American Pharoah overcame nearly the worst opening gate possible to win the Kentucky Derby, and Wednesday’s post draw for the Preakness Stakes will determine where the Triple Crown hopeful will start in Saturday’s race from Pimlico.
Preakness 2015 post positions draw: Time and TV schedule
We’ll learn a lot more about American Pharoah’s chances to follow up his Kentucky Derby win after Wednesday’s post draw.
post positions update
Post position doesn’t mean quite as much in the Preakness as it does in the Kentucky Derby. The Derby field starts with up to 20 horses -- this year’s race started with 19 because of one alternate stepping in and two horses scratching -- and American Pharoah overcame a significant handicap starting in the No. 18 post, becoming just the fourth horse since 1930 (when Churchill Downs began using starting gates) to win from the No. 17 gate or further out.
The Preakness doesn’t allow for such a logjam up front because the field is capped at 14 rather than 20. Still, a draw too far inside could bring the rest of the pack a bit closer to the field in terms of morning line odds, though American Pharoah will likely be the prohibitive favorite no matter what happens on Wednesday.
Firing Line and Dortmund, the second- and third-place finishers in the Kentucky Derby, are expected to be top contenders to knock off Pharoah at Pimlico.
California Chrome won last year’s Preakness out of the No. 3 gate.
Time: 5 p.m. ET
TV: HRTV
Live Stream: DRF.com with coverage beginning at 4 p.m.
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