Epicenter, Secret Oath, Happy Jack? A look at betting the Preakness field

An 80-1 long shot crashed the party at the Kentucky Derby and now a filly is hoping to prove that “girls run the world” at the Preakness Stakes on Saturday. Secret Oath won the Kentucky Oaks and four of her last five races. The filly will be at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on Saturday. However, Rich Strike, the Kentucky Derby winner who shocked the horse racing world, will not be.

Here’s a look at the nine-horse field with post positions and morning line odds.

1. Simplification 6-1

2. Creative Minister 10-1

3. Fenwick 50-1

4. Secret Oath 9-2

5. Early Voting 7-2

6. Happy Jack 30-1

7. Armagnac 12-1

8. Epicenter 6-5

9. Skippylongstocking 20-1

Epicenter finished second at the Kentucky Derby and is the favorite. Only two fillies, Swiss Skydiver in 2020 and Rachel Alexandra in 2009, have won the Preakness since 1924.

“[Secret Oath] can be competitive here and stacks up significantly with the rest of the field,” said Horse Racing Nation Handicapping content coordinator Sara Elbadwi.

If you’re looking for a horse with a shot at redemption after a disappointing Derby, Happy Jack might be worth including in a trifecta. While in the starting gate at the Derby, his tail got stuck in the back door and they backed him out. He had a slow start and finished 14th. For the Preakness, Happy Jack will have blinkers on and a new jockey (Tyler Gaffalione).

Rich Strike was the biggest long shot to win the Derby since Donerail in 1913. There will be some Preakness bettors hoping that long shot lightning strikes again and take a chance on Fenwick.

“Rich Strike benefited from being a closer in a race with a hot early pace. Fenwick is a long shot who will likely go to the lead early,” explained Elbadwi. “He doesn’t have a similar running style and it won’t benefit him here. He isn’t the best speed horse.”

Casinos: Harrah’s Casino Philadelphia, Hollywood Casino Morgantown, Parx Casino, Borgata Race, and Sportsbook.

Off-track-betting: South Philadelphia Race & Sportsbook, Parx Casino’s Race and Sportsbook inside Chickie’s & Pete’s in Malvern.

Online: In Pennsylvania, you can bet on horse racing at TVG and TwinSpires. In New Jersey only at TVG.

TVG crashed in the hours leading up to the Kentucky Derby, which led to many upset customers. They said the problems were caused by a “technical issue related to a third party service provider.” Customers in New Jersey were especially upset since they do not have any other ways to bet on horse racing online … yet. TVG’s contract, which makes them the lone online pari-mutuel operator in New Jersey, ends in 2023.

A slower sports month still resulted in a strong month for sportsbooks.

Sports betting in New Jersey remains strong despite the recent legalization of online wagering in New York. New Jersey sportsbooks’ handle, total amount bet, reached $926.9 million in April. NJ sportsbooks won $50.3 million. The Meadowlands’ sports betting partners (FanDuel, PointsBet, SuperBook) led all NJ operators combining for $33.3 million in revenue.

Pennsylvania sportsbooks saw a drop in monthly bets placed, taking $578.8 million in wagers. The books won $33 million in April, a 10.7% month-over-month increase. Of the 14 sports betting apps, FanDuel took 42% of all wagers.

Katie Kohler is the Managing Editor at Play Pennsylvania where she writes about sports betting and casinos.