I know, the only horse anyone wants to talk about in the 2011 Preakness Stakes is Animal Kingdom. But the favorite isn't always going to come through, and there are plenty of horses that have a good shot to win. Sway Away drew a favorable draw, and starts from the 6th post position on Saturday. Does he have a shot to win? Here's a closer look at him from our racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come.
Sway Away is an interesting pedigree case due to the fact that he has a good deal of stamina on both the top and bottom of his pedigree but his past races suggest that he is best suited as a closing sprinter and not as a router. It's possible that he could continue to develop that side of his game (he's an April 9th foal), but it's also probable that he'll end up running to the short side of his pedigree.
Sway Away doesn't have the rgeatest pedigree, and he didn't run in the Kentucky Derby so he certainly has that working against him. But in what feels like a wide open field, it may pay off to take the horse that has earned one of the more favorable draws.
The 2011 Preakness Stakes gets underway on May 21 at Pimlico racetrack. Stay with SB Nation's 2011 Preakness Stakes StoryStream for odds, contender profiles, post positions and more. To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby and Preakness fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.