Bookies.com handicapper Adam Thompson crushed horse racing in 2021. If you bet $5 on his 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, taking $75 on a $10 bet.

Now, we have set our sights on the 2022 Preakness Stakes. The nine-horse field doesn’t feature shocking Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike, at 80-1 the biggest long shot on the track that day. 

2022 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course

Saturday, May 21 | 7:01 p.m. ET | NBC

The Kentucky Derby didn’t go well for most bettors after Rich Strike pulled the rug from Epicenter and Zandon. It pulled the rug from us, as well; we had Epicenter and Zandon at the top of all my picks. We take it as a sign we were very much on the right path, and one of those flukes that happen in horse racing (often) occurred. 

The horse racing odds for the weekend’s Preakness Stakes have three horses near the top of the morning line odds at TwinSpires, among other betting sites.

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Epicenter (#8, 6-5 morning line odds) was our pick at the Derby, and it’s our pick again here. The Steve Asmussen horse has never finished worse than second in any race, and has still won four of his last six. He was en route to a Derby win before Rich Strike’s unprecedented finish. 

The odds aren’t very big on Epicenter, so there isn’t much to gain from picking the horse to simply win. So taking home big bucks is about who finishes underneath. 

RELATED: How Much Would You Make Betting The Preakness Favorite Every Year?

Early Voting (#5, 7-2) is considered the No. 2 horse by oddsmakers, and for good reason. The Chad Brown entrant won his first two races before taking second to Derby contender Mo Donegal at the Grade 2 Wood Memorial. Mo Donegal won’t be in the Preakness, but there is reason to believe he’ll still be a step behind Epicenter. 

Secret Oath (#4, 9-2) won the prestigious Kentucky Oaks, the big race the day before the Derby, and has won three of four before that. This is the next logical step for the D. Wayne Lucas racer, and finishing top three here is very possible. The legendary trainer has won six Preakness Stakes – he knows how to win on this track. 

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The same goes for Creative Minister (#2, 10-1), who has two wins and one runner-up in three career races. Creative Minister is just getting going, so beating the likes of an Epicenter would be a surprise. 

After that, there are a few horses worth tossing at the bottom of an exacta or superfecta. We’re fading Simplification (#1, 6-1) despite a strong fourth-place finish at the Derby. His third-place at the G1 Florida Derby in April shows he seems content being near the front of the elite races, but not at the front. 

Skippylongstocking (#9, 20-1) took third at the G2 Wood Memorial but that race set career-best scores from every horse in the field, so we’re not buying the immediate improvement. Armagnac (#7, 12-1) has taken fourth and sixth in his two top-level races. 

And yes, we know an 80-1 mega-longshot took the Run for the Roses, but we’re not including the Preakness’ two biggest underdogs, Happy Jack (#8, 30-1) and Fenwick (#9, 50-1). 

Here’s how we’re betting the race; you can lay out your bet at TwinSpires racing book and other sports betting apps.

Preakness Stakes Picks

• $20 To Win: 8 ($20)
• $5 Exacta: 8 with 2,4,5 ($15)
• $2 Exacta: 2 with 4,5,8 ($6)
• $1 Trifecta: 8 with 2,4,5 with 1,2,4,5,7,9 ($15)
• $.50 Superfecta: 8 with 2,4,5 with 1,2,4,5,7,9 with ALL ($45)

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