Swiss Skydiver will try to become just the sixth filly to win the Preakness when she leaves the starting gate in the 2020 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. The winner of the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes, Swiss Skydiver has five wins, three seconds and one third in 10 career starts and is coming off a runner-up finish in the Kentucky Oaks. On Saturday, she's set to become just the 55th filly to compete in the Preakness; the last to win was Rachel Alexandra in 2009. Swiss Skydiver is the third-biggest favorite in the 2020 Preakness Stakes odds from William Hill at 6-1.
Kentucky Derby winner Authentic is the 9-5 favorite in the 2020 Preakness Stakes field, while Art Collector is 5-2. The 2020 Preakness Stakes post time is 5:36 p.m. ET. Before making any 2020 Preakness Stakes picks, you need to see what legendary handicapper Hammerin' Hank Goldberg has to say.
The former horse racing analyst for ESPN and NBC, Goldberg became a legendary handicapper by going straight to the source. In 2004, he had dinner before the Belmont Stakes with trainer Nick Zito at a pizzeria in Queens. The dinner led Goldberg to play Zito's 36-1 monster longshot Birdstone to win and on top of his exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets. When Birdstone shocked the world, Goldberg won $24,000.
In the San Felipe Stakes in March, Hammer gave out a $20 exacta that paid $180. In the Belmont Stakes in June, Goldberg was all over Tiz the Law, who scored a convincing victory in the year's first Triple Crown race. In the Blue Grass Stakes, Hammer nailed the Art Collector-Swiss Skydiver exacta for $169.40. In July, he hit the Authentic-Ny Traffic exacta in the Haskell for $158. And in August in the Pacific Classic, he gave out the Maximum Security-Sharp Samurai exacta for $177.50. Anyone who has followed Goldberg's lead is way up.
Now Goldberg has studied the 2020 Preakness Stakes field and has released his picks, predictions and exotic bets only at SportsLine.
Top 2020 Preakness Stakes predictions
One shocker: Goldberg isn't backing Kentucky Derby winner Authentic, even though he's the 9-5 favorite. This three-year-old son of Into Mischief has lost only once in his career, finishing second in the Santa Anita Derby in June.
Last month in the Kentucky Derby, Authentic went right to the lead and never looked back, upsetting the heavily favored Tiz the Law in the process.
But with Art Collector and Swiss Skydiver in the 2020 Preakness Stakes field, Authentic potentially faces more pace pressure on Saturday. "He won't get a free pass this time by his rivals, who know what he can do when he sets an uncontested lead," Goldberg told SportsLine.
Another curveball: Goldberg is high on Ny Traffic, even though he's a long shot at 15-1. This New York-bred son of Cross Traffic has earned more than $565,000 in his career. He last raced in the Kentucky Derby, finishing eighth after pushing eventual winner Authentic for the first half-mile.
However, that was Ny Traffic's only off-the-board finish this year, and Goldberg is forgiving him for that performance. "I realize he finished eighth in the Kentucky Derby, but he endured a cut on his left front ankle and lost his right front shoe in the race," he told SportsLine. "That's a big deal."
How to make 2020 Preakness Stakes predictions
Goldberg is high on a double-digit long shot who is peaking at the perfect time. Goldberg is including this horse in his exactas, trifectas, and superfectas, and so should you. He's sharing which horses to back here.
Who wins the Preakness Stakes 2020? Which double-digit long shot is a must-back? And how has Hammer formulated his bets? Check out the latest 2020 Preakness Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Goldberg's picks for the Preakness Stakes.
2020 Preakness Stakes contenders, odds
Authentic (9-5)
Art Collector (5-2)
Swiss Skydiver (6-1)
Thousand Words (8-1)
Mr. Big News (12-1)
Ny Traffic (15-1)
Max Player (15-1)
Pneumatic (20-1)
Excession (30-1)
Jesus' Team (30-1)
Liveyourbeastlife (30-1)
