The horse with the oddest name in racing history will approach the gates on May 18 with a chance to inch closer to becoming a legendary thoroughbred along with the likes of Seabiscuit and Secretariat. Does Orb have what it takes?
The Preakness Stakes, the second leg in horse racing’s Triple Crown, is the one that determines whether or not we will see history made. Set at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, it’s the race where the Kentucky Derby winner is put to the test yet again, and can move one step closer to becoming a Triple Crown winner.
Orb Odds-On Favorite To Win The Preakness Stakes
The horse looking to take a stab at history this year is Orb, who won the Kentucky Derby easily and is the odds-on favorite to win the Preakness as well. If Orb took the Preakness Stakes, he’d be two-thirds of the way through the Triple Crown, with just the Belmont Stakes on June 9 left to win. Orb has a chance to be the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed did it in 1978. It’s been 35 years!
"I wouldn't be telling the truth if I said I don't think about [the Triple Crown], because I do," trainer Shug McGaughey told the Associated Press. “''I try to block it out, but if you're in this position, anybody would think about it. It’s a thrilling thought.” Even so, Shug is trying to keep his mind on the race at hand: “We've got to get by Saturday. If we do, the next three weeks [until the Belmont Stakes] will be a lot of fun."
Orb: Can He Win From The Rail?
Adding intrigue to the race is the fact that Orb drew the rail position — which means he will start the race from the unfortunate position of the very inside of the track. A horse has not won from that position since 1994, when Tabasco Cat did it.
Horse racing experts seem certain though that Orb is a true specimen, and that if anyone can win from the rail and go for the Triple Crown, it’s him.
His biggest competition, based on odds, will be Mylute, Departing, and Goldencents. Who are you pulling for, HollywoodLifers?
WATCH: Preakness Preview
– Andrew Gruttadaro
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