The dust has settled on the 2022 Kentucky Derby, and the attention now switches to the second jewel of the Triple Crown. Pimlico will host the Preakness Stakes on May 21, as horses aged three will be looking to etch their name into the history books with a major victory.

If Rich Strike’s win in the Kentucky Derby has taught us anything, then it would be to expect the unexpected throughout the Triple Crown season this year. The Preakness Stakes odds are now live with many of the leading sportsbooks, but which horses are confirmed for the ‘run for the Black-Eyed Susans’?

Secret Oath

The rumors of a filly runner in the Preakness Stakes this year have been confirmed, as D. Wayne Lukas announced that Secret Oath would be running in this year’s second Triple Crown race. 

Many speculated where the three-year-old could be pointed, as she could have also lined up in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, which is also run on the same day as the Preakness.

However, Secret Oath will be lining up against the boys at Pimlico this year, as she looks to become the seventh filly to win the Preakness, and the second in three years after Swiss Skydiver won the 2020 edition.

She certainly holds very clear claims for the race this year, as she bounced back from her third in the G1 Arkansas Derby with a very emphatic display in the Kentucky Oaks as she rallied from stall one to win by two lengths from pre-race favorite Nest. 

The three-year-old could yet turn out to be one of the most exciting horses trained in the U.S.

Epicenter

The favorite for the Preakness Stakes is likely to be Epicenter for Steven Asmussen. 

The trainer’s dismal record in the Kentucky Derby continued at Churchill Downs, as Epicenter could only finish second behind huge outsider Rich Strike. However, that doesn’t take anything away from Epicenter’s run, as he was clearly traveling the best in the field, and looked like the most likely winner as we entered the final stretch.

There is still a massive belief that this three-year-old is the best in the country, and it will be fascinating to see the condition that he arrives at Pimlico in.

If at his very best and not carrying any issues following the Derby, then he will hold every chance of giving Asmussen a third win in the race.

Simplification

One of the first horses to confirm that they were heading to Pimlico for the Preakness Stakes was Simplification. 

Antonio Sano announced that the three-year-old would be shipped just 24 hours after the race at Churchill Downs. Simplification ran an excellent race in the Kentucky Derby, as he finished fourth.

He has also run well in a huge number of graded races already this season, as he finished third in the G1 Florida Derby and second in the G3 Holy Bull. He was also the winner of the G2 Fountain of Youth, beating In Due Time and O Captain over the 1 1/16 mile distance. 

Simplification could be a fascinating outsider for the Preakness, as the trainer looks to win the race for the very first time.  

Early Voting

Chad Brown could have a couple of runners in the Preakness Stakes this year, but his biggest contender could come in the form of Early Voting. 

This three-year-old should be one of the freshest in the field after bypassing the Kentucky Derby in favor of a run in the second Triple Crown race of the year. Early Voting’s form is exceptionally strong, as he has only tasted defeat on one occasion in three career starts.

That defeat came in the G2 Wood Memorial, as he was only beaten by a neck by Mo Donegal. He ran a storming race in the G3 Withers before that run, as he beat Un Ojo by a handful of lengths. If he brings his best form into the Preakness Stakes then he stands an excellent chance of winning the race. 

Brown certainly knows how to train winners of the Preakness too, as he last won the middle Triple Crown race in 2017, as Cloud Computing won with Javier Castellano on board.

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