Justify improved to 4-0-0 with an impressive showing in the Kentucky Derby, jumping out to an early lead on the field and never looking back. The three-year-old will look to pick up the second jewel of the Triple Crown this Saturday at Pimlico.
Preakness 2018 odds: Justify the clear midweek betting favorite for the Pimlico race
Justify sits ahead of Good Magic, Diamond King, and Quip on the odds to win the Preakness Stakes this weekend as a followup to his victory in the Kentucky Derby.
Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images
The Kentucky Derby winner was going off as a -250 favorite on the odds to win the Preakness Stakes at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com heading into Wednesday’s post position draw. Justify became the fifth horse trained by Bob Baffert to win the Kentucky Derby earlier this month and all four of Baffert’s previous four Derby winners have gone on to win the Preakness as well (Preakness Stakes betting trends).
With Beyer speeds of 100 or more in each of his first four races, Justify is clearly the one to catch in this small eight-horse field.
Perhaps the only horse with a realistic shot at upsetting Justify is Good Magic (+300). Good Magic ran an excellent race in the Kentucky Derby, proving to be the best of the rest while failing to catch Justify in a runner-up finish.
These two horses should cross the finish line in the top two spots, but Good Magic will need to find another gear if he hopes to see the order in which they finish flipped from their last race.
The key to making money on this race might be in filling out the exotic wagers with the best horse outside of the top two. Moving farther down the betting board are Diamond King (+1600) and Quip (+1600).
Diamond King may not have the top-end speed of some of the other horses in this field, but he has shown a penchant for winning races. The three-year-old has picked up wins in four of his first six races including a win at the Frederico Tesio 125K race in his last trip out.
Rounding out the Preakness Stakes field are Bravazo (+1800), Sporting Chance (+2200), Tenfold (+2500), and Lone Sailor (+2500).
Lone Sailor had a disappointing showing in the crowded Kentucky Derby field but could sneak into the picture with more room to run this Saturday.
Preakness Stakes Betting Lines
Justify -250
Good Magic +300
Diamond King +1600
Quip +1600
Bravazo +1800
Sporting Chance +2200
Tenfold +2500
Lone Sailor +2500
For more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week’s top sports betting news check out the OddsShark podcast with Jon Campbell and Andrew Avery. Subscribe on iTunes or listen to it at OddsShark.libsyn.com.
