Two Long Shots That Could Surprise in the Preakness Stakes
Scott Morris | May 18, 2017
This year’s second leg of the Triple Crown of horse racing, the Preakness Stakes will run on Saturday at Pimlico Park in Baltimore, Maryland.
The Kentucky Derby which ran on May 6 was run over a wet track, and front runners dominated the racing card. For the Preakness Stakes, Always Dreaming, the Kentucky Derby winner is the favorite but familiar faces along with several newcomers will look to upset the favorite.
Long shots could come out of nowhere on Saturday at the wire and surprise many. Here are two to consider.
Hence is currently 12 to 1. He did not run well on the sloppy track in the Kentucky Derby as he appeared uncomfortable and did not break well from the start making it difficult to make up ground on the off track.
Hence was not a winner while a two-year old, but appeared to be racing well prior to the Derby and could bounce back well on Saturday at Pimlico.
That might be in the cards for Hence. He finished a poor seventh during the Southwest Stakes, but returned to win the Sunland Derby just a month later, so he is capable of bouncing back strong.
Hence’s trainer Steve Asmussen has won two Preakness Stakes – 2007 with Curlin and 2009 with Rachel Alexandra – which will help Hence’s chances.
Multiplier is 25 to 1 to win the Preakness. He represents one of a handful of horses that is racing Saturday but skipped the Derby. He has just four starts in his career, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.
He won his fourth start which was the Illinois Derby with a 1 1/8-mile run of 1:47.98 or second fastest all time for that race.
Although that race did not have the caliber of horses Multiplier will see on Saturday he showed distance is not going to be a concern for his handlers.
Joel Rosario will be in the irons, which will help Multiplier as well. The veteran jockey has a great deal of experience in Triple Crown races and may be just what the colt needs to win.
