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Young’s return can only help Montero and Justin Upton, who are beginning to pull out of a season-long slumps. Upton homered Thursday and had two hits and an RBI on Friday, raising his average to .234. Friday marked Montero’s first multi-RBI game since April 27. Kansas City is still waiting for its young slugger, Eric Hosmer, to turn it around. Hosmer got a second straight day off Friday and is batting .174. He has not homered since April 25.

Diamondbacks Royals Betting

When: 7:15 PM ET, Saturday, May 19, 2012
Where: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, Fox

PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Ian Kennedy (3-3, 3.81 ERA) vs. Royals LH Bruce Chen (2-4, 4.34)

Kennedy has lost three straight starts while getting a total of three runs of support. The right-hander was charged with two earned runs in six innings at Los Angeles on Monday. He has allowed three of his five home runs in the last two starts. Kennedy has made three appearances – two starts – against the Royals, posting a 1-0 record with a 3.21 ERA.

Chen has won his last two starts and is coming off a 6 2/3-inning effort at Texas in which he held the top lineup in the majors to one run on five hits while striking out seven. The well-traveled left-hander has made nine career appearances – three starts – against Arizona, going 1-2 with a 5.24 ERA. Jason Kubel is 4-for-11 with a home run off Chen in his career.

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1. Diamondbacks right-hander Daniel Hudson (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Reno on Monday.

2. Royals left-hander Danny Duffy and right-hander Blake Wood each had their elbows examined Friday and will undergo Tommy John surgery.

3. Kansas City second baseman Irving Falu has hit safely in each of his first seven major league games.

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The Cubs have gotten much better pitching than they did a year ago, but have wasted that improvement – Saturday starter Ryan Dempster is still looking for his first win despite allowing eight earned runs all year. The White Sox have also gotten some strong starting pitching, but left-hander John Danks, who takes the mound Saturday, has been the weak link in an otherwise impressive rotation. White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko, who was hit in the head by a pitch Friday, will be evaluated again before Saturday’s game but is unlikely to play.

White Sox Cubs Betting

When: 7:15 PM ET, Saturday, May 19, 2012
Where: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, Fox (national)

PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox LH John Danks (2-4, 6.46 ERA) vs. Cubs RH Ryan Dempster (0-1, 1.74)

Though the White Sox have won his last two starts, Danks has struggled for much of the season, allowing 35 runs (34 earned) in 47 1/3 innings. He lasted only three innings in his last trip to the mound (nine hits, five runs, three walks versus Detroit on May 14), the fifth time this season Danks has allowed at least four runs. He is 2-1 with a solid 2.88 ERA in four starts against the Cubs.

Dempster’s teammates totaled only eight runs in losing his first five starts. The veteran right-hander gave up only four earned runs in those games, and even after a rough outing at St. Louis on May 14 (six innings pitched, nine hits, four runs), he still ranks second in the NL in ERA. In 13 career games (six starts) against the White Sox, Dempster is 2-4 with a 4.89 ERA and three saves.

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1. The White Sox have been outstanding against the National League in recent years, winning 43 of their last 59 interleague contests overall with a 21-6 mark in their last 27 away games against NL opponents.

2. Cubs right fielder David DeJesus is 8-for-23 (.348) with two doubles and five RBIs against Danks. His teammates, though, are a combined 5-for-27 (.185) with no runs batted in.

3. The White Sox are 24-for-80 against Dempster. Designated hitter/first baseman Adam Dunn is 5-for-17 (.294), but has homered twice and drawn 10 walks. Shorstop Alexei Ramirez is 6-for-14 (.429) with a home run.

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Despite going only 1-for-5 Friday, Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton is still the American League’s runaway leader with a .392 batting average, 18 home runs and 45 RBIs. Hamilton has 11 homers, eight doubles, two triples and 31 RBIs in 32 interleague games since the start of the 2010 season. Houston has totaled only 26 homers, eight more than Hamilton, but they have put together an effective small-ball lineup led by diminutive second baseman Jose Altuve (.315).

