The second leg of the Triple Crown runs at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Once post positions are announced, Preakness Stakes morning line odds will go out and we’ll have an even better look at this years contenders. Our guide includes a look at the best Preakness Stakes betting sites and apps, bonus offers, and tips for success.
Preakness Betting Sites, Apps, and Bonus Offers
We strongly recommend Preakness Stakes bettors wager at licensed online racebooks and horse racing betting apps because wagers placed online at licensed horse betting sites are pooled with wagers taken at the track. Doing so ensures you’re paid at full track odds and is good for the health of the industry. Prize pools grow with every bet placed, leading to bigger purses.
Plus, it’s just safer to do business with sites that are legal and regulated, and there is no question winning bets will be paid. Of the Preakness Stakes betting sites you see above, TwinSpires and TVG are examples of advance deposit wagering operations that are licensed by US racing commissions.
I’ve been dabbling in horse racing off and on for the past few years and can confidently recommend every Preakness betting site listed on this page as legitimate, reputable, experienced, options.
How to Bet on the Preakness Stakes Race Online in the USA
We’ll dive more into this year’s betting considerations shortly, but let’s begin with a look at where you can bet on the Preakness Stakes online.
There are a handful of legal online racebook sites that are already well-established and proven. TVG and TwinSpires have been around for many years and are headquartered in the USA. All of our recommended Preakness Stakes betting sites and apps are licensed and accept real money wagers on all major horse racing events in all states they are operational in.
TwinSpires and TVG will both be taking Preakness Stakes bets this weekend and any wager you place online will be pooled with the actual track betting pools. This ensures you’ll be paid at full track odds just the same as if you had placed your bets trackside at Pimlico.
If you do not already have an account, all of the Preakness Stakes betting apps listed here offer our readers a special welcome bonus as an added benefit for signing up and funding your account.
How to Bet on the Preakness Stakes Everywhere Else
Bookmakers in the rest of the world do not typically cover US-centric horse races, but the Preakness Stakes is a big exception. As a part of the coveted Triple Crown of US racing, the Preakness Stakes is a massive event every year.
Bet365, William Hill, and 22bet offer Preakness Stakes betting with ante-post bets that are open right now as well as day-of wagers.
Preakness Stakes Betting Bonuses and Promotions
The Preakness Stakes is an important event on the horse racing calendar for online betting sites. The amount of media coverage and speculation regarding the race is a golden opportunity to attract new customers. Promotional offerings are common during this time of the year.
New Customer Signup Bonuses
New customer bonuses are offered constantly, but now is as good a time as any to mention a few of the most generous offers tailored towards Preakness Stakes bettors.
- TwinSpires Bonus
- TVG Bonus
- AmWager Bonus
Preakness Stakes Betting Odds
Although the field isn’t yet settled, Preakness betting sites are currently accepting futures wagers on all the expected runners this year.
Practically all online horse betting sites offer Preakness Stakes betting. The most important thing horse bettors should do is find an online racebook that is safe and reliable. Any of the Preakness Stakes betting apps you see recommended on this page would be a great place to start as they are all licensed and legal.
Knowing that you will be paid if you back a winner sets the stage for a fun and exciting experience.
After you choose a racebook, sign up for an account and deposit funds. Signing up takes just a few minutes and most horse betting sites accept a variety of payment methods such as credit cards, bank transfers, and e-wallets.
On that note, there are generally two different ways to bet on the Preakness Stakes: ahead of time via “antepost” wagers and just before the race via parimutuel wagers.
Antepost Odds: The odds that you see mentioned in the news ahead of any major horse race are the “antepost” odds as decided by the bookmakers. These are just normal fixed odds wagers that work like any other sports bet. An oddsmaker comes up with the price for each horse, and the betting site accepts wagers at that price. If your horse wins the race, you will be paid at that price.
Parimutuel Odds: Parimutuel odds are most common at regulated horse racing sites in the United States. These odds typically go live just a few days before the event itself. What makes parimutuel wagering different is that the bookmaker does not set the price; the market does. As wagers come in, they are all pooled together. Prices are calculated by pooling all the wagers and then dividing up the payouts among those punters who placed winning wagers.
In either case, the goal is the same. You want to correctly predict which horse will win the race outright. Horse racing sites also usually offer other types of horse wagers such as place bets, show bets, trifectas, exactas, and so on. In the end, the types of bets you have available to you and the payouts are identical to what is offered to people who attend the race in person.
How to Watch the Preakness Stakes Live
NBC and NBC Sports will be the broadcasting home for the Preakness Stakes. Coverage starts on Friday and culminates with the big race on Saturday.
- Friday: Black Eyed Susan Stakes
- Saturday: Preakness Prep
- Saturday: Preakness Stakes Main Event
- Saturday: Preakness Post
Wes Burns has more than a decade’s worth of experience as a writer, researcher, and analyst in the legal online betting industry and is co-founder of OnlineBettingSites.com. Wes approaches his work from the viewpoint of players.