner’s betting guide to the most sophisticated tools for informed handicappers, there are many pieces of information and betting guides to assist you in identifying a potential Preakness winner and narrowing the list of top contenders.

• Handicapping horses and the races takes much time, research and intuition. Beyond studying past performance charts and horse stats, speed figures, class ratings, tracks and bias, jockey and trainer stats, horse pedigree and even post position (Preakness draw is Wednesday, Sept. 30), a handicapper has to have insight and ability to find various ways to identify horses that are ready to win. That’s especially true in a ‘normal’ year for the Derby horses that are running in the Preakness with just a two-week recovery. But the 2020 races are four weeks apart. You can review race videos, tracks, surfaces or find horses that had troubled trips in recent races. But it’s important to distill information that can help you identify horses that may offer some value next time out or others in good form or improving that can provide value wagering opportunities.
• Races and horses should be backed based on positive attributes and not as a result of who’s the best of the worst. As you study some of the betting guides and training tools, you’ll become better prepared and equipped to analyze races in a more meaningful way. That includes the Preakness Stakes along with the Kentucky Derby and the prep races leading up to the Derby. Understanding ‘how’ a horse has run leading up to a race versus the far less important ‘where’ the horse finishes and ‘what’ time he/she completed their recent races will help you become more proficient.
• Trainer Bob Baffert has won the Preakness a record-tying 7 times (D. Wayne Lucas) including in 2015 with American Pharoah and 2018 with Justify, who both went on to win the Triple Crown. Baffert is the trainer for both Authentic and Thousand Words in the 2020 race Preakness.

These sections below will be updated with additional horses and information as more runners are confirmed for the Preakness Stakes.

Front runners and “need the lead”

The pace often makes the race, and the Preakness will be no different. The horses that “need the lead” or will be forwardly placed and pressing the pace include two leading contenders and favorites Authentic and Art Collector. They will be joined up front by filly Swiss Skydiver.

Stalkers ready to pounce

With Tiz the Law opting to not run in the Preakness, there is one less top contender looking to stalk and pounce. Ny Traffic may make up more ground as he did when closing in on Authentic in the Haskell before losing by a nose.

Value Horses

Thousand Words and NyTraffic going off at higher odds provides some horses with some value below the top tier runners. Art Collector moves up as the second choice with Tiz the Law out, but sharp horse players believe he’s a real shooter after missing the Kentucky Derby. Trainer Bob Baffert is going for his record eighth Preakness win and will have two chances with Authentic and Thousand Words both leading contenders.

Last year, War of Will was identified on these pages as a value horse and he pulled the upset and won at 6/1 odds.

The Preakness has been dominated in recent years by horses who set or press/stalk the pace, but most of the time those were simply the best horses like Justify, American Pharoah, California Chrome, Big Brown and the filly Rachel Alexandra. Exaggerator was able to come from well off a hotly-contested pace to win the 2016 Preakness. An improving 3-year-old or fresher and talented colt like Art Collector or Thousand Words may be able to pull another upset, but not at odds like Clould Computing (13/1) in 2017 or Oxbow (15/1) in 2013.

Preakness Stakes history and results

For the first time ever, the Arkansas Derby will be run in split divisions on Saturday, May 2. The entry list for the Grade 1 race at Oaklawn Park grew to 22, but following two early week scratches, each race will have 10 runners. Churchill Downs will grant full qualifying points (100-40-20-10) for both divisions toward the rescheduled Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5.

The $1 million purse will be split in half this year with each division paying out $500,000.

Some Kentucky Derby contenders and horses to watch are running in this year’s Arkansas Derby. As the racing schedule changes and more preps added before the Kentucky Derby, we’ll get a chance to watch some of these runners again and evaluate their chances for making a Run for the Roses.

Arkansas Derby key details

The Arkansas Derby (G1) will have 10 horses in each of the two divisions. The winner of each division race will earn 100 points to secure a spot in the starting gate for the rescheduled 2020 Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5. The Arkansas Derby runner-up may also secure a spot with 40 Derby points added to their total.

• Date: Saturday, May 2, 2020
• Time: Race 11 and Race 13 with Race 11 starting at 6:29 ET
• TV: 4-8 p.m. ET on TVG’s “Trackside Live” airing on its home network and also simulcast by NBCSN
• Online and Mobile: NBC Sports App and streamed live on NBCsports.com/live and TVG
• Track and Location: Oaklawn Park, Hot Springs, Arkansas
• Distance: 1 1/8 miles on dirt
• Field: Two divisions each with 10 3-year-old Thoroughbreds
• Prize Pool: $500,000 for each division with $320,000 to winners
• Road to the Kentucky Derby Points: 100-40-20-10 to top four finishers in each division

Arkansas Derby betting odds and post positions

Division 1 (Post time 6:29 p.m. ET)

Division 2 (Post time 7:43 p.m. ET)

Arkansas Derby scratches

Following the early week post position draw, four horses have been scratched from the Arkansas Derby. Shooters Shoot (6/1) came down with a fever and caught a virus, which will keep him out of the first division along with Wrecking Crew (20/1). Fast Enough (12/1) was scratched from the second division after reaggravating a shin injury. Longshot Saratogian (50/1) was also removed from the field There are no alternates, so each division will have nine runners.

Best Arkansas Derby betting site

How to bet the Arkansas Derby

The best place to bet on this weekend’s races is on the TVG app, where you’ll receive a risk-free bet of up to $300 when you make your first deposit. That means if you lose your bet, you’ll get refunded in the form of a free bet bonus. The bonus must be used within 30 days of the conclusion of the race.

