As the 2011 Preakness Stakes kick off in a few hours, serious gamblers will be looking for every little edge in trying to figure out who will win the 136th running of the Preakness at Pimlico. They might look to a horse's pedigree or the historical performance of race favorites. There are numerous angles to take when considering what horse to bet on, but this year, one slightly haphazard option might have emerged yesterday.
Early yesterday, word began spreading that former WWF world champion Randy "Macho Man" Savage had passed away in a car accident. For wrestling fans everywhere it was a heart-breaking loss as he was one of the most memorable wrestlers ever.
Fittingly enough, we've got a horse in today's Preakness Stakes named Mucho Macho Man. The colt is going off at 6-to-1 and will be squeezed into the post next to the other major favorites, Animal Kingdom and Dialed In. Mucho Macho Man has finished worse than fourth once in his nine career starts, so he's certainly not a tough bet to make.
If Mucho Macho Man did pull off the victory, I'd really hope that somebody at Pimlico would play an Oooooohhhhh Yeeeeaaaaaa!!! on the loudspeaker shortly after victory. Or at the very least maybe we could get some Pomp and Circumstance:
Here's a look at morning odds a few hours before post time:
No. 1 Astrology - 15-1
No. 2 Norman Asborjson - 30-1
No. 3 King Congie - 20-1
No. 4 Flashpoint - 20-1
No. 5 Shackleford - 12-1
No. 6 Sway Away - 15-1
No. 7 Midnight Interlude - 15-1
No. 8 Dance City - 12-1
No. 9 Mucho Macho Man - 6-1
No. 10 Dialed In - 9-2
No. 11 Animal Kingdom - 2-1
No. 12 Isn't He Perfect - 30-1
No. 13 Concealed Identity - 30-1
No. 14 Mr. Commons - 20-1
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico racetrack. Stay with our 2011 Preakness Stakes StoryStream for odds, contender profiles, post positions and more. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.