Best Preakness Stakes Betting Sites for 2024

Very few races on the Thoroughbred horse racing schedule hold the same kind
of import as the Preakness Stakes. That’s why it’s a good idea for horse racing
betting enthusiasts to scope out the best Preakness Stakes betting sites. In
that way, you can make sure you can get your wager down while enjoying this
grand spectacle.

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Horse racing is the kind of sport that either invites great enthusiasm or a
relative shrug from modern sports fans. Yet no matter where you fall on that
spectrum, it’s likely that you have the Preakness Stakes on your radar. After all, it is one of the few horse races that
is known to just about everyone, casual and diehard fans alike.

Obviously, one of the aspects of the Preakness Stakes that makes it stand out
is its inclusion as the middle leg of the
Thoroughbred
Racing Triple Crown in America. The excitement that the Triple Crown races
engender is undeniable. And that is especially true when one horse captures the
imagination of the public and stands a chance of being one of the rare horses to
win all three races of the Triple Crown (the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont
Stakes are the other two).

Yet the Preakness Stakes, which is held each year at Pimlico Race Course in
Baltimore, Maryland, would be a jewel of the horse racing season even apart from
its status as a Triple Crown race. After all, how many races have been around
for almost 150 years? And by the same token, how many races can boast of
awarding a purse of $1.5 million to the winner?

On top of all that, the reason you need to find the best Preakness Stakes
betting website for you is because the race is excellent for betting purposes. In
some cases, the betting attention is dominated by a huge favorite, which means
you can find great value if that favorite is upset. There are also years where
the Preakness Stakes is more of a wide-open affair, which opens up great betting
possibilities.

We’ll examine the safest Preakness Stakes betting sites and
how you can determine those sites on your own. We’ll also take an in-depth look
at what makes the Preakness Stakes a premier races, not just in America, but in
the entire world.

How to Choose the Best Preakness Stakes Betting Sites

Because it’s such an important race, you’ll find tons of Preakness Stakes
gambling sites available to you. But it’s crucial that you only deposit your
wagering money with the sites that can be trusted with it and can give you an
excellent wagering experience.

All of these sites have been vetted by us and been subject to rigorous
testing. They have been in operation long enough for us to know that they can be
trusted, and they have an excellent reputation among customers. While no site is
perfect, these Preakness Stakes betting sites are the ones you can feel
comfortable with.

But what if you find a site not listed here that seems reputable and
reliable? Should you trust your money with it? Only if you first ask these
questions of it and like the answers you get:

What Is Their Reputation for Customer Service?

This should be high on your list of concerns. You’re going to be entrusting
your money to this site, and you have to be assured that you can contact someone
should some sort of problem arise. Look for clearly displayed contact
information. You should also reach out to them before you sign on so that you
can get a feel for how they deal with people.

Can I Trust That My Bet Will Be Made Without a Hitch?

Even if the people running a Preakness Stakes online racebook are on the level,
it won’t do you much good if the technical capabilities of their website are
lacking. That’s why you should look for a way to test out the site before you
commit to see if there are any glitches. Many sites offer free wagers on
sign-on, which would allow you to navigate the site in question and see if it
runs smoothly.

What Can the Preakness Stakes Betting Site in Question Offer Me?

Bonuses and perks are par for the course among gambling websites. If you come
upon a site that doesn’t offer any of them, you should be wary of it, because it
could mean that they are somewhat of a rogue operation. By the same token, you
should be concerned if the offers that you get seem too good to be true.

What Is the Policy for Withdrawals and Deposits?

Knowing the minimum for deposits from the start is important. Even more
important is knowing how you can collect your winnings when you want to. Make
sure that the policies handed down by the Preakness Stakes betting site aren’t
too restrictive for your liking.

What Other Sports or Casino Entertainments Can I Gamble on at This Site?

Many Preakness Stakes gambling sites cater to horse racing and not much else.
That can be problematic if you’re looking to keep gambling and want a little
variety. If that’s you, look for sites that offer a diverse sportsbook and also
give you access to casino games like blackjack, video poker, and slots.

