Filly Rachel Alexandra spices up Preakness odds
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- Who: Thoroughbreds – Rachel Alexandra, Mine That Bird
- What: Thoroughbred Horse Racing – The Preakness Stakes
- Where: Pimlico Race Course
- When: Saturday, May 16th
Kentucky Oaks romping winner Rachel Alexandra was sold last week for an undisclosed sum, and her new owners have decided to take on the boys in Saturday’s $1.1 million Preakness odds at Pimlico Race Course. She drew the outside post #13, and was installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite by Pimlico’s Frank Carulli, undoubtedly causing a scramble at the racebook. Regular rider Calvin Borel retains the mount, thus becoming the first Derby-winning jockey to hop aboard a different horse in The Preakness.
The connections of Mine That Bird had originally planned to run in The Kentucky Derby, skip The Preakness Stakes and wait for The Belmont Stakes, giving their horse a comfortable 5-week gap between races. Those plans changed when Mine That Bird scored a monumental upset in The Run for the Roses.
The diminutive gelding flew up the rail in the home stretch under the brilliant and courageous guidance of aforementioned jockey Calvin “Bo-rail” Borel, to win going away by nearly seven lengths. He paid $103.20, making him the second-longest priced winner in Kentucky Derby history. Mine That Bird earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 105, an incredible 24 points higher than his previous lifetime best. He will break from post #2 in The Preakness betting, and his morning line odds were set at 6-1. Jockey Mike Smith will take over for Borel.
Derby runner-up Pioneerof the Nile, winner of four straight graded events on the West Coast prior to the Derby, was pegged at 5-1, and will break from post #9. Others expected to be well-backed include Derby third and fourth-place finishers Musket Man (post #3, ML odds of 8-1) and Papa Clem (post #7, ML odds of 12-1). Derby post-time favorite Friesan Fire will attempt to rebound from a troubled, 18th-place finish. He’ll break from post #5, and his morning line odds, like those of Mine That Bird, were set at 6-1. Following are the entries, in post-position order:
Post |
Horse |
Jockey |
Trainer |
Odds |
| 1 | Big Drama | J. Valazquez | D. Fawkes | 10-1 |
| 2 | Mine That Bird | M. Smith | B. Woolley Jr. | 6-1 |
| 3 | Musket Man | E. Coa | D. Ryan | 8-1 |
| 4 | Luv Gov | J. Theriot | D.W. Lukas | 50-1 |
| 5 | Friesan Fire | G. Saez | L. Jones | 6-1 |
| 6 | Terrain | J. Rose | A. Stall Jr. | 30-1 |
| 7 | Papa Clem | R. Bejarano | G. Stute | 12-1 |
| 8 | General Quarters | J. Leparoux | T. McCarthy | 20-1 |
| 9 | Pioneerof the Nile | G. Gomez | B. Baffert | 5-1 |
| 10 | Flying Private | A. Garcia | D.W. Lukas | 50-1 |
| 11 | Take the Points | E. Prado | T. Pletcher | 30-1 |
| 12 | Tone It Down | K. Desormeaux | W. Komlo | 50-1 |
| 13 | Rachel Alexandra | C. Borel | S. Asmussen | 8-5 |
Odds by Pimlico’s Frank Carulli
Check back next week for a Preakness recap and other thoroughbred horse racing betting news and views. Until then, happy gambling!
Pete Mitchell has been handicapping horses since his teenage years. He has been a professional horse player for many years, and came to BetOnline.com’s attention through multiple referrals from industry insiders/sportsbook owners. Pete is revered for his horse handicapping opinion and industry experts acknowledge his impressive career winning record. Thoughts or questions? Email Comments@BetOnline.com.
