2009 Preakness Bets at Bodog.com have the Derby runner-up, Pioneerof the Nile, listed at 4 to 1 odds to win the Preakness Stakes. The colt, who was sired by Empire Maker, had won four straight races before finishing second to Mine That Bird at Churchill Downs two weekends ago. Obviously, given the odds that he is getting, people are expecting another quality performance from Pioneerof the Nile today.
Pioneerof’s trainer, Bob Baffert, can be counted among those who expect to see the horse turn in a solid run at Pimlico, regardless of the grind that the Derby might have had on him.
“He’s really bounced out of it well (Derby run). I’ve had horses that I’ve run there that you can tell it really took a lot out of them, and I really didn’t want to bring them,” Baffert said. “But I sort of had to bring them to take another shot at it. He came back like the ones that won it. He’s going to run a big race.”
Baffert hopes that the track situation at the legendary Pimlico is not spoiled by rain. He likes how his colt has worked at the unblemished facility this week. The conditions at Churchill Downs did not give him a true reading of what his horse can do on a clean dirt track and, prior to the Derby, Pioneerof the Nile spent most of his time dominating synthetic tracks in California.
“The track is nice. We’ve got to keep the weather. I still want to see what my horse does on dirt," Baffert said. "I’ve seen him on sticky mud. I want to see what he does on dirt. He went well [Thursday]. He looked good out there.”
2009 Preakness Bets expert Anthony Stabile of VegasInsider.com coincides with the opinion of most that Baffert’s trainee will be a huge presence this afternoon.
“Like many, I was surprised to see him lying third in the Derby but Gomez was obviously paying attention that day and knew you had to be close,” Stabile said. “The problem now is that his newfound speed may get him into a bad spot come Saturday as it appears that half the field would like to be sitting where he was in the Derby. A return to his off-the-pace style may be just what the doctor ordered in the Preakness. An obvious major player.”
Bodog.com 2009 Preakness Bets: Pioneerof The Nile 4 to 1 Preakness Odds
Rachel Alexandra 8/5
Pioneerof the Nile 4/1
Mine That Bird 11/2
Friesan Fire 8/1
Big Drama 10/1
Musket Man 10/1
Papa Clem 10/1
General Quarters 20/1
Luv Gov 35/1
Take the Points 35/1
Terrain 35/1
Tone It Down 40/1
Flying Private 45/1
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