A solid nine-horse field is lined up for Saturday’s 150^th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, and the $2 million second jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown shapes up as a good betting race despite a clear favorite in Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve runner-up Journalism.

Read on for Preakness Stakes trifecta betting strategies from the team at America’s Best Racing:

Mike Curry:

When an elite 3-year-old comes to Baltimore for the Preakness, he (or she) usually wins. Even though Journalism finished second in the Kentucky Derby, I still view him as an elite racehorse and a potential champion in the division. Journalism was my Derby selection and he’s my pick to win the Preakness. 

You won’t make much money betting #2 Journalism in trifecta boxes, so I will make #9 Gosger my key horse underneath at 20-1 on the morning line coming off a nice win in the $400,000 Stonestreet Lexington Stakes April 12 at Keeneland Race Course. He must finish second or third for me to win and I’ll mix in a few runners I expect to handle an “off” track with rain in the forecast –  #1 Goal Oriented and #6 River Thames – plus deep closer #7 Sandman.

The Play

$5 Trifecta: #2 Journalism with #9 Gosger with #1 Goal Oriented, #6 River Thames, and #7 Sandman ($15 total)

$5 Trifecta: #2 Journalism with #1 Goal Oriented, #6 River Thames, and #7 Sandman with Gosger ($15 total)

Patrick Reed:

Journalism trains at Pimlico. (Eclipse Sportswire)

Once Journalism was confirmed to start in Saturday’s Preakness, the race became his to lose, in my opinion. I think he’s still in a “1 and 1A” situation with Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty as the best 3-year-old of his class, and Sovereignty of course is not running in the Preakness. There’s less chance for Journalism to get into any trouble facing eight opponents instead of 18, and if it rains at Pimlico Saturday, all the better.

I’ll key #2 Journalism (9-5) on top of a $4 trifecta with three horses underneath: #7 Sandman (4-1), #8 Clever Again (5-1), and #9 Gosger (20-1). As with my Kentucky Derby betting, I’ll be hoping for a solid pace in the Preakness, which Clever Again should be a part of. I think this colt is ready to take another step forward for trainer Steve Asmussen and can hang around in the stretch. The other three will be moving late from either stalking (Journalism and Gosger) or closing (Sandman) positions. I hope new jockey John Velazquez will keep Sandman more in touch with the field through the first mile than he’s been in his earlier races this year – he’ll need to do that on a track that generally favors speed.

In case the two-week turnaround from the Derby takes just enough spring out of Journalism’s step, I’ll place him second in a $1 trifecta with the above horses. #1 Goal Oriented and especially #6 River Thames are threats to break up my tickets, but, hey, you can’t bet ‘em all. (Actually, you can … but you shouldn’t.)

The Play

$4 trifecta: #2 Journalism with #7 Sandman, #8 Clever Again, #9 Gosger with #7 Sandman, #8 Clever Again, #9 Gosger ($24 total)

$1 trifecta: #7 Sandman, #8 Clever Again, #9 Gosger with #2 Journalism with #7 Sandman, #8 Clever Again, #9 Gosger ($6 total)

Noel Michaels:

Based on recent Preakness trends, I believe what you are looking for in an ideal Preakness contender is a horse with speed to lead or be on or close to the pace with a post position on the outside half of the field who can yield a double-digit win payoff. That criteria leads me to pick #6 River Thames as my top selection. He will sit in striking distance of the pace but will not engage in battle for the lead in a race that already includes speed horses like #1 Goal Oriented, #3 American Promise, and #8 Clever Again. River Thames was able to push eventual Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty to the limit when second to him by a neck in March in the Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes. That tells me he’s good enough to win this.

Along with River Thames, the other horse that should get a perfect set-up in the Preakness is Kentucky Derby runner-up #2 Journalism, who seems like the best of this field on paper. His connections’ hesitation and apparent reluctance to enter the Preakness off two weeks rest, however, is enough to scare me off his bandwagon in terms of win bets as the favorite, but I do think he’ll still be able to hit the board. There has been much talk of excuses for #7 Sandman in the Derby, but I saw no such legitimate excuse in a race otherwise dominated by other closers. His late-running style is wrong for the Preakness anyway. Instead, I will round out my trifectas with perhaps the best of the speed horses mentioned above, Clever Again, who went wire-to-wire and earned a big speed figure when winning his stakes debut last time out.

The Play:

$4 trifecta box: #2 Journalism, #6 River Thames (top selection), #8 Clever Again ($24 total)

$1 trifecta key: #6 River Thames over $1 Goal Oriented, #2 Journalism, and #8 Clever Again ($6 total)

Dan Tordjman:

Clever Again at Pimlico. (Jerry Dzierwinski/Maryland Jockey Club)

The more I look at this year’s Preakness Stakes field, the more I think the race might set up for a bit of craziness that might actually result in a solid trifecta payout. It is hard to completely overlook the favorite and Kentucky Derby runner-up #2 Journalism. But as I’ve rewatched the Derby and taken a closer look at how the horse came out of the race, I’ve become comfortable with the idea of betting against him in the top spot. I think the Derby might’ve taken a good bit of starch out of him.

That being said, I think the most logical horses to potentially pull off a mild upset would be the improving and lightly-raced #8 Clever Again or #6 River Thames. Clever Again is just a neck away from being a perfect 3-for-3 in his career and he’s posted speed figures that indicate any further progression would put him in the winner’s circle. There’s some doubt about River Thames’ ability to get the Preakness distance but he ran a brave race going just a sixteenth of a mile shorter in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. Plus, he was only beaten by a neck by the eventual Derby winner Sovereignty when they matched up in the Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes. Underneath in trifectas, I’ll use #7 Sandman and #3 American Promise.

The Play:

 $2 trifecta key: #8 Clever Again with #2 Journalism, #3 American Promise, #6 River Thames, and #7 Journalism ($24 total)

$4 trifecta part wheel: #6 River Thames and #8 Clever Again, with #6 River Thames and #8 Clever Again, with #2 Journalism, #3 American Promise, #6 River Thames, #7 Sandman, and #8 Clever Again ($24 total)