Kentucky Derby champion Rich Strike might not be in the 2022 Preakness Stakes field, but there will still be plenty of talent on display. The race is set for Saturday and will feature Epicenter, who finished in second place at the Kentucky Derby. He is the 6-5 favorite in the latest 2022 Preakness Stakes odds following Monday’s 2022 Preakness Stakes post draw, while Secret Oath is 9-2 and Early Voting is 7-2. Can Epicenter hold off a late charge this time around? Epicenter’s trainer, Steve Asmussen, has won the Preakness twice before (2007, 2009), so can he add a third title to his resume with Epicenter? With so much to consider, you’ll want to see what SportsLine’s Jody Demling has to say before entering any 2022 Preakness Stakes picks or horse racing predictions of your own.
A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling has been on-point with his horse racing bets. In fact, this is the same handicapper who has called the Preakness winner nine times in the last 17 years. In the 2020 Preakness Stakes, Demling nailed the Swiss Skydiver-Authentic exacta.
He hit the exacta in the Wood Memorial in April. Last year, he hit the exacta, trifecta and superfecta in the Belmont Stakes. He’s also hit the Derby-Oaks double at Churchill Downs 10 times in the last 14 years, including this year’s massive upset with Rich Strike. That means he held a ticket with the winners of both the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby all but four times in his last 14 tries.
In addition, at one point in 2020, he picked the winners of six straight races: the Saudi Cup, Gotham Stakes, Rebel Stakes, Louisiana Derby, Florida Derby and Belmont Stakes. Anyone who has followed him on these races is way up.
Now, with the 2022 Preakness Stakes coming up, Demling is sharing his picks and predictions over at SportsLine. Go here to see them.
Top 2022 Preakness Stakes predictions
One of Demling’s surprising 2022 Preakness Stakes picks: He is fading Secret Oath, even though she is one of the top favorites and just won the Kentucky Oaks. There was some question as to whether Secret Oath would race in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes or Preakness 2022, but trainer D. Wayne Lukas confirmed his horse as an entrant at Pimlico earlier this week. Secret Oath is trying to become just the seventh filly to ever win this race.
She raced at the Kentucky Oaks the day before the Kentucky Derby, so she will not have any sort of rest advantage against the 2022 Preakness Stakes field. Secret Oath does not have the speed to contend with Epicenter down the stretch, making 9-2 look like a poor price. Demling thinks you should look elsewhere with your 2022 Preakness picks.
