Orb showed what all the pre-race hype was about, cruising to an impressive victory in the Kentucky Derby Saturday.
And the horse that spent much of Derby week as the favorite (Revolutionary surpassed him when the weather turned late in the week) will again be the favorite when Preakness Stakes odds are set.
”Orb is going to be a heavy betting favorite to win the Preakness and head to New York for a shot at the Triple Crown,” predicts Michael Dempsey, the host and handicapping voice of USRacebook.com.
Preakness Stakes betting: Odds will favor Orb
When you beat all the Derby challengers and the new entrants for the Preakness Stakes aren’t strong, the possibility of another Triple Crown get much better. That’s the situation facing Orb after his Kentucky Derby win.
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“Four or five runners he beat are coming back to take him on again in the Preakness. There is going to be four or five new shooters but they do not look very imposing.”
It means casual horse betting fans could be hearing about the Triple Crown early next month when the Belmont Stakes is run in New York. A year ago, I’ll Have Another won the Derby and Preakness, only to be scratched with an injury on the eve of his run for glory.
While the Kentucky Derby track was sloppy, Orb still ran a career-best Beyer Speed figure of 104. That stacks up well against other recent Derby winners and sets him up for success heading to Pimlico in two weeks.
“Orb got a perfect pace set-up and jockey Joel Rosario kept the colt out of any trouble," said Dempsey. "There is no doubt the colt loved the off track, but I think he would have won on a fast track as well.”
Watch for opening Preakness Stakes futures as well as Triple Crown futures this week over at OddsShark.com.
