Apparently winning isn't everything. At least not for the Kentucky Derby winning horse I'll Have Another.
Despite winning the first leg of the Triple Crown, I'll Have Another is not the favorite to win the Preakness this weekend according to odds makers.
Bodemeister, who was the favorite to win in Kentucky but placed second, was again installed as the 8-5 favorite. I'll Have Another is penciled in at 5-2.
The odds are determined by Pimlico Race Course handicapper Frank Carulli. This year's field of 11 horses is the smallest since 2007.
Bodemeister is trained by Bob Baffert, a five-time Preakness winner, who was excited to receive the No. 7 post in Saturday's race. "With [Bodemeister], anything in the middle would be fine," the Hall of Fame trainer said. "With the Preakness, you just don't want to be stuck on the inside where you have to use your horse a little bit. The Derby winner drew really well, also."
I'll Have Another will be in stall No. 9 and be ridden by jockey Mario Gutierrez, who rode the horse to victory at the Kentucky Derby. "Anything with a nine in it, we feel very good about. We're cool with it," trainer Doug O'Neill said, referencing I'll Have Another's No.19 start in Kentucky. "We talked about the possibility of being inside Bodemeister and really forcing our hand to push him early. Now it's in Mario's hands to still kind of push Bode, but we'll be on the outside of him."
Other horses that may be in contention include Went The Day Well and Creative Cause. Went The Day Well is run by the same team that won the Derby last year with Animal Kingdom and finished a half-length behind in the Preakness. Creative Cause has had success against I'll Have Another. He lost by a nose at the Santa Anita Derby and beat him last year in the Best Pal.
The 137th Preakness will take place on Saturday May 19th at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.
