• Bookies
  • Picks
  • 2023 Preakness Stakes Picks, Best Bets & Predictions For Pimlico

2023 Preakness Stakes Picks, Best Bets & Predictions For Pimlico

Adam Thompson for Bookies.com

Adam Thompson  | 4 mins

2023 Preakness Stakes Picks, Best Bets & Predictions For Pimlico

Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets if Your First Bet Loses
Promo Code: BOOKIES

Visit site
Used 19 Times Today
Popular in Ohio
Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Must be 21+ to participate & present in OH. In partnership with MGM Northfield Park. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Visit BetMGM.com for T&Cs. US promotional offers not available in NY, NV, or Puerto Rico.

Bookies.com handicapper Adam Thompson has been crushing horse racing the last two years. If you bet $5 on the picks for the 2021 TVG Pacific Classic, your account would be $232 fatter. 

That’s just the latest in a string of horse racing betting success for Thompson, who won $480 on a $10 wager at the 2021 Preakness Stakes and hit the exacta at the Belmont Stakes last year, taking $75 on a $10 bet.

Now he has set his sights on the 2023 Preakness Stakes. The eight-horse field goes to post at 7:01 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 20. 

Two weeks ago, Thompson just missed on a big payday for the Derby but crushed six of the seven other races Saturday and nailed a massive 42/1 Exacta Box on Friday to finish up huge on the weekend. 

Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets if Your First Bet Loses
Promo Code: BOOKIES

Visit site
Used 12 Times Today
Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Must be 21+ to participate & present in OH. In partnership with MGM Northfield Park. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Visit BetMGM.com for T&Cs. US promotional offers not available in NY, NV, or Puerto Rico.

$20 No Sweat First Horse Racing Bet

Visit site
Used 68 Times Today
Must be 18+ to participate. Terms and conditions apply.

2023 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course

Saturday, May 20| 7:01 p.m. ET | NBC

After a 23-horse field thrilled at the Kentucky Derby, just seven horses will line up for the second leg of the Triple Crown. Fortunately, one of them was the Derby winner. 

MAGE (#3, 8-5 morning line odds) had morning horse racing odds of 16-1 at the Derby but finished strong for the historic win. The horse won’t sneak up on anyone here though, coming in as the favorite in the latest Preakness Stakes odds on sports betting apps

If Mage runs as he did at the Derby, he will be very difficult to beat. I believe he will, and he’s my pick to win the Preakness – as dull as that might be. 

Picking the winner is just part of the fun for horse racing, however, and there are other horses to like and to include in our tickets for Saturday. 

NATIONAL TREASURE (#1, 4-1) is the hope for Bob Baffert as he looks for his record-breaking eighth Preakness win. Legendary jockey John Velazquez will be on the horse, which has yet to prove itself to be a true champion yet. Few horses can match his “strength of schedule,” and he’s finished no worse than fourth, ever. It’s our favorite non-favorite to win. 

With such a small field, it’s tough to find a gem worth backing big. But there are a few worth seasoning for the exotics. With all good picks, one must fade a contender, and for us that’s RED ROUTE ONE (#5, 10-1), who is 0-for-6 in graded stakes races, with half of those times finishing out of the top three entirely. 

Here’s how we’re betting the race; you can lay out your bet at TwinSpires racing bookand on their sports betting app.

First Bet Safety Net Up To $1,000

Visit site
Used 4 Times Today
Deposit required. Paid in Bonus Bets. Bets wager excluded from returns. New Customer only. Must be 21+ and present in OH. T&Cs apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets if Your First Bet Loses
Promo Code: BOOKIES

Visit site
Used 49 Times Today
Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Must be 21+ to participate & present in OH. In partnership with MGM Northfield Park. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Visit BetMGM.com for T&Cs. US promotional offers not available in NY, NV, or Puerto Rico.

Preakness Stakes Picks

$10 To Win: 3 ($10)

$4 Exacta Box: 1,3,7 ($24)

$.50 Trifecta: 1,3 with 1,2,3,4,7 with 1,2,3,4,7 ($16)

$.20 Superfecta: 1,3 with 1,2,3,4,7 with 1,2,3,4,7 with 1,2,3,4,7 ($20)

Adam Thompson’s Pimlico Park Saturday Picks

Race 1: Win: 10; Exacta Box: 1,3,10

Race 2: Win: 3; Exacta Box: 3,5,6

Race 3: Win: 10

Race 4: Exacta Box: 3,4,6; Trifecta Box: 3,4,6

Race 5: Win: 6; Exacta Box: 4,5,6,10; Trifecta Box: 4,5,6,10

Race 6: Win: 1; Exacta: 1,5 with 1,2,3,5

Race 7: Win: 5; Exacta Box: 2,5,7

Race 8: Win: 1; Exacta: 1 with 2,4,7

Race 9: Win: 2; Exacta Box: 2,3,6

Race 10: Exacta Box: 1,3,10

Race 11: Exacta Box: 7,8,10

Race 12: Exacta Box: 1,5,9

Race 13 (PREAKNESS): Win: 3; Exacta Box: 1,3,7; Trifecta: 1,3 with 1,2,3,4,7 with 1,2,3,4,7

Race 14: Trifecta Box: 3,5,7,9

$20 No Sweat First Horse Racing Bet

Visit site
Used 64 Times Today
Must be 18+ to participate. Terms and conditions apply.

About the Author

Adam Thompson for Bookies.com
Adam Thompson
NFL writer and expert Adam Thompson joined Bookies.com in 2019 after a successful run as senior handicapper for SportsLine and CBSSports.com. He's long been established as one of the nation's premier handicappers, specializing in the NFL where he's hit on more than 60% over the past three years. Adam's NBA, PGA and horse racing picks have also produced major winners over the last 12 months. His customized NFL and NBA odds for players and teams have been picked up by hundreds of websites over the past year.