Along with Jesus’ Team and Excession, Liveyourbeastlife is among the longest of shots in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes from Pimlico Race Course. The top two choices, Authentic (winner of the Triple Crown) and Art Collector, are getting a lot of the press, but taking a look down the odds list can help you make picks for your exacta, trifecta and superfecta that will add to your winnings because of their higher odds.
Let’s take a look at William H. Lawrence’s Liveyourbeastlife, but before we do that, let’s touch up on the latest Odds to Win on the Preakness, courtesy of JAZZSports.ag:
Preakness Stakes – Odds to Win
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Current Odds* |
| 1 | Excession | Sheldon Russell | +3000 |
| 2 | Mr. Big News | Gabriel Saez | +1200 |
| 3 | Art Collector | Brian Hernandez Jr | +250 |
| 4 | Swiss Skydiver | Robby Albarado | +700 |
| 5 | Thousand Words | Florent Geroux | +600 |
| 6 | Jesus’ Team | Jevian Toledo | +3000 |
| 7 | Ny Traffic | Horacio Karamanos | +1300 |
| 8 | Max Player | Paco Lopez | +1250 |
| 9 | Authentic | John Velazquez | +165 |
| 10 | Pneumatic | Joe Bravo | +2000 |
| 11 | Liveyourbeastlife | Trevor McCarthy | +3000 |
*Odds are subject to change. *Courtesy of JAZZSports.ag
Preakness Stakes Spotlight: Liveyourbeastlife
Liveyourbeastlife earned the bulk of his qualification points with a runner-up finish in the Jim Dandy Stakes (Grade II). His workouts ahead of the Preakness Stakes have been impressive, including multiple five-furlong breezes in a time of less than a minute.
On August 12, Liveyourbeastlife won a nine-furlong allowance event at Saratoga Race Course, beating older horses, and on September 5, he came in second to Mystic Guide at the Jim Dandy Stakes, also a nine-furlong event. At the Jim Dandy, his jockey, Junior Alvarado, noted that Liveyourbeastlife struggled between the half-mile and the three-eighths pole, and Alvarado allowed him to fall back too much for him to make up the difference down the stretch. Liveyourbeastlife will have Trevor McCarthy on board for the Preakness Stakes.
An additional piece of information that will influence the atmosphere at Pimlico Race Course is that only 250 people will be allowed to attend. The grounds are tightly restricted now, at a time when this part of Baltimore is usually vibrant and exciting. Just as with the Belmont Stakes and the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, the area around the racetrack is packed with bettors and race fans the week before, lasting through the race weekend.
This year, though, the only spectators will be horse owners, jockeys, trainers and close relatives of those three groups. The purpose is to allow for the race to go on with a minimum of risk of spreading the disease. People coming from out of town, such as owners, journalists, or jockeys have to show that they have tested negative for COVID-19 and, if needed, demonstrate proof of quarantine. It’s hard to say how much this influences the horses, if at all, but it just goes to show how important these races are for professional sport that they take place at all during a pandemic.
Give an EDGE to your horse-betting with JAZZ Horse Racing’s expert racing advice. Until Next Time!
