Oxbow was not a Preakness favorite heading into yesterday’s Triple Crown race, despite an impressive turn at the 2013 Kentucky Derby. The bay colt kept up with Palace Malice despite its early torrid pace and he had enough left in the tank to hang on to sixth. And, of course, Oxbow had Triple Crown connections in D.Wayne Lukas and jockey Gary Stevens.

None of that seemed to matter to the odds makers, it did matter on the Pimlico Track. Oxbow recorded a near wire to wire victory, finishing with a 1 3/4 lengths win over Itsmyluckyday and in a time of 1:57.54 (track record set in 1973 by Secretariat 1:53.00).

The victory represented Lukas sixth Preakness Stakes title (Codex 1980, Tank’s Prospect 1985, Tabasco Cat 1994, Timber Country 1995, Charismatic 1999, Oxbow 2013), leaving him one short of record holder Wyndham Walter, and jockey Stevens third winning run at the Preakness (Silver Charm 1997, Point Given 2001).

2013 Preakness Stakes Results & Payouts: Based on $2.00 wager

Post 6 Oxbow $32.80 (Win), $12.00 (Place), $6.80 (Show)
Post 9 Itsmyluckyday $7.80 (Place), $5.00 (Show)
Post 5 Mylute $5.20 (Show)
Post 1 Orb
Post 2 Goldencents
Post 4 Departing
Post 7 Will Take Charge
Post 8 Govenor Charlie
Post 3 Titletown Five

$2.00 EXACTA $301.40
$2.00 TRIFECTA $2061.60

The first Triple Crown winner was Sir Barton, who completed the trifecta in 1919; 11 other horses have since followed in his footsteps, including all-time greats Secretariat and Seattle Slew. The next horse to win the Triple Crown after Sir Barton was Gallant Fox in 1930. His Triple Crown achievement set off a chain reaction of sorts as six more horses (Omaha – 1935, War Admiral – 1937, Whirlaway – 1941, Count Fleet – 1943, Assault – 1946, Citation – 1948) duplicated his effort over the course of the next 18 years.

A Triple Crown drought ensued, though, after Citation completed that run with Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes wins in 1948. It took Secretariat, arguably the greatest horse of all-time, to end the dry spell with a record setting Triple Crown turn in 1973. He was followed by Seattle Slew and Affirmed, which won the Triple Crown in 1977 and 1978, respectively.

With Affirmed being the last horse to complete the grueling challenge, horse racing fans are begging for another Triple Crown winner. Several colts made a run at it over the last 16 years as Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998), Charismatic (1999), War Emblem (2002), Funny Cide (2003), Smarty Jones (2004), Big Brown (2008), and I’ll Have Another (2012) all completed Derby/Preakness doubles. Many are hoping Orb joins their company on Saturday, creating an opportunity for another Triple Crown winner to emerge at the Belmont Stakes on June 8th.

Orb Triple Crown Odds 2013: Provided by CarbonSports.ag

Will Orb Win the 2013 Triple Crown?

Yes +240
No -300

Will Orb Win the 2013 Preakness Stakes?

Yes +140
No -170

Kentucky Derby Prop Bets 2013: Provided by CarbonSports.ag

Will three separate horses win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes?

Yes (+100)
No (-130)

Winning time of the Kentucky Derby:

Over 2:02.50 (+105)
Under 2:02.50 (-135)

Only two of the last six winning Derby times have crested 2:02.50, but one of those featured an incredibly sloppy track (2010 Super Saver) while the other featured a relatively weak field (2009 Mine That Bird). Given the Beyer rating of some of this year’s favorites, it seems more than reasonable to expect a winning time Under 2:02.50.

Will the Derby Winner win the Preakness Stakes?

Yes (+150)
No (-200)

There are only 33 Derby/Preakness doubles (includes 11 Triple Crown winners), but it has been a somewhat common occurrence over the last 15 years with Silver Charm, Real Quiet, Charismatic, War Emblem, Funny Cide, Smarty Jones, Big Brown, and I’ll Have Another all completing the feat.

Will the Derby Winner win the Belmont Stakes?

Yes (+300)
No (-500)

This is a far more infrequent happening as outside the 11 Triple Crown winners only 11 horses have won the Derby and Belmont. The last horse to pull off a Derby/Belmont double was Thunder Gulch in 1995.

Will a Horse win two of the three Triple Crown Races?

Yes (+100)
No (-130)

Will Secretariat’s 1973 record time be beaten in the 2013 Kentucky Derby?

Yes Under 1:59.40 (+700)
No Over 1:59.40 (-1000)

Heck and No. Only one horse has finished under 2:00 minutes since Secretariat tore up the Churchill Downs track and that was 2001 Derby winner Monarchos.

Will a horse win the 2013 Triple Crown?

Yes (+750)
No (-950)

There are a few potential Triple Crown candidates in Verrazano, Orb, Goldencents, and Revolutionary, but given that it has not happened since Affirmed did it in 1978, the safe answer is no.

Take Charge Indy broke its maiden on the first attempt, running six furlongs in 1:12.52 to beat out Ville and My Samurai, but the colt struggled to find the winner’s circle after that. The Patrick Byrne trained animal dove head long into stiff competition following its initial run, taking second in the Grade 3 Arlington-Washington Futurity before participating in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity (finished fourth) and the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (finished fifth).

Take Charge Indy’s handlers elected to give the colt a break after such a heavy schedule, not racing it again until the end of January. Indy found its way back into the money when it did return to the track, placing second to fellow Derby runner El Padrino in a Gulfstreams Park Allowance race.

