Who will win the Preakness Stakes? Horses, odds, expert picks & more for 2022 Triple Crown race

The winner of the 2022 Kentucky Derby will not be racing in this year's Preakness Stakes, as Rich Strike's team has its eyes on the Belmont Stakes. That means that once again, it will be anyone's race.

That's not just a figure of speech, either. Rich Strike was the longest shot to win the Derby, but he managed to win the run for the roses by less than a length. The odds won't be quite as long for any racehorse in the nine-horse Preakness field, but there are plenty of potential contenders in the stacked field.

Casual horse racing fans who watched the Kentucky Derby will recognize a few of the names in the field, including Epicenter, Happy Jack and Simplification. There will also be a handful of other racehorses joining the field, including a filly by the name of Secret Oath.

Who should be on your card during the 2022 Preakness Stakes? The Sporting News breaks down the odds and best bets to win the second jewel of the triple crown races.

MORE: Why Rich Strike won't be racing in the 2022 Preakness Stakes

Preakness Stakes odds 2022

Epicenter is currently favored to win the Preakness Stakes, according to the latest odds from the Maryland Jockey Club. He, Early Voting and Secret Oath all have better than 5-1 odds to win the race.

After that, Simplification, the fourth-place finisher at the Kentucky Derby, is the lone horse with better than 10-1 odds. Fenwick is the race's long shot at 50-1. He will try to do what Rich Strike did and earn an improbable win at the Preakness.

Below is a look at where each horse was placed within the starting gate, along with the betting odds for each to win.

MORE: Rich Strike joins list of Derby winners not to race at Preakness

Preakness Stakes expert picks

The Preakness is the shortest of the triple-crown race at 1 3/16 miles, so this race will favor horses that get off to a good start more than others. Stamina is still important, as is closing speed, but there is simply less time to make up for a bad start at this race. The bright side is it's significantly less crowded than the Kentucky Derby, so horses will have more space to find a lane to the lead.

With that said, it's hard to argue against Epicenter (6-5) despite the short odds on him. He tends to hang out near the middle or front of the pack during races, as we saw during the Kentucky Derby, and has the speed needed to be a pace-setter. That will bode well for him in this race.

So too will the length. Epicenter finished second at the Kentucky Derby by less than a length but was barely overtaken by longshot Rich Strike during the stretch run. Epicenter would have won a shorter race, and the Preakness is 1/16 of a mile shorter than the Derby. He won the Louisiana Derby, the same length as the Preakness, by 2 1/2 lengths, so it's easy to imagine him finding success in the field.

For those looking for value picks, Armagnac (12-1) and Creative Minister (10-1) stand out as solid underdogs. Armagnac has a similar riding style to Epicenter in that he likes to press the pace a bit. Armagnac just earned a 4 1/4-length win at Santa Anita Park during a 1 1/16-mile race on May 8. He set the pace and only built upon his lead during the competition. Perhaps he will do it again at the Belmont.

Creative Minister is much different than Epicenter and Armagnac. He tends to be more of a stalker-type who has great closing speed. He has only run three races, but he has two wins and a second-place finish in those contests.

The thing helping Creative Minister in this race is his track positioning in the No. 2 gate. Simplification is on the rail, but he started slowly in the Derby. Meanwhile, 50-1 longshot Fenwick is outside of Creative Minister in the No. 3 gate. So, if the No. 2 horse can get off to a quick start and overtake Simplification, he could win the rail. That would give him a good path to use his closing speed during the stretch run.

What is the best post position in horse racing?

The best post position will vary by race and by the type of horse running in each spot. Typically, horses that like more space will prefer to be in high-numbered posts, so they can work more with their space to the outside. Plus, they don't have to be inside the gate as long.

Meanwhile, the shortest path to victory comes on the rail. As such, getting the No. 1 gate can be an advantage, but it can also lead to issues for more claustrophobic horses. Why? Because they not only have to wait in the gate longer, but they are also granted little space to maneuver on either side. So, if they get nervous, they may stray from the crowd and hang back during the race to find space.

As for the race, the Preakness Stakes has a wide distribution of winners. That said, the No. 6 spot has been the most favorable over the years, with that post producing 16 winners since a starting gate was implemented in 1909. The Nos. 4 and 7 gates are close behind, as both have produced 14 winners in that time.

Here is the complete list of Preakness Stakes winners at each post position:

MORE: Rich Strike jockey serving suspension for careless riding days after Kentucky Derby win

Preakness Stakes winners by post position

The Preakness Stakes first implemented a starting gate in 1909. Since then, every gate numbered 1-13 has produced a winner, and every gate numbered 1-8 has produced at least 10 winners.

Since 2000, three gates have produced three winners. They are Gates 1, 4 and 7.

Below is a list of all of the winners at each gate since 1909.

*Preakness divided

1 — (12)

2 — (12)

3 — (12)

4 — (14)

5 — (12)

6 — (16)

7 — (14)

8 — (10)

9 — (4)

10 — (2)

11 — (2)

12 — (3)

13 — (1)