2023 Preakness Stakes: Post Positions, Previous Winners, and Expert Betting Advice
The 148th edition of the Preakness Stakes is just one day away. The second race of the Triple Crown will take place at Pimlico Park in Baltimore, Maryland this Saturday, May 20th. The post time for the event is 7:01 EST, with eight horses looking to come away with a win. Like the Kentucky Derby just a couple weeks ago, this event has a wide range of wagering opportunities along with promo offers for new users. Moreover, LINEUPS.com conducted an interview with FanDuel TV host Dave Weaver to get some expert insight into this exciting race and how to bet on it.
How to Bet the Preakness Stakes Online
The go-to online platform for betting on the Preakness Stakes is . Fans of this esteemed event, along with horse racing fans in general, will be able to find everything from straight bets on the winner, to bets on the place and show as well as exacta bets, trifecta bets, superfecta bets, super high five bets, and box bets.
FanDuel Racing Promo Code
| FanDuel Racing Promo Codes | Sign Up Links | FanDuel Racing Details |
|---|---|---|
| CO, IL, IN, LA, MD, MA, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA, WV & WY | $20 No Sweat Preakness Bet | |
| AK, CA, DE, FL, KY, NH, NM, ND, OR, RI, SD & VT | $20 No Sweat Preakness Bet | |
| AZ, IA, KS & TN | FD Racing Not Available – Sportsbook Bet $5, Get $150 |
FanDuel Racing offers different promos depending on which state you reside in. Individuals who live in states other than AZ, IA, KS & TN are eligible for a $20 no sweat bet upon signup. This no sweat bet can be used to place any wager on the Preakness Stakes. If this bet does not hit, individuals will be fully refunded up-to $20. Individuals in states that also have legalized sports betting can also claim a no sweat first bet up-to $1,000 on FanDuel’s sportsbook app in addition to the $20 no sweat bet offered by FanDuel Racebook.
2023 Preakness Stakes Prediction: Expert Betting Advice from Dave Weaver
The Preakness Stakes is quite different from the Kentucky Derby, in that there will be eight horses racing as opposed to the Derby’s general 20. With the morning lines released, one horse stands above the rest, as Kentucky Derby winner Mage sits at 8-5 to win the Preakness. Behind Mage are a few other horses with short odds, such as First Mission at 5-2, National Treasure at 4-1, and Blazing Sevens at 6-1. Chase the Chaos is the longest shot to win the race right now with 50-1 odds.
In terms of an outright winner, there’s one horse that FanDuel TV’s Dave Weaver has his eye on, and that’s the favorite Mage. “He’s going to be a really shortly priced favorite and there are no horses that faced him last time out. The horses that he’s going up against now are all fresh faces to him, which is not a problem because he’s the Kentucky Derby winner.”
There’s definitely quite a bit to like about Mage. In addition to coming off a big derby win, the horse narrowly lost to Forte (the original favorite in the 2023 Run for the Roses) in the Florida Derby. However, the horse is likely to see very short odds come post time, meaning there’s not much value in betting the big favorite.
For a bit better odds, Weaver told me his favorite overall play for the upcoming Preakness Stakes, which is an Exacta (picking the exact horses that will finish in first and second). “I’m going to do an Exacta with Mage to win, and then you have to pick a horse that’s going to finish second. I’m always looking for the ice cold exacta. Who’s going to win? Who’s going to be second? Not using a bunch of different horses in there. Just hammer it one way, and that’s going to be Mage and Blazing 7’s.”
Interestingly, Mage is the only horse that appeared in the Kentucky Derby that will be running in the Preakness. As Weaver said, “I went all the way back to 1968, and I couldn’t find a year where there was only one horse coming out of the Kentucky Derby. So this is unprecedented.”
Previous Preakness Stakes Winners
| Year | Winner | Pre-Race Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Early Voting | 5-1 |
| 2021 | Rombauer | 11-1 |
| 2020 | Swiss Skydiver | 11-1 |
| 2019 | War of Will | 6-1 |
| 2018 | Justify | 1-5 |
| 2017 | Cloud Computing | 13-1 |
| 2016 | Exaggerator | 3-1 |
| 2015 | American Pharaoh | 10-13 |
| 2014 | California Chrome | 3-5 |
| 2013 | Oxbow | 15-1 |
| 2012 | I’ll Have Another | 3-1 |
Something to factor in when betting on the Preakness Stakes is the odds of the previous winners. It’s also worth noting that, unlike with the Kentucky Derby, it’s very uncommon for horses with long odds to finish in first. In fact, there have been just four horses in Preakness history to win facing 15-1 odds or higher.
Last year’s winner, Early Voting, won the race with final odds of 5-1. 2021 winner Rombauer finished with double-digit odds at 11-1. In 2020, Swiss Skydiver (also 11-1) won an exciting photo finish over the heavily favored Authentic while War of Will won in 2019 with 6-1 odds. 2018 featured the massive favorite Justify win at 1-5 coming off a Kentucky Derby victory.
Preakness Stakes Winners By Post Position
| Year | Winner | Post Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Early Voting | 5 |
| 2021 | Rombauer | 6 |
| 2020 | Swiss Skydiver | 4 |
| 2019 | War of Will | 1 |
| 2018 | Justify | 7 |
| 2017 | Cloud Computing | 2 |
| 2016 | Exaggerator | 5 |
| 2015 | American Pharaoh | 1 |
| 2014 | California Chrome | 3 |
| 2013 | Oxbow | 6 |
| 2012 | I’ll Have Another | 9 |
While there are plenty of factors to consider when betting on a horse, such as the jockey, trainer, and recent history, post position tends to be another crucial component. The number 6 horse has won the Preakness Stakes more often than any other position, with Perform (15-1) currently in that spot.
Meanwhile, the 4 and 7 are both tied with the second-most Preakness winners, with CoffeeWithChris (20-1) in the 4th spot and Blazing 7’s (6-1) in the 7th spot for this year’s race. The 5th position comes in with the third-most Preakness winners, with Red Route One (10-1) currently slated for that slot.