You might have other specific requirements of the Preakness Stakes racebook that you choose. Don’t be afraid to demand what you want. And don’t be
afraid to walk away when you don’t like the answer that you get.

Betting on the Preakness Stakes

First, you need to decide

what kind of bet you’d like to make on the Preakness Stakes. The most common
bet is to simply pick a horse to win. In this case, the odds on the horse as
listed online at Preakness betting sites will dictate how much you win
if you’re right with your pick.

For example, if you’re betting on horse racing and pick a horse to win on a
site with Preakness Stakes odds at 7 to 2, it means that you’ll win $7 for every
$2 that you bet. You would walk away with $9, which is $7 in winnings plus the
return of your original $2 wager.

Picking a horse to win might seem difficult, especially when there could be a
dozen or more horses to choose from on the best Preakness Stakes betting sites.
That’s why you might want to consider betting on a horse to place or show. With
a place bet, your horse has to finish in first or second to win, while a show
bet is a winner if your pick finishes first, second, or third.

These bets generally won’t earn you as much money as a win bet. But they give
you a better chance to get some money back from your bet. And if you pick a long
shot, you could still make a decent profit in this manner.

If you’re the type of person who likes more of a thrill and wants the
opportunity to perhaps win a lot of money on a single wager, exotic bets could
be more your speed. Exotic bets for Preakness Stakes betting online are
distinguished by the fact that multiple horses will be involved. Even with a
small wager, you can conceivably win a lot of money.

A common exotic bet is the exacta. With an exacta, you would have to pick two
horses and have them come in first and second in the race. If you box that pick,
you win if they finish in any order in the top two, while a straight bet means
that you have to get them in their exact order.

Trifectas and superfectas work the same way, only they require you to have
the first three and the first four horses in the order as part of your bet.
There are also bets, like the Daily Double or the Pick 3, which require you to
pick the winner of multiple races to win the wager. You’ll likely be able to
find the Preakness Stakes as part of such a wager at Preakness Stakes betting
sites, considering it’s such a popular race.

Remember that when you do go to wager, whether it is at a physical location
like an off-track wagering center or on a Preakness Stakes gambling website, you
have to know the numbers of any horse you’re planning on picking. You should
also know the number of the race that the Preakness is that day at Pimlico. All
of that may be required of you when you go to wager on the race, so you should
get a program page to find out all of this information.

Examining the Importance of the Preakness Stakes

Hundreds of horse races take place every day all over the world. Yet we don’t
talk about betting sites for these specific races in the same way that we talk
about Preakness Stakes betting sites. That should tell you a little bit about
the special nature of the Preakness Stakes and the wagering options it provides.

All you have to do is to say the words “The Preakness” to a horse racing fan,
and they’ll immediately know what you’re referring to. Horse racing is built on
tradition, and this race is full of them. The Preakness Stakes is where Secretariat made his incredible victory during the second race of the 1973 Triple Crown.

Before we get into all that, we have to talk about the specifics of the race,
so you’ll know them when you visit a Preakness Stakes betting website. The Preakness
Stakes is held annually on the third Saturday in May in Baltimore, Maryland, at
the venerable Pimlico Race Course. It is only open to 3-year-old horses. The
horses will cover a distance of 1 3/16 miles on the dirt track, which takes them
around two turns.

The purse is prone to rise every few years or so; it recently sat at $1.5
million. It’s a Grade 1 event, which is the highest classification for races in
the United States. And as we’ll talk about a bit later, the Preakness Stakes is
the middle race in the three-race stretch of races for three-year-olds known as
the Triple Crown.

Preakness Stakes History as a Popular Betting Race

If you want more info about Preakness Stakes’ history and tradition, we
suggest you check out our
Preakness
Stakes guide. But in this space, we can give you the most telling reasons
why this race is so honored by horse racing fans and why Preakness Stakes
betting sites are so popular. And while the history is definitely important, the
Preakness still captures the imagination of horse racing fans today.

