HRN Writers Split on 14-Horse Preakness as Iron Honor Opens at 9-2
Updated
Updated · Horse Racing Nation · May 15
HRN Writers Split on 14-Horse Preakness as Iron Honor Opens at 9-2
8 articles · Updated · Horse Racing Nation · May 15
Five Horse Racing Nation writers produced no consensus pick for Saturday’s 151st Preakness, with Incredibolt drawing two votes while Bull By The Horns, Talkin and Taj Mahal each got one.
A projected hot early pace drove many selections toward late runners, with writers arguing closers such as Incredibolt, Ocelli, Bull By The Horns and 20-1 Talkin could benefit most.
Iron Honor enters as the 9-2 morning-line favorite for Chad Brown, adding Flavien Prat and dropping blinkers, while Taj Mahal brings a 3-for-3 record over Laurel’s main track.
The 14-horse field is unusually open because Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo is absent; Derby returnees Ocelli, Incredibolt and Robusta headline the classic rematch.
Laurel Park hosts the 151st Preakness on Saturday after the race shifted from Pimlico during Old Hilltop’s reconstruction, making this year’s middle jewel a temporary venue change.
With the Preakness at a new track, can a local specialist upset the Kentucky Derby veterans on unfamiliar turf?
As another Derby winner skips the Preakness, is the two-week gap finally breaking the Triple Crown tradition?
Is this massive overhaul of Maryland's tracks the final gamble to save its historic horse racing industry?