Are you planning to dig into horse racing? Then let’s get you started with some tips to get to know the horses participating in the 2022 Preakness Stakes! (Photo credit: Maryland Jockey Club).
You have probably heard people talking about horse races. You may have gotten so fascinated by it that you are now planning on learning about racing horses and events.
If you want to dig into this world, Preakness Stakes is an excellent place to start. It’s one of the most famous horse races, with an exciting history, and you will also get to witness a real nail-biting competition.
Here are some tips to get to know the horses participating in the 2022 Preakness Stakes and how to know which horse to bet on. It will help you follow the race much better!
What Is the Preakness Stakes?
Out of the Triple Crown of American horse racing, Preakness Stakes is the second jewel (and the shortest), with Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes being the other races.
The Preakness Stakes was established at Pimlico in Baltimore in 1873 after the horse Preakness won the Dinner Party Stakes in its opening year. Since then, the race usually takes place on the third Saturday of every May.
So how are the racehorses prepared to be ready for such a legendary event? It starts with their fitness!
Fitness of the Horses
Horse trainers and jockeys need to ensure that their participating horses are perfectly fit to participate and perform smoothly. Giving supplements to the horses is a good idea to maintain their joints. You can find the best joint supplement for horses on websites with a little research, along with their diet and regular exercise.
The horses that participate in Preakness Stakes are all Thoroughbred. On regular training days, the horses are fed at dawn and then taken to the tracks. On the day of the race, the time of exercise for the horses depends on what time their race is.
Inspecting the Horses for the Race
Usually, three-year-old Thoroughbreds participate in this race. Official veterinarians, employed by the state racing commission, determine much of the routine of these racehorses. They inspect the horses to confirm that they are race-ready. In order to do that, they examine the horses several times during race day.
Heading Toward the Race
Once the horses pass through the morning pre-race exams, they all go to their respective stalls, where they rest and sleep for a few hours. Forty-five minutes prior to the race, grooms walk their horses to a receiving barn upon hearing an announcement for examining the horses.
While walking to the barn, the horse identifier matches the horses with the list. The vet draws blood from each horse to test for any sodium bicarbonate in their body. These tests ensure that the race is fair.
The grooms receive a number corresponding to their horses so that the crowd can identify them when the horses walk around in the walking ring and place bets. The veterinarian keeps an eye out so that the horses don’t injure themselves accidentally.
Then the jockeys get on their horses and start warming them up. The vet examines the horses here too, to determine any abnormalities.
The Horses in Preakness Stakes
At present, up to fourteen horses are allowed to participate in the Preakness Stakes. Here are some facts to get to know the horses participating in the 2022 event.
1. Epicenter
This is the crowd’s favorite, a beautiful bay-colored horse of press the pace/stalker running style. The owner of Epicenter is Winchell Thoroughbreds.
The trainer is Steve Asmussen, and the jockey for Epicentre in the 2022 Preakness Stakes is Joel Rosario. In its career so far, Epicenter has had eight starts—four firsts, three seconds, no thirds, and one unplaced position. Its pedigree is Not This Time – Silent Candy, by Candy Ride. The top Equibase speed figure of Epicenter is 105.
2. Secret Oath
A beautiful chestnut-colored horse with an Equibase speed figure of 105, Secret Oath runs in stalker style. In its career, it has made nine starts—five starts, zero seconds, two thirds, and two unplaced positions.
Briland Farm owns Secret Oath. The trainer is D. Wayne Lukas, and the jockey is Luis Saez. The pedigree for Secret Oath is Arrogate – Absinthe Minded, by Quiet American.
3. Happy Jack
Happy Jack is a bay-colored horse with an Equibase speed figure of 98 and closer running style. Its owner is Calumet Farm, the jockey is Tyler Gaffalione, and the trainer is Doug O’Neill. Happy Jack has a career record of six starts—one first, zero seconds, two thirds, and three unplaced positions. Happy Jack’s pedigree is Oxbow – Tapistry, by Tapit.
4. Simplification
This is another beautiful bay-colored horse with a career record of nine starts—three firsts, one second, two thirds, and three unplaced positions.
The owners of Simplification are Tami Bobo and Tristan De Meric. The jockey for Simplification is John Velazquez, and the trainer is Antonio Sano.
Its top Equibase speed figure is 101. Simplification’s running style is stalker, and its pedigree is Not This Time – Simply Confection, by Candy Ride.
5. Armagnac
Another bay-colored horse with a pacesetter/press the pace running style, Armagnac’s top Equibase speed figure is 92.
Its owners are SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan, Golconda Stable, and Siena Farm.
The trainer is Tim Yakteen, and the jockey is Irqad Ortiz Jr. In its career, Armagnac has made six starts—two firsts, zero seconds, one third, and three unplaced positions. Its pedigree is Quality Road – Kitty Wine, by Lemon Drop Kid.
6. Early Voting
Early Voting, a dark bay or brown colored Thoroughbred, runs in pacesetter/press the pace style, with an Equibase speed figure of 102.
Its owner is Klaravich Stables, the jockey is Jose Ortiz, and the trainer is Chad Brown. The pedigree for Early Voting is Gun Runner – Amour d’Ete, by Tiznow.
In its career so far, Early Voting has a record of four starts—three firsts, one second, zero thirds, and zero unplaced positions.
7. Creative Minister
Creative Minister is a roan-colored Thoroughbred that started its career in 2022 and has attained a record of four starts—two firsts, one second, one third, and zero unplaced positions.
Its owners are Fern Circle Stables, Back Racing, and Magdalena Racing, the jockey is Brian Hernandez Jr, and the trainer is Ken McPeek.
Creative Minister’s top Equibase speed figure is 108 and it runs in stalker/closer style. The pedigree for Creative Minister is Creative Cause – Tamboz, by Tapit.
8. Fenwick
The Thoroughbred with the lowest Equibase speed figure, standing at 91, is Fenwick. Another chestnut-colored horse, Fenwick runs in pacesetter style and has a career record of seven starts—one first, one second, zero third, and five unplaced positions.
Its owners are Villa Rosa Farm and Harlo Stable, the trainer is Kevin McKathan, and its jockey is Florent Geroux. Fenwick’s pedigree is Curlin – Make the Sun Shine, by Malibu Moon.
9. Skippylongstocking
Skippylongstocking, another bay-colored horse, has a top Equibase speed figure of 100, and its running style is stalker. The owner is Daniel Alonso, the trainer is Safie Joseph Jr., and the jockey is Junior Alvarado.
So far, Skippylongstocking has a career record of ten starts—two firsts, one second, two thirds, and five unplaced positions. The pedigree for Exaggerator – Twinkling, by War Chant.
How to Know Which Horse to Bet On
All the horses that you’ll see in the race are elite three-year-old Thoroughbreds, both male and female.
To understand which horse you should bet on, you need to study the history of the horse, along with its trainer. However, you always need a little luck in races like this. Following are the factors you need to consider while betting on horses:
- Age of the horse
- Horse form
- Breeding and pedigree
- Days since its last race
- Distance
- Speed figure
- Form of the trainer
- Form of the jockey
- Any mark of handicap or rating
- Paddock
- The owners and connections
- Form of the course
- Betting calculations
Conclusion
I personally find the world of horse racing fascinating. Despite the need for luck, betting on horses still requires a lot of knowledge and prior considerations.
The history of the Preakness Stakes is fun in itself. To accompany that, there are so many things to learn about the horses participating in this event.
From their fitness to the pre-race examinations that they go through, knowing the tips to bet on your favorite horse will surely help you ensure a winning situation!
