Simplification Running Under the Radar in Preakness
There are 10 stakes races Saturday at Pimlico including the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes in Race 13. Post time at 7:01 p.m. ET. Using TVG projections and Horse Racing Nation (HRN) as a guide, here are the horse profiles for the second leg of America’s Triple Crown.
New players, bet $5, win $100 on the Preakness and get Win Bet Insurance if your horse finishes 2nd or 3rd. Bet the Preakness!
As always, check the program for racing information, and monitor the weather and track conditions.
(I will reference Equibase's Speed Figure and BRIS and Beyer speed figures, which tells you how fast a horse has been running in each of its races -- adjusted for track, distances, and conditions.)
#1 Simplification
Morning Line Odds: 6/1
Bet Now at FanDuel Racing
Trained by Antonio Sano and ridden by Hall-of-Fame jockey John Velazquez, Simplification is running under the radar with a résumé that is much better than it looks at first glance. He's won a pair of races in five stakes starts this year, including the Fountain of Youth by nearly four lengths from off the pace.
The long-striding colt did all the hard work as the Florida Derby favorite, pushing and pressing up front through wicked fractions before holding on for third. He's now finished in the money in 4-of-5 stakes starts this year and rallied to finish fourth in the Kentucky Derby at 35/1 odds, postng his second 96 Beyer Speed Figure and career-best 101 Equibase Speed Figure.
Simplification and Preakness favorite Epicenter have the same sire (Not This Time), and both have Candy Ride as their maternal grandsire. Not This Time is a son of Giant’s Causeway, a known provider of stamina. Candy Ride is a sire of six champions, including 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner.
Simplification has the ability to run well on or near the pace and carve out a good trip no matter the complexion of the race.
2022 Preakness
There is plenty of intrigue with this year’s Preakness.
Will Epicenter validate the belief he ran the best Kentucky Derby performance based on being relatively close to the hot pace? Can Kentucky Oaks' winner Secret Oath take on the boys and prevail the way Swiss Skydiver did in 2020? Will 'new shooter' Early Voting pull off the upset like Rombauer did last year after also skipping the Kentucky Derby? Is there a longshot lurking in the wings to run by them all?
The last three Preakness winners have gone to post with odds of 11/1, 11/1 and 6/1. Justify in 2018 was the last Preakness favorite to win the race on his way to capturing the Triple Crown.
