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Experts from The Post and Action Network handicap Saturday’s 150th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico. Post time is approximately 7:01 p.m.
Vic Cangialosi
New York Post racing handicapper
1. Clever Again: The history books say speed kills in the Preakness. The two favorites, Journalism and Sandman, do their best running late. There are a couple in this field that might dance with Clever Again early. Bob Baffert’s lightly raced Goal Oriented is the fastest and most likely challenger.
If Jose Ortiz can win that battle, he can win the war. Steve Asmussen’s colt hasn’t raced since March so he’s well rested. Loads off a triple-digit fig and Pimlico is speed favoring when it’s fast. More so when it’s wet. May prove tough to reel in.
2. River Thames: Do you like Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty? Then you have to consider Todd Pletcher’s colt. Lost by a neck to the champ in the Fountain of Youth. Raced once since.
Again narrowly defeated, finishing a close third in the Blue Grass. True contender, even though Pletcher is 0-for-10 at the Preakness and Irad Ortiz is 0-for-6. Stalks the pace, makes a run, but like his last two starts, he comes up a little short.
3. Journalism: You only get one chance to win the Derby. Made the most of his. Did everything asked of him, except win. Made steady progress in the mud. Finished strong. Just got outkicked. The Derby winner is skipping the middle jewel, so he is the one to beat. Again.
Special horses can run 2¹/₂ miles in two weeks. Sovereignty’s connections won’t let him try. Maybe that race took something out of both of them. Game, but a tired third.
Michael Leboff
New York Post betting writer
1. Journalism: Odds aside, Journalism is the best pick to win the Preakness Stakes. He finished second at the Kentucky Derby, but still ran a terrific race. Plus, this field and setup is much softer than the one he saw at Churchill Downs.
2. Gosger: Factoring in the odds, Gosger is my favorite bet on the board and a horse that has a terrific chance of outrunning his odds. He should be able to get out in front from his post position, which is his best path to success in this field.
3. Clever Again: Like Gosger, I like Clever Again’s chances of getting to the front and battling his way to a podium finish. Definitely a horse to use in your exotics, as his price could drift with other entrants getting more support.
Mike Conti
Action Network racing handicapper
1. Journalism: Ran a valiant second in the Kentucky Derby, showing those of us who had doubts about the competition and field sizes out west that he’s extremely talented and one of the best 3-year-olds in the country. The biggest question will be coming back in two weeks, but he again appears to be the most talented horse in the field.
2. Clever Again: The only other horse in the field to post a triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure, when he won the Hot Springs Stake at Oaklawn Park with relative ease last time out. Jockey Jose Ortiz had a ton of horse coming out of the turn and drew off from the rest of the field.
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He’s bred to get the distance being a son of American Pharoah and is making his fourth career start, third as a 3-year-old, so it’s reasonable to think he can improve off that last effort.
3. Goal Oriented: Won last time out on the Derby Day undercard, albeit against allowance company. That was only his second career start and first time stretching out. He showed a different running style from his maiden score, taking them gate to wire.
Given his post position and the other speed, jockey Flavien Prat will most likely have to send him out of the gates to get positioning. Trainer Bob Baffert has won the Preakness a record eight times.