2017 Preakness Stakes: Field Preview & Poll

Here’s your crib sheet for the 2017 Preakness Stakes so you can look like the most knowledgeable person at your viewing party. Check out the scoop on the field and vote in our poll for who you think will win!

The 2016 Preakness Stakes. Flickr/Maryland GovPics/CC

The Triple Crown trail has moved to Maryland this week, centered on Pimlico Race Course where the 142nd Preakness Stakes will be run on Saturday. There’s always a wave of anticipation going into Preakness weekend, with another year of Triple Crown hopes riding on the Derby victor — and this year, the eyes of the world are on Always Dreaming. With a mix of Derby contenders returning for another crack and a few fresh runners, it’s another fascinating field.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t other horses in the field who could rain on the Triple Crown parade early — here’s a quick and dirty preview of the field. Make sure you vote in our poll below for your pick!

Post Position 1: Multiplier (30-1)
Bay colt by The Factor
Owned by American Equistock
Trained by Brendan Walsh
Ridden by Joel Rosario
Claims to fame: winner of the Illinois Derby (G3) with second-fastest time in race history

Multiplier earned a gritty win in his first graded start in last month’s Illinois Derby. The colt did not race as a two-year-old but has been steadily improving in his four career starts this year. Will he improve enough to take on the likes of Grade 1 winners on Saturday?

Post Position 2: Cloud Computing (12-1)
Dark bay/brown colt by Maclean’s Music
Owned by Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence
Trained by Chad Brown
Ridden by Javier Castellano
Claims to fame: second in the Gotham Stakes (G3), third in the Wood Memorial (G2)

Cloud Computing could technically have run in the Kentucky Derby with enough points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, but his connections chose to campaign stablemate Practical Joke instead. Another colt who did not race as a juvenile, Cloud Computing has been training sharp and steadily improving just in time for his first Grade 1 start.

Post Position 3: Hence (20-1)
Chestnut colt by Street Boss
Owned by Calumet Farm
Trained by Steve Asmussen
Ridden by Florent Geroux
Claims to fame: winner of the Sunland Derby (G3)

Hence ran to an 11th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, failing to navigate the cavalry charge of the start and subsequent 20-horse field on a sloppy track. Prior to his Derby attempt, Hence broke his maiden as a three-year-old and put himself on the Derby map with a win over other hot contenders in the Sunland Derby. With a lighter field in the Preakness, we look forward to watching this colt run.

Post Position 4: Always Dreaming (4-5)
Dark bay or brown colt by Bodemeister
Owned by Brooklyn Boyz Stables
Trained by Todd Pletcher
Ridden by John R. Velazquez
Claims to fame: winner of the Florida Derby (G1) and the Kentucky Derby (G1)

While this horse was not admittedly on my personal radar on Derby day, he silenced critics with a foot-perfect race and has been galloping like a, well, dream ever since. With the trend favoring Derby winners in the Preakness, Always Dreaming is the horse to beat.

Post Position 5: Classic Empire (3-1)
Bay colt by Pioneerof the Nile
Owned by John Oxley
Trained by Mark Casse
Ridden by Julien Leparoux
Claims to fame: winner of Breeders’ Futurity Stakes (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), third in the Holy Bull (G2) and winner of the Arkansas Derby (G1)

Among the favorites for the Derby, Classic Empire was bumped at the start and then stuck in traffic for much of the race, still somehow rallying for fourth place. He is one of the most accomplished horses in the field, and with only half as many entries as the Derby to contend with he should be expected to be a serious threat.

Post Position 6: Gunnevera (15-1)
Chestnut colt by Dialed In
Owned by Peacock Stables
Trained by Antonio Sano
Ridden by Javier Castellano
Claims to fame: winner of the Jackpot Stakes (G3), second in the Holy Bull (G2), winner of the Fountain of Youth (G1), third in the Florida Derby (G1)

Gunnevera had too much of the field to overcome in the wet Kentucky Derby, where he finished seventh. This colt’s exciting late-closing sweep has earned him plenty of other top-three finishes, but with the Preakness as the shortest of the Triple Crown races it remains to be seen if he will get up in time.

Post Position 7: Term Of Art (30-1)
Bay colt by Tiznow
Owned by Calumet Farm
Trained by Doug O’Neill
Ridden by Jose Ortiz
Claims to fame: third in the San Felipe Stakes (G3)

Term of Art will be making his East Coast debut in the Preakness Stakes; the horse has not yet won a start as a three-year-old. He broke his maiden in October and ran a distant ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, followed by a Grade 3 win that was intended to run on turf but got rained onto the main track. He’ll have a lot of work to do in the Preakness.

Post Position 8: Senior Investment (30-1)
Chestnut colt by Discreetly Mine
Owned by Fern Circle Stables
Trained by Ken McPeek
Ridden by Channing Hill
Claims to fame: winner of the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3)

Senior Investment’s first graded start was a sixth-place finish in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby where he was beaten by Derby contenders Girvin and Patch, among several others. He turned around in two weeks to win the Lexington Stakes in mid-April, the first graded win for a colt who likes to close late.

Post Position 9: Lookin At Lee (10-1)
Bay colt by Lookin At Lucky
Owned by L and N Racing
Trained by Steve Asmussen
Ridden by Corie Lanerie
Claims to fame: second in Breeders’ Futurity (G1), fourth in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), third in Southwest Stakes (G3), third in Arkansas Derby (G1) and second in the Kentucky Derby (G1)

The odds have certainly shortened on the surprise second-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby; Lookin At Lee got a great ground-saving trip on the rail and fired late to battle his way up to second place behind Always Dreaming. Whether the colt got lucky or whether he’s true Grade 1-running material remains to be seen.

Post Position 10: Conquest Mo Money (15-1)
Bay colt by Uncle Mo
Owned by Judge Lanier Racing
Trained by Miguel Hernandez
Ridden by Jorge Carreno
Claims to fame: second in the Sunland Derby (G3) and second in the Arkansas Derby (G1)

After his Arkansas Derby place, Conquest Mo Money’s connections announced that they would skip the Kentucky Derby and instead prepare for the Preakness Stakes, giving the colt more time to condition and train. While some critics called this a “cowardly” move, others saw it as a wise choice for a colt who could very well score an upset. His Arkansas Derby finish was a game fight against Classic Empire.