Animal Kingdom will attempt to win the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown this evening at Pimlico Race Course when he runs in the 2011 Preakness Stakes. The 3-year-old colt won the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs earlier this month.
Oddsmakers currently list Animal Kingdom as a 2/1 favorite to win the Preakness. Dialed In, who was favored to win the Kentucky Derby, is 5/1 to win and Mucho Macho Man, who finished third at Churchill Downs, is currently 6/1 to win the Preakness.
As I wrote last week, I believe there’s a good chance that we could witness horse racing’s first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed accomplished the feat in 1978. Every year it seems like we’re getting closer and closer to having another contender sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont, and Animal Kingdom certainly has the talent.
The concerns about Animal Kingdom coming into the Kentucky Derby were that a) he only had four races under his belt and b) that he could run on dirt. Well, he’s now raced five times in his career with three wins and two second-place finishes. And he apparently runs on dirt just fine, as his win at the Kentucky Derby proved.
Dialed In, Mucho Macho Man and even a mid-range contender like Shackleford could upset Animal Kingdom tonight. The toughest part is out of the way for Animal Kingdom, as he’s already won the Kentucky Derby. But the Preakness can be a difficult task as well, but if he wins tonight then he may cruise at the Belmont next month.
