BALTIMORE — Preakness 150 is set to be an eventful race on Saturday as the second jewel of racing's Triple Crown. While the Kentucky Derby may be the most well-known race, without the Preakness Stakes, there's no Triple Crown.
VIDEO: Preakness 150: Favorites and longshots in racing's second jewel
Dan Illman, director of communications with Maryland Jockey Club, says Journalism is the overwhelming favorite everyone has their eye on, but there are other options for sports bettors looking for better odds.
"If you want to try to make some money, you might want to find a horse with better odds. A horse like Clever Again is a very interesting long shot for trainer Steve Asmussen. He's a horse that ran a very fast race last time out at Oaklawn Park, and something tells me he hasn't reached his full potential," Illman said.
There's also a local contender, Pay Billy, that Maryland racing fans can support.
"It would be so special for Maryland racing again, especially in Preakness 150. The last Maryland base tour to win was Deputed Testimony. That was way back in 1983, I believe. So it's been a long, long time. A lot of trainers, a lot of jockeys, a lot of horses from out of town come in. They make hay at Pimlico. It would be so wonderful to have the little guy, so to speak, win a race like the Preakness, and we're all rooting for Pay Billy," Illman said.
Regardless of who you bet on for Saturday's race, Illman recommends First Bet as the way to go.
"With First Bet it's easy. You go on your phone, you log on to the First app, you're able to sign in, you're able to start betting right away. You get the live streaming of all the races, and they're gonna give you information that's gonna help you make informed wagering decisions," Illman said.
Preakness 150 hopes to be a special event for everyone involved, as it's the last year at Pimlico before major renovations begin.
"It's bittersweet to see this place closed down with all of the history and all the great horses and jockeys and trainers that competed here, but again, we do have a new era coming up. It's going to be so special. You're gonna have a lot of folks coming out and having a great time. Let's just hope this weather holds off, and then we will be back in a brand-new Pimlico to celebrate Preakness 152," Illman said.
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