The 2022 Preakness Stakes won’t pave the path for another Triple Crown winner, but there are still plenty of intriguing storylines to follow when many of the top three-year old horses head to post at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on Saturday. Kentucky Derby long shot Rich Strike is skipping the Preakness Stakes 2022 as he points toward the Belmont. However, Kentucky Derby pre-race favorite, Epicenter, who ultimately finished second at Churchill Downs, is in the 2022 Preakness Stakes field and the 6-5 favorite in the 2022 Preakness Stakes odds. He’s joined by other intriguing 2022 Preakness Stakes contenders like Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath (9-2) and Wood Memorial runner-up Early Voting (7-2). With so much to consider while making your 2022 Preakness Stakes picks, a little expert help can go a long way.
The 2022 Preakness Stakes will be the 147th Run for the Black-Eyed Susans and the race has been held at different times throughout its history, even twice being run on the same day as the Kentucky Derby. However, since 1932, the race has been locked in as the second leg of the Triple Crown with the exception of the 2020 season, where the pandemic forced the race to be run last in October. In history, 23 horses have won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, but there won’t be a 24th this season. The race is limited to 14 horses but has an average field size of nine, which is how many 2022 Preakness Stakes horses are running this year, making it far less trafficked than the Kentucky Derby, which allows up to 20 horses to compete.
Given all the history, there’s a method to picking which horses to focus on for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets in a Preakness Stakes like this, and SportsLine expert Jody Demling knows what it is. He can help you make the best 2022 Preakness Stakes picks possible.
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, he’s sharing all of his 2022 Preakness Stakes bets here.
Top 2022 Preakness Stakes expert picks
Here’s a refresher on these types of bets from SportsLine’s Jody Demling:
Preakness Stakes Exacta: Pick the first- and second-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 exacta returned $49.30 at the 2021 Preakness Stakes with Rombauer and Midnight Bourbon.
Preakness Stakes Trifecta: Pick the first-, second- and third-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 trifecta returned $162.70 at the 2021 Preakness Stakes with Rombauer, Midnight Bourbon and Medina Spirit.
Preakness Stakes Superfecta: Pick the first-, second-, third- and fourth-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 superfecta returned a colossal $1,025.50 at the 2021 Preakness Stakes with Rombauer, Midnight Bourbon, Medina Spirit and Keepmeinmind.
While Demling has no quibbles with the favorite status of Epicenter (6-5) and Early Voting (7-2), he plans to hold tickets with Secret Oath (9-2) as well as four double-digit underdogs who could really spice up the payouts. You can see his picks here.
How to make 2022 Preakness Stakes bets
Demling has specific recommendations for exacta, trifecta and superfecta wagers so you can cover all your bases at the Preakness Stakes 2022. He’s sharing them over at SportsLine.
So which horses do you take? And in what combinations? Visit SportsLine to get Demling’s picks for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets for the 2022 Preakness Stakes.