The first Preakness Stakes took place all the way back in 1873, and the race
has been held every year since, with a few exceptions. Although it spent some
time in New York, the race was first held at Pimlico and has been held there
exclusively since early in the 20^th century. And it actually predates
the Kentucky Derby, the race that many casual fans think of first when they talk
about famous American horse races.

Pimlico remains an intriguing location, with some track biases and quirks
that will help you pick the right horse at Preakness betting sites. Many
of the top 3-year-olds of all time have made their way over the oval and come
out victorious. By the same token, many incredible performers have lined up for
the Preakness and left later that day in disappointment, having fallen victim to
a better horse or bad luck.

In fact, it takes more than just an amazing horse to conquer the Preakness
Stakes, and these extra factors will also play into your selections at Preakness
Stakes betting sites. The horse also has to have great connections, which is the
term for the owners, trainers, and jockeys who help guide the horse to victory.
Many of these people who have been attached to Preakness Stakes champions are
among the most famous of their profession, a veritable who’s who in the annals
of horse racing.

You need everyone, from the humans behind them to the horses on the track,
performing at the top of your game to win a Preakness Stakes. And even then, it
isn’t enough sometimes. That’s part of what makes picking the right horse on
Preakness Stakes betting sites such a thrilling challenge.

Why People Love Betting on the Preakness Stakes

As we stated earlier, the Preakness Stakes is rare in that it commands the
attention of more than just regular horse racing fans. It’s a worldwide sporting
event. And as such, it also basks in far more betting attention than your
average horse race at top horse racing betting sites.

In many cases, buildings which simulcast horse races are filled to the brim
during the Preakness Stakes. Many of these places even take on a special
atmosphere as if they were hosting the race, with special promotions and
customers dressed to the nines. At the center of all the festivities is the
betting.

There are obviously a lot of people at the actual Preakness Stakes attending
live at Pimlico. Then you have this secondary crowd at off-track betting
establishments. And, finally, there are those who will bet online at Preakness
Stakes betting sites.

As you might expect from all that, a lot of money changes hands on Preakness
Stakes day. In 2018, for example, the handle of money on just the Preakness
Stakes alone stood just shy of $62 million, and that record-breaking number
seems to rise every year.

Why Winning the Preakness Is so Hard

Some people preparing to wager on Preakness Stakes betting sites might look
at the Preakness Stakes and think it’s the easiest of the three Triple Crown
races to win. After all, it is the shortest of the three. And the fields are
generally much smaller than in the Kentucky Derby.

Well, that all might be true, but those factors can also work against a

Kentucky Derby champion. Many Derby champions are bred to cover a lot of
ground on the track. But the 1 3/16-mile distance, which is a rare one in
Thoroughbred racing, can sometimes seem a bit short for a Derby champion.

The shorter distance places more of a premium on early speed than any of the
other Triple Crown races, which is something you need to remember when placing
bets at Preakness Stakes gambling sites. That doesn’t mean that a horse can’t
come off the pace to win the Preakness. But it’s a good idea for a horse to stay
somewhat near the early pace, lest it run out of racing room as it tries to make
a valiant comeback.

In addition, the smaller fields can sometimes play into the bias towards
speed horses. Fewer horses in the field means less of a need to get good
positioning by burning to the front. That can lead to a leisurely pace and the
horses on the front end holding their speed all the way home instead of tiring
in the stretch.

Finally, the short, two-week break between the Kentucky Derby and the
Preakness Stakes is something you need to consider when assessing Derby horses
at Preakness betting sites. There might not be another time in their
careers when these horses will have so little time between races. That’s just
not the way it’s done in the world of modern racing.

What that means is that the horses who have skipped the Kentucky Derby might
come in much fresher than their counterparts. It’s why many a Derby winner has
looked listless next to fresh competition in the Preakness. A horse that can win
two Grade 1 events against the best competition in a span of just two weeks is a
rare horse indeed, and that should factor into your handicapping efforts at
Preakness Stakes online racebooks.

