After one of the biggest longshots in recent memory won the Kentucky Derby, bettors were excited to find out which horses would be making the trip to Baltimore for the Preakness Stakes. This race was also an exciting affair in its own right. Here’s a 2022 Preakness Stakes recap.
The Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown
The 147th running of the Preakness Stakes was held at Pimlico Racecourse, the legendary home of the event. Each new years seems to bring calls for a new venue, but Pimlico holds on. The day was hot one, perfect for the boisterous crowd that always gathers in the Pimlico infield.
The race was conducted on Saturday, May 21, 2022. This was just two weeks after the Kentucky Derby. Post time for the event was 6:01 p.m., and the track was labeled as hot and fast. A field of nine horses were led into the paddock. A surprising absentee was the Kentucky Derby winner, Rich Strike.
The initial word from Rich Strike’s trainer, Eric Reed, was that the horse would make the trip to Baltimore. Things changed in the days that followed, and for the first time in many years the winner of the Kentucky Derby skipped the race.
Returning for the Preakness was Kentucky Derby favorite Epicenter. After a disappointing defeat in the Derby, trainer Steve Asmussen was looking to help the horse redeem itself. To do so, Epicenter would need to outrun another Triple Crown series hopeful in Early Voting.
Creative Minister and an assortment of other horses rounded out the field. Most were expecting a more predictable finish, and the odds of each horse reflected that.
Horses and Post Positions for the 2022 Preakness Stakes
- 1 – Early Voting
- 2 – Epicenter
- 3 – Creative Minister
- 4 – Secret Oath
- 5 – Skippylongstocking
- 6 – Simplification
- 7 – Armagnac
- 8 – Happy Jack
- 9 – Fenwick
Epicenter Once More Installed As the Preakness Favorite
Despite the horse’s poor performance in the Kentucky Derby, Epicenter was once more installed as the favorite in the Preakness Stakes. Bettors were quick to buy the hype once more, making the horse 6/5 at post time. Early Voting was next at 7/2, followed by the 9/2 Secret Oath.
There were plenty of handicappers willing to look elsewhere for a betting choice. Fenwick, at 50-1, was the darling of those who were looking for another Rich Strike. Some handicappers felt that there were no excuses for Epicenter in the Kentucky Derby, and that the horse was simply beaten by a better horse that day.
How the 2022 Preakness Stakes Unfolded
The race began just four minutes late at 7:05 p.m. EST. As many expected, the horse Armagnac was away fast from the gate and established a good lead for the first quarter mile. The Preakness is a shorter race than the others in the Triple Crown series, and the other horses had started making their move long before the half-mile pole.
By the time the race had reached the top of the stretch, Early Voting and Epicenter were squaring off for the final furlong. Despite a gallant attempt, Epicenter was unable to hold off Early Voting as the horse crossed the wire first in the 2022 Preakness.
Rounding out the top four of the race were Creative Minister and Secret Oath. The betting public pretty much got things right in this event. As a result, the corresponding payoffs were lower than than they were in the Kentucky Derby with the presence of a longshot winner.
What the 2022 Preakness Taught Bettors About Triple Crown Handicapping
The 2022 Preakness Stakes offered several instructive lessons for bettors who approach Triple Crown races analytically rather than emotionally. The race demonstrated once again that connections who skip the Derby and point directly to the Preakness often arrive with fresher, more advantageously prepared horses than those coming off the gruelling Churchill Downs experience two weeks earlier. This scheduling dynamic has been a recurring theme in recent Preakness results and is something bettors should factor into their handicapping every year.
The pace scenario was also pivotal in 2022, as it so often is at Pimlico’s relatively tight one-turn mile and three-sixteenths configuration. Horses that can settle comfortably in the early stages and produce a sustained run through the stretch have a structural advantage at this track, and identifying which horses in the field are best suited to that profile — regardless of their reputation or odds — is the key analytical task. For bettors interested in developing a systematic approach to Triple Crown wagering, our article on the key to winning Triple Crown horse racing bets covers the recurring patterns across all three races. Our guide on the importance of Preakness participation also provides useful context on how the race fits into the broader Triple Crown picture.
Takeaways From the 2022 Preakness Stakes
When history looks back at the 2022 Preakness Stakes it will obviously land upon the story of Epicenter. Coming in second once more, the horse than many people had thought to be unbeatable in the Triple Crown series was a disappointment to bettors.
Trainer Steve Asmussen did little to make excuses for Epicenter’s performance in the Preakness Stakes. He had expressed his disappointment over Rich Strike winning the Kentucky Derby by calling the horse a claimer. There was no such comments in the wake of the Preakness defeat.
What the 2022 Triple Crown series may have taught us more than any other thing is that horse racing is an unpredictable affair. The very best horses do not always win the races. Some will look back and say that Early Voting was a better horse than many bettors thought, and that the true class of the three-year-old crop in 2022 was revealed.
How did you fare in the 2022 Preakness Stakes? We are always interested in hearing about your betting successes. You are also welcome to contribute your thoughts to this 2022 Preakness Stakes recap below. Comments are appreciated.
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