Rangers Astros Betting

When: 7:15 PM ET, Saturday, May 19, 2012
Where: Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas
TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, Fox

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers LH Derek Holland (3-2, 3.78 ERA) vs. Astros RH Lucas Harrell (2-3, 4.40)

Holland has recovered from a rough patch at the end of April, giving up only one earned run (four unearned) in his last three trips to the mound – two starts and an inning of scoreless relief May 14. He has been much more effective on the road this year, going 2-0 with a 1.33 ERA in three away starts. Holland is 1-0 with a 4.15 ERA in two starts against the Astros.

Like Holland, Harrell was roughed up at the end of last month, giving up 11 runs (10 earned) in 11 innings, but has settled down somewhat, allowing seven earned runs in his last 16 1/3 frames. He has been solid in three starts at home, going 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA, but Houston has lost six of his last seven starts, averaging fewer than three runs per game with Harrell on the mound.

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1. Beltre (1-for-1, double, RBI) is the only player on the Texas roster to face Harrell, who has never pitched against the Rangers.

2. The Astros are a combined 1-for-16 (.063) against Holland, with an RBI single by Carlos Lee the only hit.

3. Texas will likely go into Saturday’s game without the option of going to closer Joe Nathan, who made his fourth appearance in as many days on Friday.

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Los Angeles was 13-5 against the National League in 2011 and is a major league-best 63-28 in interleague play since 2007.

The Angels, who have won three of their last four games, will need Saturday’s starter to get going. Dan Haren has lost his last three outings and allowed 14 runs (12 earned) in 16 2/3 innings during that span. The Padres counter with left-hander Eric Stults, acquired off the waiver wire from the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.

Angels Padres Betting

When: 10:05 PM ET, Saturday, May 19, 2012
Where: Petco Park, San Diego, California
TV: 10:05 p.m. FS West (Los Angeles), FS San Diego

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Dan Haren (1-4, 4.41 ERA) vs. Padres LH Eric Stults (0-0, 2.70)

Haren walked a season-high four in his last outing, a 5-0 loss to Oakland on Monday. Haren is 5-2 with a 3.34 ERA in 14 career appearances against the Padres (13 starts). The San Diego roster is hitting .252 against him, with Nick Hundley (9-for-23) and Chase Headley (8-for-27, homer, four RBIs) having the most success.

Stults replaces Tim Stauffer, who went on the disabled list Friday with a sprained right elbow. Stults made two appearances with Chicago, including one start when he allowed two runs and four hits in six innings and received a no-decision in a 4-2 loss at Cleveland on May 7. He is 0-1 in two appearances against the Angels and hasn’t faced anyone on the active Los Angeles roster.

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1. San Diego is averaging 3.2 runs per game – only the Pittsburgh Pirates are worse at 2.8.

2. Los Angeles’ Mark Trumbo has a nine-game hitting streak and is 17-for-32 during that span.

3. The Padres have played 26 of their 40 games at home.

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The All-Star Race is a 90-lap shootout with the winner getting $1 million. The 28th edition of this event will be the first to feature a fifth segment. That 10-lap stint will be preceded by a mandatory pit stop, and the winners of the previous four 20-lap segments (all with optional pit stops available) will be guaranteed to enter the pits in the top four starting spots provided their cars stay on the lead lap during the event. The winner of the first 20-lap segment will be positioned to come down pit road first before that 10-lap finale, the winner of the second 20-lap run will go second on pit road and so on.

Thus the pit crews are even more important than normal this weekend. No tire changes are obligatory in the final pit stop, leading to the likelihood that one or more teams may decide to take fuel only. Thus the final pits are expected to be stop and go, and it’s unlikely the winner will come from outside the first two rows. Carl Edwards led the final 10 laps last season, and five of the past seven All-Star Race winners have led at least the last 10 laps.

Johnson could have an advantage this year because his team won Thursday’s Pit Crew Challenge and thus game the No. 48 team first choice on pit-stall selection for Saturday’s race. Johnson has won this race twice, last in 2006.

Kyle Busch was second in 2011 to Edwards. Busch, who has never won this race, is the overall favorite at 11/2 and Edwards is at 9/1. Busch won the pole for the second straight year, but the last pole winner to take this race happened 20 years ago. Tony Stewart also is a 13/2 favorite and won here in 2009. Jeff Gordon (12/1) has the most wins of any active driver with three.

