The post positions for the 2020 Preakness Stakes are set, and the entry list includes 11 horses for what's now the final leg of horse racing's annual Triple Crown.
The Preakness has typically been the second leg of the Triple Crown race, with the Belmont Stakes to follow. But COVID-19 has affected the Triple Crown schedule, pushing the Belmont Stakes to first, Kentucky Derby to second and the Preakness Stakes to last.
In addition to the schedule change, there's also been another impact on the race as a result of COVID-19. There will be no fans in attendance for the 2020 Preakness Stakes as Stronach Group chairman and president Belinda Stronach explained in a statement to the AP.
"While we had hoped to be able to welcome fans as we have for the past 145 years, the health and safety of our guests, horsemen, riders, team members and the community at large is, and will always be, our top priority," Stronach said.
This isn't too surprising considering the Belmont Stakes and Kentucky Derby also ran their races without fans present.
Unfortunately for viewers, the excitement of a Triple Crown winner will not be present at the Preakness. Tiz the Law won the Belmont Stakes and was a heavy favorite to win the Kentucky Derby, but Authentic ended up winning the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Below, we'll go over the post position results from the 2020 Preakness Stakes.
Preakness Stakes post positions 2020
The Preakness Stakes held its post positions on Monday, Sept. 28th at noon. Kentucky Derby winner Authentic is running, even though the Triple Crown isn't on the line. Art Collector is also competing after being a scratch in the Kentucky Derby due to a foot issue. Tiz the Law, who won the Belmont Stakes, will not be competing in the Preakness Stakes.
| Post | Horse | Jockey |
| 1 | Excession | Sheldon Russell |
| 2 | Mr. Big News | Gabriel Saez |
| 3 | Art Collector | Brian Hernandez Jr. |
| 4 | Swiss Skydiver | Robby Albarado |
| 5 | Thousand Words | Florent Geroux |
| 6 | Jesus' Team | Jevian Toledo |
| 7 | NY Traffic | Horacio Karamanos |
| 8 | Max Player | Paco Lopez |
| 9 | Authentic | John Velazquez |
| 10 | Pneumatic | Joe Bravo |
| 11 | LiveYourBeastLife | Trevor McCarthy |
Preakness Stakes odds 2020
With the 2020 Preakness Stakes post positions now available, the morning odds were also announced. These odds may change throughout the week, but these were the odds announced with the post positions.
Authentic opens up as the early favorite. The longshots include Excession, Jesus' Team and LiveYourBeastLife.
| Post | Horse | Odds |
| 1 | Excession | 30-1 |
| 2 | Mr. Big News | 12-1 |
| 3 | Art Collector | 5-2 |
| 4 | Swiss Skydiver | 6-1 |
| 5 | Thousand Words | 6-1 |
| 6 | Jesus' Team | 30-1 |
| 7 | NY Traffic | 15-1 |
| 8 | Max Player | 15-1 |
| 9 | Authentic | 9-5 |
| 10 | Pneumatic | 20-1 |
| 11 | LiveYourBeastLife | 30-1 |
When is the Preakness Stakes in 2020?
The 145th running of the Preakness Stakes will take place on Saturday, Oct. 3. Coverage will begin on NBC from 4:30 p.m. and last until around 6:00 p.m. ET. The original schedule for the Preakness Stakes was Saturday, May 16, but it was rescheduled as a result of COVID-19.
