HAPPY PREAKNESS, EVERYBODY!
AND ENJOY THE PREAKNESS!
WE'LL APPROACH THIS YEAR'S PREAKNESS STAKES DIFFERENTLY, BETTING STRATEGY-WISE!
WE'LL DO A LONGSHOT PARLAY SPECIAL WHERE ALL OF OUR LEGS ARE LONGSHOTS, EXCEPT THE SECOND LEG.
THIS MEANS THE 3RD AND LAST LEG IS A LONGSHOT PLAY!
IN DOING SO, WE BREAK THE PARLAY'S 3RD AND LAST LEG RULE BY PICKING A LONGSHOT!
THE PARLAY'S 3RD-LEG RULE STATES THAT THE HORSE MUST BE A HEAVY FAVORITE - THE HORSE MUST BE A CINCH!
BUT WE'RE BREAKING THAT RULE BY PICKING A LONGSHOT IN OUR PARLAY'S 3RD-LEG -- IT'S A NO, NO - NOT A GOOD IDEA (for the most part)!
WITH THAT SAID, LET'S HAVE SOME FUN!
LET'S START THE PREAKNESS OFF WITH A BANG!
This is the first leg.
6 Furlongs Fillies and Mares 3 Year Olds And Up Skipat Stakes
PURSE: $125,000
Track: Laurel
Race: 4
Horse: Benedetta (ML 8-1)
Bet Benedetta (ML 8-1) to win and place and show using double down betting strategy.
Yes, this qualifies as one of my Preakness Day longshot plays.
Benedetta (ML 8-1) is a OBSMAR23 $750,000 Sale and her best race came against a super freak horse named Two Sharp a year ago in the Winning Colors Stakes where she finished a very sharp second to that horse, ahead of a highly regarded and talented Hope Road (trained by Bob Baffert).
Another one that she beat was a very good horse named Irish Maxima at Mahony Vally Racecourse in November (2024).
If you read her past performance, she ran against very tough group of horses, including Kopion, Ways and Means, Halina's Forte, Taxed, Haulin Ice, Justique, R Disaster, Scylla (who won the Breeders' Cup Distaff 2025), Hope Road, and Two Sharp.
HERE IS AN EXCEPT OF WHAT I WROTE ABOUT TWO SHARP AFTER SHE WON THE WINNING COLORS STAKES ON MAY 26, 2025:
STAR SPRINTER FILLY IN THE MAKING!
A NEW AND UPCOMING STRINT STAR FILLY TWO SHARP WAS SHARP IN 1:08.75
Two Sharp, trained by Phil Bauer, won the $250,000 Winning Colors (G3) at Churchill Downs on Monday May 26, 2025 (Memorial Day) by 3½ lengths while clocking six furlongs in a swift 1:08.75.
Two Sharp set fast fractions of 21.14 (for quarter-mile), 43.99 (for half-mile), 56.15 (for five furlongs) enroute to a swift six furlongs in 1:08.75.
Note that her half-mile time is the fastest half-mile in the race that dates to 2004.
Even with that kind of half-mile time at Churchill Downs she still won comfortably against a very solid group of horses, particularly Hope Road and Brightwork.
Very impressive!
Two Sharp broke alertly from the outside gate (7) in a field reduced to seven after two scratches, and the 4yo filly (by Twirling Candy out of Double Sharp, by Distorted Humor) led every step of the way to win comfortably over a 20-1 longshot Benedetta.
Two Sharp was sent off as the 9/5 second choice behind the 4/5 favorite Hope Road who finished a distance third, while Brightwork finished a distance fourth.
[END EXCERPT]
With that background in mind, I'm very excited about Benedetta in this race, and I think she will win at huge price, perhaps, at around 5-1 despite a morning line of 8-1.
I think she will go off at 4-1 or 5-1, and anything higher than that, consider it as a "GIFT" from the Preakness crowd.
I know I will take it as a gift and dive head first on her.
I will say this:
THIS IS THE EASIEST MONEY YOU'LL EVER GOING TO GET ON THE PREAKNESS CARD OR ON ANY OTHER CARDS, FOR THAT MATTER!
The play:
Bet Benedetta (ML 8-1) to win and place and show using double down betting strategy.
For me, with a $500 budget for the whole day, I will go $50 to win, $100 to place, and $200 to show: $350 total with $150 left for the remaining races, particularly the 2nd and third leg of this longshot parlay special (if Benedetta fails to show up - but I think she will show up and win this race).
This is the 2nd leg.
MAKE SURE TO USE ALL OF THE ACCUMULATED MONEY ON THIS LEG!
1 1/16 Miles Open 3 Year Olds Sir Barton S. sponsored by Connolly Family Foundation to Benefit The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance
PURSE: $100,000
Track: Laurel
Race: 6
Horse: Reagan's Honor (ML 7-5)
Bet Reagan's Honor (ML 7-5) to win and place using double down betting strategy.
This is the 3rd and last leg -- the leg that pays the bills.
MAKE SURE TO USE ALL OF THE ACCUMULATED MONEY ON THIS LEG!
1 3/16 Miles Open 3 Year Olds G1 Preakness S.
PURSE: $2,000,000
Track: Laurel
Race: 13
Horses: Iron Honor (ML 9-2) and Napoleon Solo (ML 8-1)
Bet Iron Honor (ML 9-2) to win, place, show using double down betting strategy.
Bet Napoleon Solo (ML 8-1) win, place, show using double down betting strategy.
MAKE SURE TO USE ALL OF THE ACCUMULATED MONEY ON THIS LEG!
Yes, that is right: Betting two horses at the same time to win, place, show.
The best-case scenario for this bet is for a "DEAD-HEAT" for the win between Iron Honor and Napoleon Solo -- wouldn't that be awesome?
ENJOY THE PREAKNESS, EVERYONE!
FUN! FUN! AND LOTS OF FUN!
SEE YOU ALL IN THREE WEEKS IN THE BELMONT STAKES!