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20-year-old Josh Ledet was next to exitAmerican Idol, although there are a number of “experts” and fans that feel he should have gone on to win it all with his soulful sound. However, Ledet, who is from Louisiana, was undaunted by his elimination and feels as though he can be successful without winning American Idol, and he definitely showed what he could do with performances of Etta James’ “I’d Rather Go Blind”, John Lennon’s “Imagine” and Mary J. Blige’s “No More Drama”; that’s a lot of variety and that could have opened a few eyes.

But we’re left with 16-year-old Jessica Sanchez and 21-year-old Phil Phillips, and the latter received a few song choices that were right up his alley: “Beggin’” by the Four Seasons, “Disease” by Matchbox Twenty and Bob Seger’s “We’ve Got Tonight”. That led a few fans to insinuate that Phillips is destined to be the next American Idol as he was given songs that were suited to his pop/rock sound. Sanchez had Mariah Carey’s “My All”, “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” by Aerosmith (who is headed by judge Steven Tyler and he said Sanchez’s version was better than the original) and “I’ll Be There” by the Jackson Five. Again, these choices seemed to be suited to Sanchez’s big-room voice, which angered some Ledet fans.

Stay tuned for next week when the 11th American Idol will be decided. Males have won the last four editions of the show and six times overall, so Phillips may have a slight edge going into the finale.

Bovada Sportsbook has updated the odds so bet American Idol right now!

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Four of the last five Preakness races have been won by a length or less. The 1-3/16 miles race is shorter than the Kentucky Derby, which justifies Derby runner-up Bodemeister coming in the best odds to win today at 3/2, while right behind him is winner I’ll Have Another at 3/1, going for the second jewel in horse racing’s Triple Crown.

Went the Day Well rounds is third on the odds list at 6/1, just ahead of Creative Cause at 13/2.Daddy Nose Best sits at 14/1 and rounds out the top five selections as far as favorable odds go.

These five horses will run from posts five through 9 which, historically, have provided the best chances for victory.

Cozetti is getting the least amount of action, entering the Preakness with a field-worst 40/1 chance. Pretension will run from post 3 and has the second-worst odds at 35/1. However, he’s running from the same post as the great Secretariat, so maybe that will help. Or not.

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By Steve Davidowitz |

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If you go back and research dozens of Triple Crown races, you will find that this simple prescription describes quite accurately the overall talent of numerous Triple Crown race winners. Last  year, for example, ANIMAL KINGDOM trained so well at Churchill Downs that he clearly was the fittest horse among the 19 who started in the Derby.

SHACKLEFORD, who won the 2011 Preakness, certainly was the fastest of the Triple Crown horses. And while Animal Kingdom seemed to be the best horse heading into the Belmont Stakes, he did not win because he was badly interfered with at the start and never recovered — despite attempting to rally boldly on the final turn.  That race was also contested on a muddy track, which, all by itself, can turn form upside down.

As a footnote to the 2011 Belmont Stakes, it was revealed soon aftrerwards that Animal Kingdom had endured an injury and would not be able to race again until the winter of 2012.

In 2010 SUPER SAVER had the best workouts of any horse during Derby week and he also proved to be a superior off track performer, giving trainer Todd Pletcher his only Kentucky Derby victory from more than two dozen tries.

While I might argue that 2010 Preakness winner LOOKIN AT LUCKY was not only the fastest horse, but the best as well, ‘Lucky’ did not run in the Belmont, which was the obvious reason the pattern had no meaning that year.

Is I’ll Have Another the fastest horse heading into the 2012 Preakness Stakes?

As I said, we can go back many years and see where the seemingly simplistic pattern actually has been among the best handicapping approaches to Triple Crown races one could possibly want to consider.

Delving a bit deeper, we can look at the horses who won both the Derby and Preakness as horses who not only were supremely fit for the 1-1/4 mile Run for the Roses, but also proved to be the fastest horse in the slightly shorter, 1-3/16 miles Preakness Stakes at Pimlico.

When these ‘double winners’ failed to complete a Triple Crown sweep in the grueling 1-1/2 mile race in New York that is properly called the ‘Test of the Champion’, they were adding subtle power to the guideline.

Somewhat rarer have been instances when a horse won the Kentucky Derby, lost the Preakness, but rebounded to win the Belmont. In those cases fitness married class, while speed took a back seat to the equation.

Riva Ridge was just such a horse. In 1972 he went wire to wire in the Kentucky Derby even though he brought a stretch running profile to the race. He was supremely fit and ready to express his fitness to win the first jewel in the Triple Crown and he could handle losing the Preakness with a weak performance on a wet track and recovering his top form on a dry surface at Belmont Park to dominate the Belmont Stakes.

As many know, it has been 34 years since a single Thoroughbred horse was able to sweep through the American Triple Crown.

AFFIRMED certainly was the fittest, the fastest and slightly the best over the gallant ALYDAR in 1978; SEATTLE SLEW was without question the fastest, fittest and the best in 1977; and few would dispute that the great SECRETARIAT was all three and then some in 1973.

As we look at the horses who will be running in today’s 137th Preakness Stakes, I’LL HAVE ANOTHER might very well have been the fittest horse on Derby Day given his strong workout schedule in Southern California for America’s most famous race.

Today, however, he goes into the Preakness looking as if he is not as fast as BODEMEISTER, who showed exceptional speed for nearly 1-1/4 miles. Going in, it looks like ‘Bode’ is going to prove to be the fastest horse in this year’s Triple Crown chase.

If Bodemeister falters in the late going today, he will be judged as a horse who showed too much speed prematurely and did not have enough left within him to win a classic race.

If I’LL HAVE ANOGTHER wins  today, we may grant him dual status as the fittest and the fastest horse in America, but he will still have to prove he is the best when we conclude our coverage of the Triple Crown at Belmont Park in New York on June 9.

If anyone tries to tell you that horse racing is a dying sport, that race horses are not four-legged athletes…that no one really cares how this and any other Triple Crown possession  turns out… just ignore them. They have not a clue.

Post time for the 137th Preakness Stakes is 6:18 p.m. Eastern Time.
The race will be broadcast on NBC with coverage beginning at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Bovada’s got all your Triple Crown odds.

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There’s no bigger race to win for a horse than the Kentucky Derby, and only one horse each year that can claim that win. This year it was I’ll Have Another in a mild upset. He settled off the torrid pace, but out of trouble behind the lead speed.

Mario Gutierrez is incredibly raw so it was easy to expect little from the jockey, but he was the biggest surprise on the day. He masterfully swung his horse out after a mile, sense the pace perfectly, tracked down Bodemeister in the deep stretch, and pulled away to win by almost two lengths.

It was a far more mature, professional race than you would have expected from horse or rider. It was certainly not a fluke.

Career highlights

The colt broke his maiden in his first try last July, and then he was second behind Creative Cause in the Best Pal at Del Mar a month later. He next went to Saratoga to run in the Hopeful against top East Coast runners. That was likely as a prelude to a Breeders’ Cup appearance, but the race was a disappointing sixth and he took the rest of the fall off.

When he returned in February in the Robert Lewis at Santa Anita he was a forgotten horse who went off at 43-1. He won that one impressively, though, and moved into the elite picture on the West Coast.

He didn’t have enough earnings to make the Derby, but his connections took a risk and held him out of action until the Santa Anita Derby. He basically needed to win to get a ticket to Kentucky.

And win he did.

He eked out a nose win over a very game Creative Cause. Even with that win, though, he still wasn’t seen as the top West Coast horse heading into the Derby — or even the top horse out of the Santa Anita Derby.

Jockey: Mario Gutierrez

This is a story right out of a Disney movie.

Gutierrez is a 25-year-old Mexican who had been riding in the minor leagues at Hastings Park in Vancouver. In the offseason of that circuit he had tried his luck on the Southern California circuit.

Things had not gone well, though, and he was about to go back to Vancouver. He was working horses one morning when owner Paul Reddam saw him and decided to give him the mount in the Robert Lewis because the top riders were on horses seen to have a better chance.

Gutierrez won, was promised the Santa Anita Derby mount, and decided to stay in California.

He had won just 14 races all year before the Kentucky Derby and should have been totally overwhelmed by the experience. He rode the race as well as any guy could have, though, and now he’s a Kentucky Derby champion who should have much fewer issues finding good mounts in the future.

The question now is how well he will handle being the hunted man in the Preakness instead of the guy that no one was paying attention to.

Trainer: Doug O’Neill

He’s one of the true characters of the sport — a guy who is easy to cheer for.

This is his first Triple Crown victory, but not his first taste of top three year old action. He had the top two year old of 2005 — Stevie Wonderboy — but he was injured before the Derby. Square Eddie may also have been the Derby favorite if he hadn’t been injured. Great Hunter and Liquidity both ran in the 2007 Derby, but both disappointed.

O’Neill’s biggest horse was the older gelding Lava Man, who won more than a dozen graded stakes before retiring in 2010. He now works as a pony horse for O’Neill, and ponied I’ll Have Another in the post parade at the Derby.

Pedigree

His sire, Flower Alley, was not ready for the Triple Crown trail in 2005, but he matured later to win two of the biggest East Coast races of the summer in the Jim Dandy and the Travers.

He’s early in his stallion career, but I’ll Have Another is a very good start, and there are clear indications that his offspring will have strong stamina traits like he did. The Derby distance was clearly not an issue, and the Belmont should be within his capabilities if he gets there.

Running style

He won his maiden wire-to-wire, but he seems happier when settled just off the pace before making his move at the top of the stretch. That will likely be his approach in the Preakness, though he could be tested if Bodemeister decides to let it fly up front.

If I’ll Have Another is forced to chase him too soon it could be a problem. He moved to the front earlier than ideal in the Best Pal and ran out of gas late.

Prognosis

If all goes according to plans then the Preakness should be a two-horse race.

Personally I think that Bodemeister is the better horse, but this horse has proven that he is very legitimate and will be a factor as well.

He’ll be bet heavily — likely as the second choice — and deserves the attention. In my mind a win isn’t the most likely scenario, but it would be far from a shock. He’ll factor into the stretch drive for sure.

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Nonetheless the Preakness is at its heart a horse race, and though not sexy, it is sometimes an opportunity for you to get rich quick so you can purchase shares of Facebook. So let’s check out the field and see if we can make some cash, shall we?

Preakness preview and picks after The Jump:

The first rule of thumb for all Preakness wagering is that since historically, there isn’t much coin to be won on this race, you have to get creative. Four of the last ten Kentucky Derby winners have won the Preakness and of the other six, three finished second, one third, one flopped and one was the heroic Barbaro, RIP. Why should you listen to my advice on this race after I steered you into a financial abyss in the Derby? That’s your call, though out of the 6 horses I was able to narrow the Derby field down to, 4 finished in the top 7 and 5 in the top 10. SO WHAT IF I DIDN’T HAVE THE WINNER, DAMMIT.

Here’s the 2012 Preakness field:

1. Tiger Walk – 30/1
Cool name for an exhibit at the National Zoo or a philandering golfer’s stroll up a fairway at Augusta, but this is a damn TRIPLE CROWN RACE and this horse simply hasn’t shown me that much. Tiger finished 4th in the Wood Memorial, a result that wouldn’t be that bad had the winner of the Wood (Gemologist) not flopped in the Derby to finish 16th. Career best Beyer of 90 and making his first start at Pimlico.
Verdict: TOSS.

2. Teeth Of The Dog – 15/1
Another cool name and I suspect much like ‘I’ll Have Another’ did at the Derby will draw some money from the drunken dolts the occupy the Preakness infield. NO OFFENSE. This horse isn’t terrible, has improved speed figures in last three races and grabbed 3rd in the aforementioned Wood Memorial.
Verdict: Of the new shooters, he may have the best chance to grab a piece of the action at the bottom of exotics.

These bros will likely be wagering on Teeth of the Dog.

3. Pretension – 30/1
This horse is coming off a victory on Derby day, except it was in a race called the Canonero II in which there were five freaking horses and the pace was slow as dogshit. HOW DO I KNOW DOSGHSIT IS SLOW, YOU ASK?
Verdict: TOSS.

4. Zetterholm – 20/1
Sounding like the name of a Nazi officer, Zetterholm has won his last three races but only has a career best Beyer of 85 and I don’t think will like that he is being asked to take on the greater distance than he is used to. “Vy you askeeng me to run zis distince you asshole trainer? I vill run one mile and you vill like eet! Germany has declared war on the Jones boys.”
Verdict: TOSS.

5. Went The Day Well – 6/1
Lost in the great run by Bodemeister and great final kick by I’ll Have Another is WTDW’s run in the Derby, which earned him a 97 Beyer in the come from behind effort to grab 4th. Maryland native WTDW has now run consecutive 93+ Beyers and seems to be coming into form. With a smaller field at Pimlico and less muck to run through on his way to the top of the stretch, WTDW could do some damage here. Wouldn’t surprise me if Went The Day Well runs a big race here to pull the upset, and I’m hoping he’ll have better value than 6-1 at post time.
Verdict: Contender. Include in any trifecta or superfecta wagers.

