Preakness 101

Handicapping the Preakness usually isn't quite as hard as the Derby since the field is rarely as large, but it still presents a challenge with a mix of Derby veterans, fresh horses, and local heroes entered. The track has a reputation of being a speed-favoring surface with sharp turns which always makes the wise guys jump on front running horses, however, this just isn't true. Not only are the turns actually almost identical to Churchill Downs, wire-to-wire winners are actually rare with front runners winning only 18% of the time, making a stalker or come-from-behind type more likely to win. When starting your quest for a Preakness winner, start with the Kentucky Derby runners. The winner at Pimlico is usually found in their ranks, even if he was well beaten at Churchill Downs. Experience is just as important here as at the Derby and so look for graded stakes winners and horses with solid 2-year-old campaigns. Don't overlook the local heroes, although they are more likely to show up in the exotic wagers more so than win such as Magic Weisner who was second in 2002. Workouts are also important and if your horse ran in the Derby, he must have a recorded work between the two races, preferably at Pimlico. Some trainers don't like to show up in Maryland until the last minute and it almost always works against them since the horse needs to get acclimatized to the new surface. You may want to give extra points to trainers who have done well at the Preakness in the past such as Nick Zito, D. Wayne Lukas, or Bob Baffert. It doesn't hurt if your horse has Pat Day riding either, as he has won the race five times.

How it all began
Trying to pick a winner
Being there in person