How Do You Like Your (Preakness) Stakes?

Horse racing in the United States is, to most people, three races – the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. The second of those three is upon us Saturday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

Here’s the way each racing year seems to unfold: Until the Derby, no one can name a single horse running it. Once there is a winner, such as American Pharoah two weeks ago, the next and only question is, Will he win the Triple Crown? If the Derby winner doesn’t take the Preakness, horse racing goes to sleep for another year.

No horse has won the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978. The excitement that builds when a horse takes the first two legs (pardon the expression) of the three races is rare. Only 11 horses have won the Triple Crown but there have been some recent near-misses, most recently last year when California Chrome won the first two races and finished fourth in the grueling Belmont, a 1 ½ mile beast (the Preakness is 1 3/16 miles, the Derby 1 ¼). I’ll Have Another (2012) did not run in the Belmont due to tendinitis and was retired. Big Brown (2008) did not finish the Belmont.

American Pharoah is the 4-5 favorite in the Preakness. Stablemate Dortmund, who was third in the Derby, is 7-2 and Firing Line, second in the Derby, is 4-1. Pharoah is running from the No. 1 post position, Dortmund from the No. 2, and neither is considered advantageous.

Another two minutes of fun awaits on Saturday afternoon. If American Pharoah wins, get ready for three weeks of hype before the Belmont Stakes on June 6.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .