Preakness Stakes 2012 Odds: Bodemeister Is Morning Line Favorite In 2nd Leg Of Triple Crown

2012 Preakness Stakes: Trainer Bob Baffert leads Bodemeister around the barn at at Pimlico racetrack, Wednesday, May 16, 2012.

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Just like in the Kentucky Derby, Bodemeister is the favorite in the Preakness.

This time, Bob Baffert intends to justify the odds.

Despite finishing second in the Derby, Bodemeister was installed as the 8-5 favorite for Saturday's second leg of the Triple Crown. The colt, trained by Baffert, set the pace at Churchill Downs before being overtaken in the stretch by I'll Have Another, who won by 1½ lengths.

I'll Have Another is the second-favorite in the Preakness at 5-2.

Baffert, a five-time Preakness winner, was delighted to receive the No. 7 post in the 11-horse field.

"With (Bodemeister), anything in the middle would be fine," the Hall of Fame trainer said. "With the Preakness, you just don't want to be stuck on the inside where you have to use your horse a little bit. The Derby winner drew really well, also."

I'll Have Another will start from the No. 9 post. The colt won the Derby out of the No. 19 post and will again be ridden by Mario Gutierrez.

"Anything with a nine in it, we feel very good about. We're cool with it," trainer Doug O'Neill said. "We talked about the possibility of being inside Bodemeister and really forcing our hand to push him early. Now it's in Mario's hands to still kind of push Bode, but we'll be on the outside of him."

Funny Cide was last to win from No. 9 in 2003, and Baffert's Lookin At Lucky was last to win from No. 7 in 2010.

Asked about having the second-favorite in the field despite winning the Derby, O'Neill said, "Bob Baffert has won five of these. I've never run a horse here. I totally respect that. I just hope anyone who bets Bodemeister is regretting it Saturday night."

A victory would give I'll Have Another the chance to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

"I'm confident," O'Neill said. "You never know. But as long as we continue to train like our horse is training, we won't be that far off Bodemeister. If anything Bodemeister might be behind us early."

The odds were set by Pimlico Race Course handicapper Frank Carulli. The field is the smallest since 2007, when Curlin beat Derby winner Street Sense in a nine-horse field.

Also entered are Tiger Walk (30-1), Teeth of the Dog (15-1), Pretension (30-1), Zetterholm (20-1), Went the Day Well (6-1), Creative Cause (6-1), Daddy Nose Best (12-1), Optimizer (30-1) and Cozzetti (30-1).

Creative Cause trainer Mike Harrington, whose horse finished fifth in the Derby, was delighted with the No. 6 post.

"I don't think it affects our running style," Harrington said. "With 11 in there, post position is not nearly as important as the Derby. The middle is great. You couldn't ask for anything better."

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas has a long shot with Optimizer, but spoke optimistically after getting the No. 10 post.

"I love it. I love the horses inside of me," Lukas said. "I love the whole thing. If they gave me a pick, I would have picked that one. It turned out great. Every time they drew another one, it looked better."

Went the Day Well owner Barry Irwin was delighted to see the fourth-place finisher in the Derby get the No. 5 post in the Preakness.

"I like the draw. The middle's good," Irwin said. "I didn't want to be on the outside because the horse is green and I think he has a tendency to veer off to the right. Being on the rail, being a horse that doesn't have that much experience, I think it would've been a little too claustrophobic for him down there."

Loading Slideshow

• Bodemeister (8-5)

  Exercise rider George Alvarez takes Kentucky Derby entrant Bodemeister for a workout at Churchill Downs Wednesday, May 2, 2012, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

• I'll Have Another (5-2)

  Jockey Mario Gutierrez rides I'll Have Another to victory in the 138th Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs Saturday, May 5, 2012, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

• Creative Cause (6-1)

  Heinz Steinmann's Creative Cause and jockey Joel Rosario win the Grade II, $300,000 San Felipe Stakes horse race, Saturday, March 10, 2012, at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. (AP Photo/Benoit Photo)

• Went The Day Well (6-1)

  Exercise rider Zeke Castro walks Went the Day Well after a workout at Churchill Downs Tuesday, May 1, 2012, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Garry Jones)

• Daddy Nose Best (12-1)

  Assistant trainer Scott Blaisi brings Preakness Stakes horse race hopeful Daddy Nose Best off the van upon the colt's arrival at Pimlico racetrack, Wednesday, May 16, 2012, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Garry Jones)

• Teeth of the Dog (15-1)

  The post positions for the 137th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course are displayed in Baltimore, Wednesday, May 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Garry Jones)

• Zetterholm (20-1)

  Exercise rider Mario Madrid rides Preakness hopeful Zetterholm during a morning workout at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Thursday, May 17, 2012. The Preakness Stakes horse race takes place May 19. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

• Optimizer (30-1)

