2020 Preakness Stakes Prop Bets: Winning Race Time, Will a Bob Baffert Horse Win & More

• The Preakness Stakes will be run at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on Saturday, Oct. 2nd
• Prop bets are a way to wager on the race within the race and find opportunity beyond simply trying to pick the winner
• See some of the best prop bets available to add to your card on Saturday

Prop bets are the best. That’s not to say that handicapping and determining who will win a given race isn’t great fun and very strategic. However, if you look outside-the-box, it increases your chances of finding an angle you really like, and having action on a variety of elements of an event just make it more enjoyable to watch.

Saturday’s Preakness Stakes is the perfect example of a sporting event props benefit. The Triple Crown is not up for grabs, and several contenders have opted to skip the trip to Maryland. While it is still an intriguing race, spicing it up certainly doesn’t hurt.

Let’s look closely at some of the props on the board and see if there are an angle or two worth jumping on.

2020 Preakness Stakes Margin of Victory Odds

All odds taken Oct. 1st

Five years ago American Pharoah won the Preakness by seventh lengths.

In 2016, Exaggerator was three-and-a-half lengths better than the field. The last three years the Preakness has been won by a head, half a length, and one-and-a-quarter lengths.

This comes down more to the horses than the history. Authentic has run six times, winning five of them, and the margin in those half dozen races has been over 1.5 lengths on three occasions, under twice, and exactly on the mark once.

Authentic’s competition is good not great. Tiz The Law isn’t running, and Honor A.P. retired. Art Collector is unproven, and Swiss Skydiver is a filly trying to beat the boys. Our slight lean is over 1.5 lengths.

Pick: Over 1.5 Lengths (-120)

2020 Preakness Stakes Wire-to-Wire Odds

Authentic has won five races and four have come in gate-to-wire fashion.

This doesn’t mean you have to break on top, but in order to win wire-to-wire you must be ahead after a quarter mile has been run (about 23 seconds into the race), and remain in the front to the wire.

There is little doubt Authentic is going to the front. It would be surprising if he won coming from behind, or if someone else wrestles the lead from him early on. Since his odds are less than +350, this is a terrific way to get value on the favorite.

Pick: Yes (+350)

Odds on Final Time for 2020 Preakness Stakes Winner

Four of the last five years the final time has been over 1:55.90, but the track condition is a major factor in that. Last year on a dry track labeled as “fast” War of Will ran 1:54.84.

The prior four years the track was fast just once. During the three sloppy circumstances the time was way over. When it was fast in 2018 Justify ran 1:55.93.

The weather in Baltimore looks nice with little chance of rain for Saturday. Authentic ran a fast Kentucky Derby, and the same should hold true this weekend.

Pick: Under 1:55.90 (+100)

Odds on Whether There Will Be an Inquiry

This prop has gained popularity because of Maximum Security’s disqualification in the 2019 Kentucky Derby. Interestingly, there was no inquiry in that race.

An inquiry is when the stewards (judges) opt to take a second look at the race to see whether something foul took place. The Kentucky Derby had its results shifted following a jockey’s objection.

Regardless, inquiries do not happen anywhere close to 20-percent of the time. You can go to the track for a week, watch 10 races a day, and never see one. Obviously stewards will be careful because nobody wants to make a mistake on a major race day, but the odds do not justify guessing at an inquiry in any individual race.

Pick: No (-1000)

Odds the Winning Jockey Celebrates at the Wire

Winning big races is nothing new for Authentic’s jockey John Velazquez. He has captured the Kentucky Derby three times, the Belmont Stakes on a pair of occasions, and has 16 Breeders Cup victories.

While Johnny V has not won the Preakness, he has never celebrated at the wire when winning the Run for the Roses, so it is hard to imagine he would do so in this race.

Most jockey’s tend to be conservative, and if Authentic loses it is likely to be a close race, and then you have to concentrate on riding not celebrating.

Pick: Riding (-900)

Number of Words in Winning Horse’s Name

Authentic, live longshot Pneumatic, and unlikely entrants Liveyourbeastlife and Excession are one name.

Two word options include top challengers Art Collector, Swiss Skydiver, and Thousand Words, along with viable longshot Ny Traffic, plus Jesus’ Team and Max Player. Mr. Big News is the only three word horse.

This is close between one and two words. Authentic and Pneumatic plus a couple darts are probably as likely as the group of two name horses, and the price is better.

Pick: 1 Word (+110)

Odds on Which Letter Winning Horse’s Name Begins With

In addition to Authentic, second choice Art Collector and longshot Excession begin with vowels while everybody else starts with a consonant.

If you combine the odds on those three horses, roughly +150, +250, and +3000, you get to around -235. There is little reason to take -250, so the call is to play for a mild upset.

Pick: Consonant (+170)

Odds Bob Baffert is Trainer of Winning Horse

Authentic and Thousand Words are trained by Baffert. While Authentic is the favorite, Thousand Words is viable after beating Honor A.P. in the Shared Belief Stakes.

Thousand Words was scratched in the Kentucky Derby after acting up in the paddock. He cost $1 million and will be something around +600.

Baffert’s duo has probably a shade over a 50-percent chance of winning.

Pick: Yes (+100)