TVG offers an iOS app for Apple devices and a sleek browser site for Android users. If TVG is legal in your state, you can place your bets right on your phone, tablet or personal computer and follow the action online.

Arkansas Derby betting strategy

Late Pick 3 and Pick 4 bettors can tie in both Arkansas Derby divisions along with the Grade II Oaklawn Handicap between them in Race 12. The Oaklawn Handicap features last year’s Kentucky Derby favorite Improbable and Tacitus, who finished third in the Kentucky Derby and second in the Belmont Stakes last year. Tacitus has finished in the money in 9 of 10 starts in America.

In the Arkansas Derby, Division 2 favorite Nadal (5/2) is undefeated and 3-for-3 having won his last race the Rebel Stakes (G2) wire-to-wire over a sloppy (sealed) surface by three quarters length as the 4/5 favorite. Nadal is trained by Bob Baffert and ships in from Santa Anita where he won his first two races including the San Vicente (G2) in February. He’ll be tough running on or near the lead, but will be pressed by Louisiana Derbywinner Wells Bayou (7/2), who’s not likely to hold up on the front this time going long. And any uneven run or uncomfortable pace will set up an off the pace horse to catch Nadal and run down fading Wells Bayou.

Silver Prospector (10/1) also runs in Division 2. He was a well-beaten sixth in the Rebel, but won the Southwest Stakes (G3) over a fast track. Silver Prospector also won the Kentucky Jockey Club (G1) last November over third-place finisher Tiz the Law, who won the 2020 Florida Derby. Deep closer Finnick the Fierce (15/1) shouldn’t be overlooked in the Division 2 race having run a close second behind Silver Prospector in the Kentucky Jockey Club and fourth in the Lecomte (G3). Storm the Court (6/1) won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) but has failed to impress as a 3-year-old. He finished fourth in the San Vicente (G2), never challenging the winner Nadal.

2020 Rebel Stakes Post Positions

King Guillermo (3/1) presents a strong challenger in here and can sit just off the pace. He won his graded stakes debut as a longshot (49/1) in the Tampa Bay Derby as bettors wrote him off as a turf horse not capable on dirt. But this son of Uncle Mo is improving and likely legit.

Trainer Todd Pletcher has won a record five Arkansas Derbys and he’ll saddle Farmington Road (12/1), a deep closer who finished second in the Oaklawn Stakes on April 11 breaking from the outside post 13. He was five lengths clear of Basin (8/1), who’s a contender in the Division 1 race. Farmington Road also had a deep run to finish fourth in the Risen Star over a deep Fair Grounds track. Pletcher and the trainer to his outside, Brad Cox (with Wells Bayou), are both masters of masking how their horses are fed. We won’t go any deeper on that discussion, but it’s important to know these horses get better and stronger and can improve at the longer distances if fit and healthy. Farmington Road is fit and improving, and he also ran 1 1/8 mile races in each of his last two starts and was closing hard and making up ground in both races. Farmington Road is a good bet in exotics and a has a chance to pull the upset.

In the Division 1 race, favorite Charlatan (1/1) makes his stakes debut for trainer Bob Baffert and is 2-for-2 with both wins at Santa Anita. While Charlton is taking most the money, its another longshot that can close strong from off the pace to catch a piece of the board. Winning Impressions (15-1) rallied from the back and crossed the finish line first in front of Finnick the Fierce in an early April Allowance race at Oaklawn, but was disqualified for drifting in late to cost the favorite a piece. Winning Impression should have a solid pace to run into and he’s not likely overmatched for his stakes debut. His strong recent bullet work suggests he’s an improving three year old that could surprise.

Arkansas Derby Picks 2020

Rebel Stakes Results

Kim French at PlayPicks.com offers her predictions for the 2020 Arkansas Derby with betting odds, post positions and picks for both divisions.

2015 Rebel Stakes

Arkansas Derby trends and past winners

Oaklawn Park has a long stretch run, and since 2010 a number of big longshots have won the race with two of these deep closers from far back. Bob Baffert trained 2015 Arkansas Derby winner and Triple Crown Champion American Pharoah, who was the biggest favorite to win the Arkansas Derby at 1-9 odds. American Pharoah and 2004 Arkansas Derby winner Smarty Jones are the last two horses to win both the Arkansas Derby and Kentucky Derby. Three other Arkansas Derby winners in the last 20 years have won a Triple Crown race: Afleet Alex (2005) and Curlin (2007) won the Preakness, and Creator (2016) won the Belmont.

Current form has proven meaningful, as 12 of the last 13 Arkansas Derby winners finished first, second or third in their previous race. The last two Arkansas Derby winners both won the local prep Rebel Stakes. But 2019 winner Omaha Beach was scratched as the morning line favorite in the Kentucky Derby with a cough and didn’t return to racing until last fall. The 2018 Arkansas Derby winner Magnum Moon finished 19th in the Kentucky Derby and was then was retired after injuring himself in a June workout.

Four of the last five favorites have won the Arkansas Derby. Trainer Bob Baffert has the favorite in each division this year, and he’s trained the Arkansas Derby favorite in six of the last nine years while winning twice. Since 2006, eight Arkansas Derby favorites have won the race. Also, when considering Exacta, Trifecta and Superfecta wagers looking for a score, know that eight of the 22 horses to finish second or third in the Arkansas Derby since 2009 did so at double-digit odds. Longshot Laughing Fox (27-1) was a deep closer that just missed finishing third last year but completed the Superfecta.

*Betting favorite