On Saturday, the 137th running of the Preakness Stakes will take place at Pimlico. The field will be smaller than the Kentucky Derby, with only 14 horses in the running, but the competition will be no less fierce.
Horses from Churchill Downs that have already been scratched from the Preakness include Union Rags, Dullahan and Gemologist, which leaves three less horses for Derby winner I'll Have Another. It also means three less known quantities for the horse, which will be attempting to move one step closer to history by winning the second leg of the Triple Crown.
The odds are not on the side of I'll Have Another on Saturday, particularly as the horse winning the Derby was a bit of a shocker to begin with. But Derby favorite Bodemeister will still be running on Saturday. It took a sprint in the home stretch for I'll Have Another to edge out Bodemeister at Churchill Downs, but it seems unlikely that history can repeat itself.
Bodemeister remains a strong competitor and will likely be the betting favorite once again by the time the race rolls around.
For full 2012 Preakness Stakes analysis, don't miss SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come.