The draw for the upcoming Preakness Stakes was announced Monday for the second leg of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown.
Iron Honor (9th position) opened as a slight favorite at 9-to-2. Taj Mahal (1st), Chip Honcho (6th) and Incredibolt (12th) weren’t far behind at 5-to-1. Chip Honcho will be ridden by jockey Jose Ortiz, who guided Golden Tempo to victory at the Kentucky Derby on May 2.
As previously announced, the Preakness field does not include Golden Tempo. Golden Tempo’s trainer Cherie DeVaux cited her horse’s health last week in announcing the decision to bypass the Preakness Stakes, which will take place on Saturday, two weeks after the running of the Kentucky Derby.
“Golden gave us the race of a lifetime in the Kentucky Derby, and we believe the best decision for him moving forward is to give him a little more time following such a tremendous effort,” DeVaux wrote. “His health, happiness and long-term future will always remain our top priority.”
DeVaux does plan to run Golden Tempo at the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown. The Belmont is scheduled to take place June 6, giving Golden Tempo roughly a month off between races.
Preakness post position draw, opening odds
As for the 14 horses that will run at what’s considered a wide-open Preakness Stakes, here’s the starting order and the opening odds for Saturday’s race that’s scheduled to post at 7:01 p.m. ET:
1. Taj Mahal, ridden by Jockey Sheldon Russell: 5-to-1
2. Ocelli, ridden by jockey Tyler Gaffalione: 6-to-1
3. Crupper, ridden by jockey Junior Alvarado: 30-to-1
4. Robusta, ridden by jockey Rafael Bejarano: 30-to-1
5. Talkin, ridden by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr: 20-to-1
6. Chip Honcho, ridden by jockey Jose Ortiz: 5-to-1
7. The Hell We Did, ridden by jockey Luis Saez: 15-to-1
8. Bull By The Horns, ridden by jockey Micah Husbands: 30-to-1
9. Iron Honor, ridden by jockey Flavien Prat: 9-to-2
10. Napoleon Solo, ridden by jockey Paco Lopez: 8-to-1
11. Corona de Oro, ridden by jockey John Velazquez: 30-to-1
12. Incredibolt, ridden by jockey Jaime Torres: 5-to-1
13. Great White, ridden by jockey Alex Achard: 15-to-1
14. Pretty Boy Miah, ridden by jockey Ricardo Santana Jr: 15-to-1
The positions for the field were selected by random draw.