How Preakness Favorites Fared

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
May 15, 2014

How Preakness Favorites Fared

California Chrome

Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome has been made the heavy favorite to win the May 17 Preakness, which would keep him in line to make a run at the Triple Crown. How have some other odds-on favorites fared at Pimlico over the past 40 years? SI.com takes a look.

Orb

Betting favorite Orb, far right, finished fourth while Oxbow (second from left), was sent off at 15-1 odds and led from the start with 50-year-old jockey Gary Stevens aboard.

Bodemeister

Bodemeister, the runnerup at the Kentucky Derby, was the early line favorite over Kentucky Derby winner I'll Have Another. But just like in the Derby, I'll Have Another (left) outran Bodemeister (right) for the victory.

Animal Kingdom

After winning the Kentucky Derby, Animal Kingdom entered the Preakness as the early 2-1 favorite. He closed fast at the finish but placed second to Shackleford.

Big Brown

2008 Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown entered the Preakness as a heavy 1-2 favorite and didn't disappoint. The three-year-old stunned the field with a 5 1/4-length victory, and it looked like he could have won by much more.

Barbaro

After a win in the Kentucky Derby, Barbaro was a 1-to-2 favorite to win the Preakness. He finished ninth and suffered a career-ending and eventually life-ending injury on the track.

Smarty Jones

The closest to a Triple Crown winner since Spectacular Bid in 1979, Kentucky Derby winner Smarty Jones won the Preakness too. With odds in his favor to win the Belmont, Smarty lost to a 36-to-1 longshot.

Fusaichi Pegasus

A 3-to-10 favorite after winning the Kentucky Derby, Fusaichi Pegasus (center) finished second to Red Bullet (right) in the Preakness.

Easy Goer

Easy Goer may have taken second in the Derby, but oddsmakers gave him 3-to-5 odds at the Preakness. He finished second there too, behind Sunday Silence.

Swale

A tough son of 1977 Derby and Preakness winner Seattle Slew, Swale was an 8-to-10 favorite to win the Preakness after a victorious Derby run. He came in seventh as Gate Dancer came away with the win.