Horse Racing Betting - Preakness Stakes

Saturday's 133rd Preakness Stakes is all about two horses: One who will run in the race and one who won't.

Of course, the horse most everyone will be watching is Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown, who drew the No. 7 post in a field of 13 and is the overwhelming morning-line betting favorite at 1-2.

Eleven Preakness winners have come from the No. 7 post, the last being Silver Charm in 1997. Silver Charm also won the Kentucky Derby, but lost in the stretch to Touch Gold at the Belmont.

This will be the first race in his past three that Big Brown won't start from the far outside. He won the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park by five lengths from the No. 12 post on March 29 and by 4 3/4 lengths from post No. 20 in the Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs.

"He gets to save some ground for the first time," co-owner Mike Iavarone said. "I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. We'll find out."

Big Brown was the first Kentucky Derby winner from post No. 20 since 1929. 'I don't know of anybody who can run with him,' Iavarone said.

A win would make Big Brown the eighth horse since 1989, seventh since '97 and fourth in the past seven years to complete the Derby-Preakness double. Big Brown is 4-0 in his career, having won by a combined total of more than 33 lengths.

"I think we could all be in trouble if (Big Brown) runs the same race he ran in the Derby," said Graham Motion, who'll saddle the inexperienced Icabad Crane on Saturday. "We're hoping to pick up the pieces, but it is a horse race. A lot of things can happen. It would be a shame not to be in there and not have the opportunity to win."Pimlico oddsmaker Frank Carillo listed only one challenger, Arkansas Derby winner Gayego (8-1), at a single-digit opening price. Gayego, drawing post No. 12, broke from the next-to-outside No. 19 post in Kentucky and finished 17th, more than 36 lengths behind Big Brown.

Three of the Preakness entrants had their last outing in the same race, the Lexington Stakes won by Behindatthebar. Thus that colt was installed at least at reasonable odds, 10-1. In the Lexington on April 19, ehindatthebar comes from way back to run down three horses in the stretch, including Preakness starter, Riley Tucker. Also making a late charge but about a length-and-a-half behind Behindatthebar was another Preakness starter, Racecar Rhapsody.

Meanwhile, Reade Baker, the trainer of Kentucky Bear, seemed confident that Big Brown can be beat.

"He beat all those horses at Churchill Downs," he said, "but he didn't beat us."

The one horse many fans still are talking about is Eight Belles and how she was euthanized right after breaking down following her second-place finish at Churchill Downs.

It was the third death in two years of a thoroughbred who had run in a high-profile race - the others being Barbaro, months after his 2006 Preakness injury, and George Washington in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic.

PETA plans a protest at Pimlico this weekend, calling for better safety for the horses.

Preakness field (with morning-line odds): 1 Macho Again (Julien Leparoux, 20-1) 2 Tres Borrachos (Tyler Baze, 30-1) 3 Icabad Crane (Jeremy Rose, 30-1) 4 Yankee Bravo (Alex Solis, 15-1) 5 Behindatthebar (David Flores, 10-1) 6 Racecar Rhapsody (Robby Albarado, 30-1) 7 Big Brown (Kent Desormeaux, 1-2) 8 Kentucky Bear (Jamie Theriot, 15-1) 9 Stevil (John Velazquez, 30-1) 10 Riley Tucker (Edgar Prado, 30-1) 11 Giant Moon (Ramon Dominguez, 30-1) 12 Gayego (Mike Smith, 8-1) 13 Hey Byrn (Charles Lopez, 20-1)