Preakness Stakes odds: Rachel Alexandra 8/5 odds, post positions

Now that the 2009 Preakness Stakes post positions are set and we are just a day away from the start of the 134th run of the Preakness, it's time to look at the betting odds on the contenders participating in the second leg of the Triple Crown. Below you will find the latest Preakness Stakes odds as well as the posit positions drawn for the race on Saturday. For the best betting odds on the 2009 Preakness Stakes we went to our favorite online racebook, Bodog Sports, which also offers a $134 bonus for bets on the Preakness Stakes, so make sure you check the bookmaker out.

As expected, Rachel Alexandra remains the favorite contender to win the 2009 Preakness Stakes with odds now slashed to 8/5 at Bodog Sports. The one and only filly to participate in the Preakness Stakes this year is light years ahead of the competition with these short odds. Despite drawing a post position #13 (a position which has not produced a winner since 1909), the fact that Rachel Alexandra's jockey will be famous Calvin Borel is good enough for the bettors and odds makers alike to make the filly the '09 Preakness Stakes odds-on favorite. Needless to say, Calvin Borel was the main reason there were people who bet on Mine That Bird two weeks ago and the jockey has already proved he can deliver - both during the Derby and when reining Rachel Alexandra to Kentucky Oaks victory on May 1st. The post position #13 seems to do little to discourage betting on the filly, trained by veteran Steve Asmussen.

Pioneer of the Nile, who finished second in the Kentucky Derby a couple of weeks ago, is now holding second best odds 5/1 to win the 2009 Preakness Stakes at Bodog Racebook. Pioneer of the Nile will start from post position #9, a post position desired by trainer Bob Baffert. With jockey Garrett Gomez at the reins this weekend, Pioneer of the Nile also holds the second largest graded winnings at $1.6 million from his 9 graded races, just shy from Mine That Bird.

And speaking of Mine That Bird, the Kentucky Derby winner is getting no love in the 2009 Preakness Stakes. Once sure favorite for the second leg of the Triple Crown and even talk about a possible Triple Crown winner, the shocking switch jockey Calvin Borel made to Rachel Alexandra left the bettors disappointed and uncertain that new jockey Mike Smith will be able to deliver the same performance. Drawing a Preakness post position #2, the odds on Mine That Bird were lengthened today to 6/1 at Bodog Sports. We already known that Mine That Bird has the speed, finishing nearly seven lengths in front of Pioneerof the Nile, but the fact that Calvin Borel was the first jockey in decades to willingly give up the Derby winner, including the chance at Triple Crown glory, for the only filly on the track, made a lot of people ask themselves if Borel knows something about Mine That Bird we don't. This uncertainty alone pushed a lot of Mine That Bird fans to make the switch to Rachel Alexandra and Pioneer of the Nile, driving the odds on Mine That Bird to win the 2009 Preakness Stakes down to 6/1.

The 3-year-old is sharing the same 6/1 odds with Friesan Fire, once favorite for Derby glory. Friesan Fire will start the Preakness Stakes from post position #5 and trainer Larry Jones strategy from the post position will be to get behind Big Drama and Rachel Alexandra. Gabriel Saez will be the jockey of Friesan Fire, who has won just 4 of its 8 graded starts on his record. "Hopefully, he [Friesan Fire] is going to rebound. He wasn’t the Derby favorite for no reason," trainer Larry Jones was quoted, but bettors remain skeptical.

Here is the full list of the 2009 Preakness Stakes contenders, post position and odds to win the Pimlico race, as posted by the popular online sportsbook Bodog Sports:

Post Position - Horse - Odds to win

1 BIG DRAMA 10/1
2 MINE THAT BIRD 6/1
3 MUSKET MAN 8/1
4 LUV GOV 50/1
5 FRIESAN FIRE 6/1
6 TERRAIN 30/1
7 PAPA CLEM 12/1
8 GENERAL QUARTERS 20/1
9 PIONEEROF THE NILE 5/1
10 FLYING PRIVATE 50/1
11 TAKE THE POINTS 30/1
12 TONE IT DOWN 50/1
13 RACHEL ALEXANDRA 8/5

Keep in mind that the 2009 Preakness Stakes has start time 6:315pm EST on Saturday, May 16th at Pimlico Race course in Baltimore and fans of horse racing will have the chance to watch it live on NBC, check your local listings for details and availability. Also, according to the latest weather forecast, around that time there is 60% chance of rain with thunderstorms in the vicinity of the Pimlico Racecourse. Stay with OGPaper for the latest Preakness Stakes odds and news.

Published on 05/15/2009