Choosing Your Horses for the Preakness Stakes

It’s fun to watch the Preakness Stakes even if you don’t have anything on the
line. But the excitement really amps up when you place a little wager on the
race at a Preakness Stakes betting site. There is nothing quite like the thrill
of watching the end of a horse race as the horse that you’re backing comes
toward the finish line with a legitimate chance to win.

For a novice, it can be intimidating to figure out who to bet in the
Preakness Stakes. Luckily, your program, or racing form, can be extremely
helpful.

You might just want to pick a horse by their name or by your lucky number,
and that can be fun. But your best chance of successful betting on the Preakness
Stakes is to take a look at your program and hone in on some of these important
factors when you decide:

Form

Form is just another word for the way the horse has been racing lately. This
can be determined by his recent finishes, such as wins, places, shows, and
finishes off-the-board. You would generally expect any horse that has a chance
of winning the Preakness Stakes to be one who comes into the race in top form,
since the competition will be so good.

Speed

This is a factor that you should be considering at Preakness Stakes betting
sites perhaps more than if you were wagering on the other Triple Crown races.
Again, the distance is somewhat short for a classic race. A horse with good
getaway speed might be more well-suited to win this race than it would be to win
the longer Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.

Competition

When looking at a program, you can easily get carried away by a lot of wins
and great finishes on a horse’s line. But remember when wagering at a Preakness
Stakes betting site that it is also crucial that a horse hasn’t just been
cleaning up on weak fields. The horse that wins the Preakness Stakes is usually
one who has done well against the best of the best, because that’s what it will
be facing in that race.

Freshness

We talked above about how horses who have just raced in the Kentucky Derby
two weeks prior to the Preakness Stakes might be a little worse for the wear. By
contrast, a horse that has enjoyed a longer time off might come into the race in
much better condition. Make sure you look at the dates of each horse’s previous
races before committing to a wager.

Jockeys and Trainers

Whenever you’re betting on the Preakness, the caliber of
the horse’s connections should be foremost in your mind. You should be aware of
the records of the jockeys and trainers associated with each entrant. In many
cases, a great ride or a smart training method will have as much to do with a
Preakness win as the quality of the horse itself.

Bloodlines

In most programs, you can find a horse’s father, mother, and grandfather
listed. That is important because pedigree often determines how well a horse
will perform. Look for horses that have strong bloodlines, especially if you are
having a hard time splitting the difference between two horses for the race.

Statistics

Many horse racing forms include something known as speed figures. Speed
figures attempt to put a numerical figure on a horse’s performances based on
factors such as the trip, the pace of the race, the condition of the track, the
caliber of the competition, and much more. Consider speed figures to be a kind
of all-encompassing statistic that can help you separate horses from one another
when visiting Preakness Stakes betting sites.

If you put all of these factors together, you’ll have a pretty good overview
of a race. In that way, when you go to wager, you won’t be doing so blindly.

Frequently Asked Questions About Preakness Stakes Betting Sites

Conclusion

In this article, we have explained just how important the Preakness Stakes is
in the horse racing world, both as a race with great tradition and one that is a
part of the Triple Crown. We’ve also talked about how to wager on the race and
what information you should be concentrating on when you make your picks.
Finally, we’ve talked about the importance of finding the safest Preakness Stakes betting
sites that you can trust with your money.

There are simply few things in the gambling world quite as exciting as
picking a winning horse. And there are few races that mean as much as the
Preakness Stakes. Knowing all that, you should really take the time to choose
your Preakness Stakes betting sites wisely. Don’t settle for anything less when choosing your Preakness Stakes betting
sites.

And just as a reminder, you should be looking for:

• Mobile capability
• Wide variety of betting options
• Respected customer service
• Different methods of funding
• Efficient deposits and withdrawals
• Lucrative bonuses