With the 2020 Preakness Stakes just a week away now, the horses preparing for that showdown are taking part in their last major training sessions ahead of the race this weekend. Let’s take a look at how some of the contenders fared in their last touch-ups before the last leg of the Triple Crown.
Before we continue, let us take a look at the latest Preakness Stakes odds to win, courtesy of JAZZ Sports Racebook:
Preakness Stakes – Top 5 Odds to Win *
| Name | Odds |
| Authentic | +160 |
| Art Collector | +300 |
| Thousand Words | +700 |
| Swiss Skydiver | +1100 |
| Ny Traffic | +1200 |
*Odds are subject to change.
Updates from the Final Preakness Training Sessions
Mr. Big News took his last major session on Friday morning at Churchill Downs. In his last start, he came in third at the Kentucky Derby. On Friday, he zoomed through a half-mile in 50.40 seconds. That broke down in 13.20 seconds for the first eighth, 25.60 for the first quarter, and then the last quarter in 24.80. He posted a gallop-out time of 1:03.20 over five furlongs, showing that he rounded the turn in 12.80 seconds, a solid number.
His trainer terms the workout as “just a maintenance work,” stressing that if Mr. Big News is not already set for the race at this point, he won’t catch up in a week. The purpose of the workout was to allow him to stretch his legs and keep up the strong galloping that he has put forth in the weekday workouts. On Saturday, Gabriel Saez will be the jockey; he qualified for the Preakness by winning the Oaklawn Stakes on April 11, paying on +4600 odds.
As far as the field itself, there are ten horses who will race for certain on Saturday, with four more horses that could possibly race. That would push the Preakness Stakes to its maximum of 14. The four “maybes” are Swiss Skydiver, Happy Saver, Ny Traffic and Mystic Guide. Mystic Guide seems the likeliest of the four to sit the Preakness out. If Ny Traffic enters the race, he would be the fourth horse to run in both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, along with Authentic, Mr. Big News and Max Player. Ny Traffic was eighth in the Kentucky Derby, the first time in his three-year-old season that he did not finish in the money.
Swiss Skydiver is a possibility for the Preakness Stakes, but trainer Ken McPeek indicated that he was considering two other alternatives, also Grade I stakes: the Spinster for mares and fillies on October 4, and the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on October 10.
Happy Saver won the Federico Tesio Stakes earlier this month; on Friday, he zipped through five furlongs in 1:01.09. Trainer Todd Pletcher is considering the Preakness or the Jockey Club Gold Cup for Happy Saver.
The draw for the Preakness Stakes will take place on Monday at noon Eastern time.
Give an EDGE to your horse-betting with JAZZ Horse Racing’s expert betting advice. Stay tuned for more special content on Preakness & Breeders Cup throughout the week. Until Next Time!