The colt finally turned heads in late March at the Grade 1 Florida Derby. Take Charge Indy stunned Derby favorite Union Rags, taking first in the key prep race with a winning time of 1:48.79 (1 1/8 miles).

Today will provide another opportunity for Borel and Take Charge Indy to spoil expectations as the pair attempt overcome one of the more solid Derby fields in recent memory. Borel, who loves to ride the rail, is no stranger to foiling plans as he piloted long shots Mine That Bird and Super Saver to victory at Churchill Downs.

Considering Take Charge Indy’s pedigree (bloodlines include the aforementioned A.P. Indy and Triple Crown winners Seattle Slew and Secretariat) and Borel’s recent mastery of horse racing’s biggest event, the colt may be the best bet on the board at 12 to 1 odds.

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Take Charge Indy Odds 2012 Kentucky Derby Bets: Provided by Bovada.lv

Take Charge Indy 12/1 (To Win 2012 Kentucky Derby)

Union Rags broke his maiden last July in the first attempt and the colt immediately made the jump to graded stakes racing. Not only did it take a swift step up in competition, it did so with great success. Following its maiden voyage Union Rags took first place at the Grade 2 Saratoga Special (August, 2011); it then moved on to the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park where it also earned a first place finish.

Union Rags, which will start Saturday’s Derby from Gate 4, suffered its first setback, so to speak, in November of 2011 when it fell short of Hansen in the 1 1/16 miles Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs. The Dixie Union sired colt would not race again until February when it entered the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Florida. Union Rags returned to the winners circle after navigating the 1 1/16 miles dirt surface in 1:42.68.

Unfortunately for the colt it suffered its worst finish in its biggest event to date, the Grade 1 Florida Derby (March 31st), placing behind fellow Derby entrant Take Charge Indy and Reveron in the key prep race. Despite that unexpected result, most pundits are still expecting a solid performance from the colt on Saturday.

Union Rags pedigree and race history (four wins in six starts) are both favorable as its bloodlines include such champions as Secretariat, the aforementioned Dixie Union, and Count Fleet.

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Union Rags Odds 2012 Kentucky Derby Picks: Provided by Bovada.lv

Union Rags 5/1 (To Win the 2012 Kentucky Derby)

Since the inception of the Triple Crown series only 11 horses have ever been able to win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes in the same year. The first horse to do so was the H.G. Bedwell trained Sir Barton in 1919. Sir Barton was followed by Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), and Citation (1948).

That 18 year stretch between Gallant Fox and Citation, which yielded seven Triple Crown winners, would prove rare in years to come. There was a 25 year gap between Citation’s Triple Crown feat and Secretariat’s mark on history (1973), and only two horses have completed the trifecta since the great Secretariat (Seattle Slew – 1977, Affirmed -1978).

Thirty two years is a long time to wait, but horse racing enthusiasts have done just that in regards to the Triple Crown. Several runners have nearly pulled it off, including Smarty Jones (2004) and most recently Big Brown (2008), but close is not close enough.

The three most promising Triple Crown candidates this year, at least according to the odds makers and horse racing experts, are Bodemeister (15/1), Union Rags (11/1), and Gemologist (28/1). While Gemologist is undefeated coming into the Derby, he appears to be more of a speed horse, which would not play well at the 1 1/2 miles Belmont Stakes. Bodemeister and Union Rags, on the other hand, are bred for distance, the former by 2003 Belmont winner Empire Maker and the latter coming from dirt track master and multiple graded stakes winner Dixie Union.

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Kentucky Derby 2012 Prop Bets: Provided by Bovada.lv

Odds to Win the 2012 Triple Crown

1. Daddy Long Legs 200/1
2. Optimizer 350/1
3. Take Charge Indy 85/1
4. Union Rags 11/1
5. Dullahan 50/1
6. Bodemeister 15/1
7. Rousing Sermon 225/1
8. Creative Cause 60/1
9. Trinniberg 300/1
10. Daddy Nose Best 100/1
11. Alpha 75/1
12. Prospective 275/1
13. Went The Day Well 125/1
14. Hansen 85/1
15. Gemologist 28/1
16. El Padrino 100/1
17. Done Talking 250/1
18. Sabercat 175/1
19. I’ll Have Another 40/1
20. Liaison 300/1
NO TRIPLE CROWN WINNER 2/19

El Padrino needed two shots to break his maiden, but the chestnut colt has been impressive since, posting two wins in four races. The Pulpit sired horse, which has never competed on anything but a dirt surface, won a 1 1/16 miles Allowance race in late January before capturing its first graded stakes title in February at the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes.

Unfortunately for El Padrino, his two worst finishes came in his two longest races. The colt took third at the Remsen Stakes (G2) last November and it placed fourth in its final Derby prep race, the Grade 1 Florida Derby. Both of those events features a 1 1/8 miles distance.

However, stamina and distance should not be of any concern for El Padrino come Saturday, not according to his pedigree anyway. The colt’s great-grandsire was 1992 Belmont Stakes winner A.P. Indy (by Seattle Slew) and its dam, Enchanted Rock, comes from bloodlines that include Giant’s Causeway, Storm Cat, and the great Secretariat.

Peruvian jockey Rafael Bejarano, who now calls Louisville home, will be aboard The Let’s Go Stable’s product for the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby. Bejarano, who guided Blind Luck to first place at the 2010 Kentucky Oaks, did not serve as El Padrino’s jockey in any of the colt’s previous six races.

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El Padrino Odds 2012 Kentucky Derby Picks: Provided by Bovada.lv

El Padrino +2500 (To Win 2012 Kentucky Derby)