Son of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah has won his last 2 starts after beginning his career 0-7. Scored a convincing allowance victory at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day for trainer D. Wayne Lukas, 85, who has won the Preakness 6 times, including Codex in 1980 and most recently Oxbow in 2013.

The record 7th Kentucky Derby winner trained by Bob Baffert, he led the entire journey in Louisville to score at 12-1 odds. Consistent colt has been first or second in every start, and at one time was considered the third or fourth-best sophomore in his own barn. John Velazaquez and Baffert teamed to win last year's Derby with Authentic, who ran an epic second in the autumn Preakness to Swiss Skydiver. This $35,000 purchase will go down as one of the great Triple Crown bargains.

From the connections who won the 2017 Preakness with Triple Crown newcomer Cloud Computing, this lightly raced colt will be making just his fourth career start. His 3 races this year all have come at New York's Aqueduct Racetrack, including a second in the Gotham and third-place finish in the Wood Memorial. If that sounds familiar, it's the identical resume and results from Cloud Computing's ledger prior to his 13-1 upset at Pimlico. Sire More Than Ready has been responsible for 7 Breeders' Cup champions, most in history.

A bumpy beginning to the Derby took this front-runner out of his preferred, front-end position and could have been disastrous. But he regrouped, changed styles and made a solid run from 12th to 6th in Louisville. A consistent member of the Fair Grounds' sophomore series - which produced 4 of the top 6 Kentucky Derby finishers - he won the Lecomte, finished third in the Risen Star and was runner-up in the Louisiana Derby, never defeated more than 2 lengths in those races. Trainer Steve Asmussen ranks #2 all-time in Thoroughbred victories in North America and seeks his third Preakness win following Curlin (2007) and Rachel Alexandra (2009). He changes riders to 3-time reigning champion jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. for Preakness.

A Preakness Win & You're In qualifier from Golden Gate Fields' El Camino Real Derby, he's proven a quality colt on both dirt and synthetic surfaces. He was third in the Blue Grass most recently at Keeneland behind eventual Kentucky Derby favorite Essential Quality. Rombauer has a deep-closing style in his races that will benefit if the early pace is fast in Baltimore.

(Photo courtesy Tamarkuz Media)

Kentucky-bred, Japanese-raced runner makes his second international trip of 2021 after a journey to the United Arab Emirates Derby in March, where he finished sixth. Previously he won back-to-back races (maiden, allowance) in November and December at Hanshin Racecourse in Japan, both trips on dirt at 1-1/8 miles. He follows 2016 Preakness fifth-place finisher Lani as fellow KY-breds based in Japan prior to a Baltimore foray. France Go De Ina is expected to remain in the US to compete in the Belmont Stakes. France Go De Ina showed some early pace in his races in Japan, but was devoid of early speed when not threatening in the UAE Derby.

(Photo Courtesy Keeneland)

Runner-up in Keeneland's Grade 2 Lexington Stakes on April 10, he's a newcomer to the Triple Crown trail for 2021 Hall of Fame inductee Todd Pletcher. That barn started 4 horses in the Kentucky Derby, but will rely on this fresh face in Baltimore. Unbridled Honor has a deep-closing running style from the back of the pack, which has landed a top-4 finish in each of his last 4 races. Pletcher aims for his first Preakness victory, the only Triple Crown jewel to elude him. Jockey Luis Saez, aboard the losing favorite in the Derby (Essential Quality), will partner with Unbridled Honor for the first time.

Entered in the May 8 Peter Pan with an eye toward Belmont, he has been re-routed to a Preakness bid, where he'll join stablemate Crowded Trade. This two-time winner at 1-1/8 miles starred in victory in the Grade 3 Withers at Aqueduct. He disappointed as the 2-1 favorite in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial when seventh. The alumni for the NYRA winter/spring preps did not fare well in the Kentucky Derby, so Risk Taking will have to step up his game for 2017 Preakness-winning trainer Chad Brown.

One of 2021's elite front-running sophomores, his unbeaten streak was snapped at 3 when a surprising third in the Arkansas Derby as the favorite. In fact, a victory at Oaklawn in early April may have made him the public choice in the Kentucky Derby. He trained in Louisville with the Derby horses, but bypassed the race in favor of a date in the Preakness. Trainer Bob Baffert has Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit also in his year's Preakness as he looks for a record-setting 8th win in the event.