Preakness Stakes Contenders: Behindatthebar out, down to 12

Preakness Stakes Contenders: Behindatthebar out, down to 12 The Preakness Stakes contenders list just got shorter, Behindatthebar was withdrawn today from the race, leaving Big Brown racing pretty much by himself. The reason given for the withdrawal of Behindatthebar was a bruised left front foot. An upset for trainer Todd Pletcher - Behindatthebar was eligible for the Derby but bypassed it because Pletcher decided to rest the horse for the Preakness Stakes. And now without Behindatthebar, the race is down to only 12 contenders. Big Brown, who is listed with odds 1/4 to win the Preakness at the online bookmaker BodogSports, will now face challenge from Gayego with odds 10/1, same odds Behindatthebar, who has two wins in five races, held before he was declared out of the second leg of the Triple Crown.

With Behindatthebar out of the Preakness Stakes, the race has become so boring, the odds makers at BodogSports had to resort to drastic measures and post odds on the Preakness without taking Big Brown's finishing position into account. In the Preakness Stakes odds without Big Brown, Gayego was upgraded to favorite with odds 3/1, followed by Kentucky Bear at 4/1, while Macho Again, Hey Byrn and Yankee Bravo all hold odds of 6/1 to win the race. Additional odds on Big Brown (betting props) were posted, who now pays even odds to become a Triple Crown winner.

Published on 05/16/2008