Preakness 2022: Post Time, TV Schedule, Post Positions Info

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Horse racing isn’t going to have a Triple Crown winner in 2022. Rich Strike, the 80-1 long shot who won the Kentucky Derby, won’t be entered into the Preakness Stakes. So the number of horses to achieve the illustrious feat will remain at 13.

Although the Run for the Roses victor won’t be in Saturday’s Preakness, the race will feature some strong competitors at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. Among the top names to watch will be Kentucky Derby runner-up Epicenter and Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath.

And, of course, there’s always the potential for a long shot to win any race. Look no further than what happened at Churchill Downs for proof of that.

Here’s everything you need to know heading into this year’s Preakness.

2022 Preakness Stakes Info

Date: Saturday, May 21

Post Time: 7:01 p.m. ET

TV: NBC

Post Positions: The draw for post positions is set to take place Monday at 4 p.m. ET.

Preview

Near the end of the Kentucky Derby, it seemed Epicenter was going to race to victory. He was the favorite heading into the event and held the lead coming down the final stretch.

If it wasn’t for Rich Strike’s incredible late surge, Epicenter would have been the Derby champion. Instead, he ended up second. Still, both horses had impressive performances, and the race favorite lived up to his billing as a top contender.

Now that Rich Strike has withdrawn from this weekend’s race, Epicenter has solidified his spot as the early favorite. He has finished either first or second in each of his past six races, and there’s a good chance he’ll end up in the top two again at Pimlico.

Trainer Steve Asmussen may not have notched his first Kentucky Derby win with the colt, but he could soon have his third Preakness victory. He previously won the event with Curlin (2007) and Rachel Alexandra (2009).

“He seems to be pretty sharp. I love how he’s doing,” assistant trainer Scott Blasi said of Epicenter, per Paulick Report.

There will be at least two horses in the Preakness field that Epicenter didn’t race against in the Derby: Secret Oath and Early Voting.

After Secret Oath won the Kentucky Oaks, she will now be entered into the Preakness, where she’ll look to become the seventh filly to win the race. The most recent to do so was Swiss Skydiver in 2020.

Secret Oath has won four of her past five races. Her lone non-victory during that stretch came at last month’s Arkansas Derby, where she placed third behind Cyberknife and Barber Road.

Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, she could be set up for success in the Preakness.

“The Derby horses pretty much all had a hard race,” Lukas said, per Ron Flatter of Horse Racing Nation. “Her race was not hard on her.”

Early Voting isn’t an experienced horse, having competed in only three races. But the Chad Brown-trained colt has fared well in those events, placing first or second in each of them. He last raced at last month’s Wood Memorial Stakes, where he finished second behind Mo Donegal.

Brown opted not to enter Early Voting in the Kentucky Derby so he could prepare for the Preakness. We’ll soon find out if that decision paid off.

So even though Rich Strike may not be in the Preakness, the trio of Epicenter, Secret Oath and Early Voting should make it an entertaining race to watch. And there may be some other contenders that emerge, too.