The 2011 Preakness Stakes is less than two hours away with a post time scheduled for 6:18pm eastern time (3:18pm pacific). The NBC Sports pre-race show has begun and they have posted the latest odds for the race. Money will be coming in until the last minute, but we've already seen some interesting changes in the latest odds since they were adjusted for post positions.
No. 1 Astrology - 15-1
No. 2 Norman Asborjson - 35-1
No. 3 King Congie - 17-1
No. 4 Flashpoint - 20-1
No. 5 Shackleford - 11-1
No. 6 Sway Away - 14-1
No. 7 Midnight Interlude - 13-1
No. 8 Dance City - 11-1
No. 9 Mucho Macho Man - 9-2
No. 10 Dialed In - 7-2
No. 11 Animal Kingdom - 3-1
No. 12 Isn't He Perfect - 25-1
No. 13 Concealed Identity - 24-1
No. 14 Mr. Commons - 40-1
Given our post earlier today about Mucho Macho Man, it is not at all surprising to see his odds drop from 6-1 to 9-2. I have to believe a lot of money is coming in from casual fans following Macho Man Randy Savage's death yesterday. It might be illogical to bet on a horse based on that reasoning, but I don't think anybody should be surprised by it.
The most significant changes beyond Mucho Macho Man would be Mr. Commons going from a 20-1 underdog to a 40-1 longshot and Animal Kingdom dropping from 2-1 to 3-1. No horse has ever won the Preakness from the 14th post positon so it makes sense to push Mr. Commons' odds further out. As for Animal Kingdom, given his underdog status at the Kentucky Derby, oddsmakers might be a little less confident than those previous 2-1 odds would indicate.
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.