2011 Preakness Picks and Predictions - Stakes Races Betting Odds

#6 - Sway Away - Son of 2005 Preakness winner Afleet Alex, Sway Away is another speedster who has been most impressive in sprinting races. He shouldn't be intimidated by the field as he has raced in 4 consecutive graded stakes races. His best finish is a 2nd place and The Preakness distance might be too much for him to handle. Might be worth a longshot pick if his odds get even longer - say 25-1 or more - so wait to bet him. Sway Away is our top longshot pick.

#7 - Midnight Interlude - Midnight Interlude had a great start at Churchill Downs, but eventually faded into a 16th place finish. You can never count out a Bob Baffert trained horse and the shorter distance at Pimlico can only help his chances. Pay close attention to the weather conditions on Saturday as Midnight Interlude's biggest win came on a wet fast track at the recent Santa Anita Derby.

#1 - Astrology - Astrology is a consistent horse who has never finished out of the top 3 in seven lifetime starts. His pedigree includes lots of speed influences as well as good stamina coming from sire A.P. Indy. Astrology skipped the Kentucky Derby hoping for a breakthrough performance at The Preakness Stakes, but he has never faced Grade 1 competition before. Whether or not he's in the same class as the rest of the field remains to be seen. Be careful choosing him.

#3 - King Congie - Jockey Robby Albarado will be looking for some redemption after being unable to go aboard eventual Derby winner Animal Kingdom. King Congie is best suited for turf or synthetic tracks so watch his workouts to see how he takes to the dirt at Pimlico. With a 3rd place finish in his only graded race at Blue Grass, The Preakness Stakes field and distance might be a too formidable foe for him to overcome.

#14 - Mr. Commons - Mr. Commons is a lightly raced, promising horse who finished 3rd in his only stakes race at the Santa Anita Derby. Only 6 horses in 69 years have trained exclusively in California and gone on to win The Preakness. Mr.Commons falls into this category and that's reason enough to stay away.

#2 - Norman Asbjorson - With over a month off, Norman Asbjorson comes into this race very well rested. He finished 4th at the Grade 1 Wood Memorial with a nice closing run down the stretch, but was unable to sustain the speed. He might be outclassed this race, but workouts so far at Pimlico have appeared promising. Could be the best of the longshots to increase the value of a traiactor betting slip.

#12 - Isn't He Perfect - Isn't He Perfect was a late addition to the field after Nehro was offically scratched from the Preakness Stakes. One of the more veteran horses in the field with 12 career races, but has never finished better than 5th in 3 career graded races. We can't see him being much of factor come Saturday though. Pass.

#13 - Concealed Identity - Concealed Identity is son of former Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Smarty Jones - he does boast some impressive bloodlines. With 2 first place wins at Pimlico in his past 2 starts there should be no adjustment period for Concealed Identity, but having never raced a graded stakes race before, he is likely a level or two below his competition. Pass.

#9 - Mucho Macho Man - Mucho Macho Man is "Mr. Consistent" and has only finished worse than third once in 6 stake races. He got caught in some traffic at the Derby, but made an excellent stretch run finishing 3rd by a neck. The shorter distance will aid Mucho Macho Man. He's a serious threat to win The 2011 Preakness Stakes and could easily knock Animal Kingdom off his throne erasing hopes of a Triple Crown. Mucho Macho Man is our top pick to win!

#5 - Shackleford - Shackleford was the slow pace setter for the Kentucky Derby and is another horse who can only benefit from the shorter Preakness Stakes distance. Expect him to once again be out "near the lead" when the gates open as he looks to hold off any late chargers this time around. Having never won a stakes race to this point, Shackleford might be "always the bridesmaid and never the bride" but should be considered for any exotic bets.

#8 - Dance City- A Todd Pletcher trained horse, Dance City has shown steady improvement in every race so far. He ran an impressive race in the Arkansas Derby and could be a potential upset pick for The 2011 Preakness Stakes. Keep an eye on his workouts at Pimlico. Dance City is an interesting pick.

#11 - Animal Kingdom - With the win at the Kentucky Derby, Animal Kingdom instantly becomes the public favorite for The 2011 Preakness Stakes as well as the next hope for the elusive Triple Crown. The question is: Will he be able to track down the much faster pace so effectively as he did at the slow paced Derby? Around 51% of favorites have won all time at The Preakness so Animal Kingdom is no lock. A good prop bet might be to bet against him winning the Triple Crown.

#10 - Dialed In - The Kentucky Derby favorite had a disappointing race and despite a late charge still finished in 8th place. Dialed In shouldn't be counted out for this race as this is a very talented horse and, other than The Derby, he has 2 first place finishes in quality stakes races. That being said, it's not often for a horse to finish so poorly at The Kentucky Derby and go on to win The Preakness Stakes but he could be in the mix for a top three finish if the pace is right.

#4 - Flashpoint - Flashpoint shows tons of early speed and is the expected pace setter for The Preakness. More suited as a sprinter, it will be a lot to ask for Flashpoint to carry his speed the full distance at Pimlico. In his only Grade 1 race at the Florida Derby, he faltered near the end and finished 4th. Consider for exotic bets as his speed might keep him near the top long enough for a top 4 finish.