6. Creative Cause – 6/1
CC went off as a 12-1 shot in the Derby and was one of my picks to possibly win the race, and though he ultimately finished 5th AND FAILED ME he ran a game race as he always does. Last five Beyers are 92, 92, 102, 95 and 97 and there’s no reason to think he won’t be in the mix coming down the stretch once again. And if he doesn’t I will be first in line to purchase Creative Cause Glue next year.
Verdict: Contender. Include in any trifecta or superfecta wagers.

The Preakness infield is a fun place for girls to hang out! via cache.deadspin.com

7. Bodemeister – 8/5
Yeah yeah yeah, we get it. He probably should have won the Derby if his idiot jockey hadn’t bolted him to the lead and not let off the gas the entire way around the track and SAPPING HIS WILL TO LIVE down the stretch. Bode set the fastest fractions in Derby history yet couldn’t hold on in the final few yards because he was simply out of gas. The good news for Bode here is twofold: First, this race is shorter! And second: this race is shorter! Breaking out of the 7 post, Bode will have no trouble at all dictating what race he wants to run, and being that this is a more manageable field distinctly lacking in any speed that will force him to gun it to the lead from the outset, I suspect Bode to be right there at the top of the stretch with plenty in reserve coming for home. This race might be a replay of the Arkansas Derby where Bode led the field at the top of the stretch and then kicked it into high gear to dominate by 9 lengths. Then again, he might have nothing left after the two monster races in Arkansas and Kentucky and coming off the quick two week layoff. In any case, expect to see Bob Baffert’s face and majestic white mane a lot on television tomorrow.
Verdict: Contender. Include at top of wagers.

8. Daddy Nose Best – 12/1
I was suckered into dropping money on this guy in the Derby after his relatively impressive run to win the Sunland Derby and reports that he had been practicing well at Churchill. Despite the 20 horse shitshow that is the 1st leg of the Triple Crown, DNB had a nice trip through the mess and was in a great position to make a move. Then alas, he never fired and finished 10th.
Verdict: Giving him one more chance because I am an idiot and will include in exotics.

9. I’ll Have Another – 5/2
Excellent post position for the Derby champ, who completely blew my battle-tested theory of ‘tossing the Santa Anita Derby champion from Kentucky Derby consideration’ out of the water. IHA will be gunning for the second leg of the crown from the 9 post, with Bode on his inside. This will again allow IHA to stalk the pace and make his move late, with the big question being whether it will be enough to catch Bode. My guess is no, but I also guessed that Nerlens Noel had a damn “G” shaved into the back of his head.
Verdict: Duh.

10. Optimizer – 30/1
No truth to the rumor that Optimizer will be starring in next summer’s blockbuster Transformers sequel as the horse who has no business running in these Triple Crown races and gets blown up with a laser by a Decepticon. Also no truth to the rumor that Optimizer is the horse that took Fab Melo’s exams for him at Syracuse. That horse was named Laurie Fine. Also no truth to the rumor in that last comment, because the last thing I need is a defamation suit thrown at THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON, even though by contractual agreement I believe that would be SB Nation’s problem and not mine. Also, SB Nation apparently owns all of our Casual content and the rights to casualhoya.com. I will sign anything.
Verdict: TOSS.

11. Cozzetti – 30/1
Cozzetti was one of my favorite characters on ‘The Wire’, though I always thought he would return to his philandering ways once he was elected Mayor of Baltimore. It’s weird seeing him now in ‘Game of Thrones’. If you’re keeping score at home, that’s now two ‘philandering’ references in this opus, which is par for the course for any casual Preakness preview.
Verdict: TOSS.

OK, so where are we.

2. Teeth of the Dog
5. Went The Day Well
6. Creative Cause
7. Bodemeister
8. Daddy Nose Best
9. I’ll Have Another

6 horses! One too many for my liking to play around with in the Preakness, so I’m going to bounce the 8 horse Daddy Nose Best because I don’t think his closing style will play well at Pimlico and I’d rather take a chance on a pony with better value.

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