Always Dreaming of Preakness too

Kentucky Derby winner ALWAYS DREAMING was made the 4-5 favourite for the 142nd Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Racecourse tomorrow morning (Singapore time), after being drawn into the fourth starting spot in the 10-horse field.

The dark colt, ridden by John Velazquez, captured the first leg in American flat racing's Triple Crown and hopes to win the second jewel by prevailing in the 1,900m classic in Baltimore, Maryland.

CLASSIC EMPIRE, the second choice of oddsmakers at 3-1, will break from the fifth gate, just outside Always Dreaming, in what could be a head-to-head duel.

In all, four Derby horses will challenge Always Dreaming again, with Classic Empire having been a Derby favourite but settling for fourth on a sloppy track.

"I wasn't overly concerned about where we drew," said Todd Pletcher, Always Dreaming's trainer. "In a lot of races, things change as soon as the gates open. We'll just let him run his race."

Classic Empire's trainer, Mark Casse, is expecting an interesting race.

"Always Dreaming is obviously a very good horse. We just want a fair shot at him," he said. "It could be interesting. They might go right at it from the start."

If Always Dreaming wins again, the horse could complete the treble at next month's Belmont Stakes.

Only 12 horses have managed the feat, the most recent of them American Pharoah in 2015 to end a record drought that had lasted since Affirmed in 1978.

Derby runner-up LOOKIN AT LEE was third in the betting choices at 10-1 and will start from the ninth post position.

CLOUD COMPUTING, at 12-1, will start from the No. 2 gate, while 15-1 CONQUEST MO MONEY starts on the outside and 15-1 GUNNEVERA, seventh in the Derby, leaves from the sixth gate.

HENCE, 11th in the Derby, starts third from the rail at 20-1.

There are three 30-1 longshots - MULTIPLIER starting along the rail, TERM OF ART starting from the seventh gate and SENIOR INVESTMENT starting just outside of him. 
- AFP