Experts' takes on the Preakness Stakes

The undefeated colt Justify was the best of his class after a 2 1/2-length romp in the slop in the Kentucky Derby on May 5. He will look to maintain his unbeaten streak - and get one step closer to clinching the Triple Crown - in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race course.

Justify, trained by Triple Crown winner Bob Baffert, drew the No. 7 post and is the overwhelming 1-2 favorite. Seven other horses will try to upset Justify, including Derby runner-up Good Magic, and Quip, a new face to the Triple Crown series who has been getting a lot of buzz.

We asked horse-racing experts burning questions to get a better understanding of the 2018 Preakness, which takes place May 19 at 5 p.m. ET.

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After what you saw in the Derby, and in his performances this spring, is Justify a no-brainer to win on Saturday?

Brian DiDonato, racing editor of Thoroughbred Daily News and managing partner of Franklin Avenue Equine: Probably, yes. Good Magic was the only horse who seemed on the same planet as Justify in the Derby, but not enough so to expect him to turn the tables barring a very tough trip or something for the favorite. Baffert's four-for-four stat with Derby winners in the Preakness is noteworthy, too.

Jennifer Morrison, handicapper and horse racing writer for the Toronto Star: The beauty of horse racing is that there is no such thing as a sure thing. The Preakness does offer Kentucky Derby winner Justify a smaller set of rivals, and perhaps another muddy track which he loves. But there are a few questions, enough that those of us who picked him second in the Derby will do so again. He emerged from the Derby with a minor bruise on a hind foot and has trained with a three-quarter shoe. He has no doubt healed up, but who knows what will happen on another sloppy track come Preakness time. He came home very slowly in the Derby after going too fast early. Those tactics won't work against a smaller field of fresh rivals in the Preakness.

Nicolle Neulist, founder of blinkers-off.com: It's hard to call Justify a no-brainer. After all, if you're going to side with a horse at a 1-2 morning line, and perhaps even shorter on race day, you've got to have a well-thought-out reason for why they're the goods. That said, do I think Justify is the pick in the Preakness? Yes, absolutely.

What are the chances of Derby runner-up Good Magic turning the tables?

BD: Good Magic is definitely the second-most likely winner of the race. But it does feel like he was set up to peak on Derby day, so there's some chance he could regress here. He'll probably need Justify to have an off day or a bad trip in order to turn the tables.

JM: I think Good Magic has an excellent chance to continue his improvement as a 3-year-old this year by toppling Justify. He has the tactical speed to stay close to the Derby winner and will be ready to pounce.

NN: He is the best of the rest, but if he couldn't catch Justify in the Derby, it's hard to think he will in the Preakness. There's an old adage: "The pace makes the race." Good Magic is an off-pace sort, the type who benefits from a hotly contested pace in front of him. Good Magic could - even should - hit the board. Though it's a vote of confidence that Chad Brown even sends him to the Preakness, it's difficult to imagine a plausible scenario in which he gets the best of Justify.

What long shot in the race do you think deserves respect and why?

BD: I think Tenfold is one to keep an eye on, at least for underneath. I loved his debut performance, and think maybe trying the GI Arkansas Derby third out was just asking a bit much. Now he'll come in fresh, and hopefully more mature. The distance should suit him as well.

JM: Lone Sailor is a super long shot to have for the Preakness. This fast-improving colt looked fabulous before the Derby, but he was delayed in traffic around the last turn and still came with a mighty stretch rally. He is a descendant of one of the great female racing families (Courtly Dee) and is sitting on a big race.

NN: Lone Sailor deserves a place in the conversation. He is well proven on a sloppy track, both in a maiden romp and in a perfectly solid (and troubled) Kentucky Derby run. Pimlico isn't as unfriendly to closers as some of the naysayers claim, and a closer can even do well on a wet day.

If new shooter Quip isn't your long shot, where does he fit in the mix?

BD: Quip is one I'll be playing against. I can't envision him winning and will toss him from the top three at his expected price. His good races were aided by easy trips.

JM: Quip will be pressing or stalking Justify early and I would not be surprised to see Bravazo sent along to make the pace even hotter. I like the fact that Quip is fresh having not run in the Derby, but I'm not convinced he can last for more than a small piece.

NN: Quip won't be a big long shot, most likely - he will probably be the well-defined third choice. That's fitting, as he's probably the third-best horse in the field. He has some upside: He comes third off the lay, has tactical speed, and has a solid mud pedigree. The rail draw isn't a huge worry. It may force him to be near the front, but that's where he wants to be, anyway. Class seems like the biggest question, as Quip has not faced horses as good as Justify and Good Magic yet. But, he has been good enough so far and is lightly enough raced that he could improve. It wouldn't surprise me to see him finish as high as second.

With a $20 budget, how would you advise someone to bet the race?

BD: $10 Trifecta: Justify-Good Magic-Tenfold; $7 Trifecta: Justify-Tenfold-Good Magic; $3 Trifecta: Good Magic-Justify-Tenfold

JM: $4 Exacta part wheel with Lone Sailor on top of Good Magic and Justify (cost is $8); then, I would box the 3 horses for $2.

NN: $1 Superfecta wheel, keying Justify to win, then Quip, Lone Sailor, and Good Magic are wheeled: they can finish 2-3-4 in any order; $1 Superfecta, in which Justify has to win, Good Magic has to be second, and then the 3-4 finishers have to be either Quip, Lone Sailor, or Diamond King, in any order as long as third and fourth places are some combination of those horses; In the $0.50 base ticket, Justify has to win, Good Magic has to be second, third has to be either Quip, Lone Sailor, or Diamond King, and anyone can be 4th.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)