Rich Strike did not run at the 147th Preakness Stakes, but his win at the 2022 Kentucky Derby after entering as an 80-1 longshot may have impacted the competing horses’ odds ahead of Saturday’s big race.
How?
Well, the betting public was preparing themselves for lightning to strike twice. At one point, Fenwick, which had 50/1 odds after the post position draw, saw its odds shorten to 11/1, while Happy Jack’s went from 30/1 to 10/1.
But lightning did not actually strike a second time and those many bettors did not get rich. Early Voting crossed the finish line first to win the 2022 Preakness Stakes, with Epicenter finishing in second place.
Fenwick finished last in ninth place with Happy Jack just ahead of him in eighth. A crushing reminder that once-in-a-lifetime upsets are considered once-in-a-lifetime for a reason.
#EarlyVoting (5/1) takes the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico over #Epicenter with @jose93_ortiz in the irons for @TheRealChadCBr1.
The #TwinSpiresReplay 🎥 pic.twitter.com/MZBk1gKkFF
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) May 21, 2022