Kentucky Derby winner and favorite at top offshore sportsbooks Medina Spirit has come under scrutiny after testing positive for betamethasone. This has cast doubt over the horse’s May 1 win. Nonetheless, Medina Spirit is poised to take on the 2021 Preakness Stakes, facing a select group of faves at the best online sportsbooks.
Ram
| Odds: | 30/1 |
| Trainer: | D. Wayne Lukas |
| Jockey: | Ricardo Santana Jr. |
Lukas is a six-time winner of the Preakness Stakes. He decided to go for a seventh win with the son of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. It’s a tall order for a horse that was put up for claim as a maiden in April for $50,000 after he failed to win in seven attempts among the straight maiden ranks. An allowance win May 1 versus a soft field also was lackluster.
Keepmeinmind
| Odds: | 15/1 |
| Trainer: | Robertino Diodoro |
| Jockey: | David Cohen |
A seventh-place finish in the Kentucky Derby didn’t keep Keepmeinmind’s handlers from returning two weeks later. Maybe it should have. The colt has not won in three starts this year. His best Brisnet speed figure as a three-year-old, 91 in the Derby, is seven points below his best juvenile performance. This horse looks to be getting worse as he gets older.
Medina Spirit
| Odds: | 9/5 |
| Trainer: | Bob Baffert |
| Jockey: | John Velazquez |
Favored at top sportsbooks, Medina Spirit raced a perfect race in the Derby. He was alone on the front. He faced little adversity in the 10 furlongs. Even the final speed figure he got in that race, 101, was below par in comparison with past Kentucky winners. It’s not likely he will get another dream race though.
Crowded Trade
| Odds: | 10/1 |
| Trainer: | Chad Brown |
| Jockey: | Javier Castellano |
His effort in the one-mile Grade III Gotham Stakes in March earned him a career-high 104 final Brisnet speed figure. This is good enough to contend in the Preakness. But perhaps a mile is his ideal distance. This would make sense taking into account the progeny of his sire, More Than Ready, are known for speed at that distance rather than longer routes.
Midnight Bourbon
| Odds: | 5/1 |
| Trainer: | Steve Asmussen |
| Jockey: | Irad Ortiz Jr. |
Midnight Bourbon finished well from the back of the pack to place sixth in the Kentucky Derby. He was forced out of his normal front-running style at the beginning. Also he should return to the early lead in the Preakness to help establish the pace. He will have to stave off other front-runners like top sportsbooks fave Medina Spirit and maybe Concert Tour. This makes his bid for the second leg of the Triple Crown that much harder.
Rombauer
| Odds: | 12/1 |
| Trainer: | Michael McCarthy |
| Jockey: | Flavien Prat |
Following a win at the El Camino Real Derby in February and coming in third place in the Grade II Blue Grass Stakes in April, Rombauer earned enough points to secure a berth in the Kentucky Derby. However, his connections decided to point to the Preakness instead. The California-based McCarthy should have the benefit of the doubt when it comes to his race picks. He has frequently rewarded bettors when he moves his charges in for a race from another track or region. He has won 31 of 118 races in this manner. And earned a 19-cent return on every $2 bet.
France Go de Ina
| Odds: | 20/1 |
| Trainer: | Hideyuki Mori |
| Jockey: | Joel Rosario |
This Japanese colt had a troubled journey in the Grade II UAE Derby. He left in sixth place and 10 lengths behind the leader. His wins include a non-listed stakes race and an allowance race in Japan, both over 1⅛ miles on dirt.
Unbridled Honor
| Odds: | 15/1 |
| Trainer: | Todd Pletcher |
| Jockey: | Luis Saez |
The son of Honor Code has one win in five outings but hit the board in the Grade II Tampa Bay Derby and the Grade III Lexington Stakes over his past two starts. His best effort, the Lexington, was on a sloppy surface. That sowed the seeds of doubt whether he can perform as well on a fast track.
