Musket Man, the overachieving colt that finished third in the Kentucky Derby behind Mind That Bird and Pioneerof The Mile as a 20 to 1 longshot is getting more respect for Saturday's Preakness Stakes. In a recent odds update, offshore sportsbook Bodog is listing Musket Man as an 8-to-1 Preakness Stakes sleeper. Rachel Alexandra is installed the favorite at 8 to 5 odds.
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Musket Man in a big effort to finish third at in the Kentucky Derby, a nose behind Pioneerof the Nile. A $15,000 yearling purchase by co-owner Vic Carlson, Musket Man has come far in a short period of time. He easily won his debut at Belmont last October; tallied next at Philadelphia Park, then won his 2009 bow at Tampa, the Pasco Stakes. A third to General Quarters in the Sam Davis Stakes came prior to successive tallies in the Tampa and Illinois Derbys.
A son of Yonaguska, a prolific 2-year-old who dead-heated for the win in the Hopeful as a 2-year-old and did his best running in sprints, Musket Man has exhibited an off-the-pace running style that, despite his sprint pedigree, argues for success in longer distances.