  Exercise rider Joel Cano takes Optimizer for a workout at Churchill Downs Thursday, May 3, 2012, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

• Tiger Walk ( 30-1)

  In this April 27, 2012 photo, Under Armour founder Kevin Plank, left, stands with Preakness Stakes entrant Tiger Walk and exercise rider Dimitri Dimitropoulos at Sagamore Farm in Glyndon, Md. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

• Pretention (30-1)

  In this April 27, 2012 photo, exercise rider Dimitri Dimitropoulos, left, guides Preakness Stakes entrant Tiger Walk to a news conference outside of a barn as Under Armour founder Kevin Plank, right, looks on at Sagamore Farm in Glyndon, Md. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

• Cozzetti (30-1)

  Photographers greet Preakness Stakes hopeful Cozzetti after he steps off the van at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., Wednesday afternoon, May 16, 2012. While his top 3-year-old Dullahan is sitting out the Preakness, trainer Dale Romans is sending out this gray colt with hopes of perhaps sneaking out of PImlico with another win. (AP Photo/Garry Jones)

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Comments

[Meerkatx]

04:45 PM on 05/18/2012

5-1 odds a horse is put down at the race or because of the race.

The only "sport" in the world where refs carry a gun to kill an "athlete" in case it's needed.

[KingGlorious]

05:21 PM on 05/18/2012

I think they use a needle and inject.... And the refs don't do it I think the track vet does....

But I understand your sentiment....

[rodeman]

01:45 PM on 05/18/2012

With the Preakness being a 1/16 of a mile shorter than the Derby and if Bodemeister goes out on the early pace, I'll take I'll Have Another by a half length at the wire. Assuming every horse has a good trip. Just sayin

[Jacob007]

07:53 AM on 05/18/2012

I'll have a another "Thank You"

[NotaLiborCon]

07:18 PM on 05/17/2012

I'll be there in my usual seat lower outside clubhouse just past the wire and before the clubhouse turn. Should be a good race.

ALSO, don't forget the "Pimlico Special" 300K for older horses being run on Black Eye Susan Day.

[Blackspeare]

06:56 PM on 05/17/2012

The horse racing world needs another "Triple Crown Winner"----it's been too long a drought. And why do some states not permit on-line betting even when the betting site can upload all bets to the tracks pari-mutuel system???

[NotaLiborCon]

07:12 PM on 05/17/2012

I agree but I think Bodemeister wires the field Saturday.

[SPacific]

08:00 PM on 05/17/2012

You do know the definition of insanity, right?

[NotaLiborCon]

08:10 AM on 05/21/2012

Ridiculous blue laws.

[olitenup]

06:04 PM on 05/17/2012

I just want horses and riders to have a safe race. Nothing worse than to see a horse break down on the track.

[NotaLiborCon]

07:23 PM on 05/17/2012

You got that right I was there in 2006 and Edgar Prado brought Barbaro to stop, after pulling him up, right in front of where I was sitting... It was heartbreaking.

I can remember thinking the year before when Afleet Alex and Scrappy T had their mishap at the top of the stretch (one of the most amazing athletic feats I've seen by the way when AA and Jeremy Rose recovered and won the race) "That was close, I hope we never see a horse break down in one of racing's few higly publicized races..." and unfortunately it happened the very next year.

[olitenup]

07:32 PM on 05/17/2012

The sound it makes make me throw-up, partly because I know what will happen to them next.

[patman77]

04:10 PM on 05/17/2012

I'll have another,creative cause and bodimeister 3rd. i predict

[NotaLiborCon]

07:13 PM on 05/17/2012

I like your three but not in that order. Plus you always have to beware of new shooters in the Prekaness getting a piece of the exotics.

[swanderman]

12:23 PM on 05/17/2012

Daddy Nose Best

[NotaLiborCon]

07:14 PM on 05/17/2012

That is a bold call.

[DJlaysitup]

09:29 AM on 05/17/2012

Post Horse Jockey Odds

1. Tiger Walk K. Desormeaux 20-1

2. Teeth of the Dog J. Bravo 20-1

3. Pretension J. Santiago 25-1

4. Zetterholm J. Alvarado 20-1

5. Went the Day Well J. Velazquez 8-1

6. Creative Cause J. Rosario 8-1

7. Bodemeister M. Smith 3-1

8. Daddy Nose Best J. Leparoux N/A

9. I'll Have Another M. Gutierre 3-1

10. Optimizer C. Nakatani 12-1

11. Cozzetti J. Lezcan 20-1

*Post positions according to NJ.com

[DJlaysitup]

09:12 AM on 05/17/2012

The "Preakness" at Pimlico !!!

"Bodemiester" deserves to be the favorite - barely - over "Creative Cause" and "I'll have Another"...standard fair of competitors from the derby.

If you want to bet a (semi) longshot go for "Zetterholm (20-1)"...a speed horse on a track a bit shorter than the KY Derby