Max Player’s ownership has confirmed that he will run in the Preakness Stakes on October 3. This could make him the only entrant in all three legs of the 2020 Triple Crown. Tiz the Law, who won the Belmont Stakes but not the Kentucky Derby, will not run the Preakness in order to rest ahead of the Breeders’ Cup in early November.
Let’s take a look at Max Player and the final leg of the Triple Crown.
Before we continue, check out our list of Top 10 Betting Odds for the Breeders’ Cup competition, courtesy of JAZZ Sports’ Racebook.
Breeders’ Cup – Top 10 Odds *
Courtesy of JAZZSports.ag
| Name | Odds |
| Tiz The Law | +375 |
| Authentic, Maximum Security | +400 |
| Toms D’Etat | +800 |
| Ghaiyyath | +1000 |
| Monomoy Girl | +1250 |
| Improbable | +1300 |
| Art Collector | +1500 |
| Benbatl | +1700 |
| Code of Honor, Global Campaign, Tacitus | +1800 |
| Sharp Samurai | +2000 |
| FIELD (all other horses) | +750 |
*Odds are subject to change.
Will Max Player Be the Only Horse to Run the Whole Triple Crown?
Max Player came in third at the Belmont Stakes, back on June 20, and he finished fifth at the Kentucky Derby on September 5. He also entered the Runhappy Travers Stakes (Grade I) at Saratoga, where he finished third. His trainer, Steve Asmussen, has had two Preakness Stakes winners, with Curlin in 2007 and the filly Rachel Alexandra, in 2009. Asmussen has only trained Max Player since preparations began for the Kentucky Derby, though. Previously, Linda Rice had trained him.
Max Player’s owner, George Hall, had the winning horse in the 2011 Belmont Stakes, when Ruler on Ice paid on +2400 odds. Hall had four horses in the Kentucky Derby, and Max Player had the best finish of the four; this was Hall’s first year to enter horses at Churchill Downs since 2011, when Pants On Fire, who had won the Louisiana Derby (Grade II) that year, came in ninth. Max Player will be Hall’s first entrant in a Preakness Stakes.
At the Belmont Stakes this year, Max Player got caught up in some of the early traffic and could not make a move until late, and he still ended up surging to third place. His finish at the Travers Stakes showed a similar trend, with early traffic trouble and then a third-place finish thanks to a surge down the stretch.
At the Kentucky Derby, Max Player drew Post 1 and got a slow start; at the first jump, he was far behind. A better post position and a better start could put Max Player right up there at the end. The Preakness field is expected to include Authentic, who won the Kentucky Derby, along with Art Collector and Thousand Words (who had to scratch from the Kentucky Derby) and Mr. Big News, who finished third at Churchill Downs.
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