This weekend will be another exciting one for horse racing fans as the 2021 Preakness Stakes is scheduled for Saturday, May 15.
Even though excitement for the Preakness Stakes is high, there’s a cloud surrounding the event because of what happened at the Kentucky Derby nearly two weeks ago. The race’s winner, Medina Spirit, failed a drug test on Sunday and now his victory is in jeopardy. People were looking forward to seeing if he could win the second part of the Triple Crown over the weekend, but it’s looking like there’s no guarantee that he’ll compete in the race.
With that being said, people will still be excited for one of the biggest horse racing events in the United States. That includes sports bettors, who’ll be looking to add more enjoyment to the festivities if they can score a huge win.
Bovada has released odds on who’ll win the 2021 Preakness Stakes and they’re currently favoring Concert Tour as the victor. The market indicates that these are the odds if Medina Spirit doesn’t compete, considering he’d likely be the favorite if he was.
Concert Tour has competed in four races in 2021, winning three of them. His last race on April 10 is the only one that he didn’t win, coming in third at the Arkansas Derby. Still, he’s shown enough dominance that people have him winning this weekend.
Concert Tour, like Medina Spirit, is trained by Bob Baffert, who was suspended from Churchill Downs for the latter’s positive drug test. However, Baffert’s horses have won the Preakness Stakes seven times in the past. Concert Tour (or Medina Spirit if he’s allowed) will try to make it eight.
Preakness Stakes General Information
The 2021 Preakness Stakes will once again take place at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It’s the 146th edition of the race, giving you some indication as to how historic it is. A maximum of 14 horses will take to the track on Saturday, with the official positioning being revealed on Wednesday, May 12.
Horse Racing News: Odds to Win 2021 Preakness
Odds via Bovada as of Monday, May 10*
- Concert Tour (+130)
- Midnight Bourbon (+325)
- Crowded Trade (+500)
- Risk Taking (+600)
- Rombauer (+700)
- Unbridled Honor (+1400)
Full odds list available at Bovada.lv.
* Market is for the winner if Medina Spirit doesn’t race.
Can Midnight Bourbon Squeeze Out a Victory?
Coming in at +325 odds, Midnight Bourbon has the second-best shot at winning the 2021 Preakness Stakes, according to Bovada. The 3-year-old colt has been impressive as of late. Prior to the 2021 Kentucky Derby, Midnight Bourbon had finished inside the top-3 of each race that he was in. Even though that streak ended at Churchill Downs a few weeks back, he still came in sixth place. With how a lot of experts are naming Midnight Bourbon as one of the favorites this week, his competitors will definitely be keeping an eye on him.
Will Medina Spirit Compete at the Preakness Stakes?
As of Monday morning, Medina Spirit has not been removed from the Preakness Stakes. However, you can’t blame horse racing fans for wondering if he will. You can only imagine the controversy that would happen if Medina Spirit entered and won the Preakness Stakes after the failed drug test. The entire sport could face backlash if it happened a second time.
The simplest answer is that no one knows what will happen with Medina Spirit. But one thing is for sure: the horse racing world will be watching to see if he’s allowed to compete at the Preakness Stakes on Saturday.
