Preakness Field of Nine, Odds Favor Street Sense

2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense is heavily favored to win the 132nd running of the Preakness Stakes this Saturday at Pimlico Race Course.

At the post position draw yesterday in Maryland, both Street Sense and Derby runner-up Hard Spun drew outside posts, and will be racing from gates 8 and 7, respectively. Street Sense is currently the odds-on favorite to win at 5/4, followed by Hard Spun at 3/1 and Curlin at 7/2 - the exact order of these horses' finishes in the Derby.

Here are the [post positions] and current Preakness odds for the entire field:

[1] Mint Slewlep - 40/1
[2] Xchanger - 25/1
[3] Circular Quay - 5/1
[4] Curlin - 7/2
[5] King of the Roxy - 15/1
[6] Flying First Class - 25/1
[7] Hard Spun - 3/1
[8] Street Sense - 5/4
[9] C P West - 25/1

Hard Spun's trainer, Larry Jones, said the horse's post position isn't an issue, pointing out that Hard Spun took the Lane's End Stakes from post 10 against a field of strong horses. He also mused that seven was a lucky number for Street Sense in the Derby, so maybe it's the right starting number.

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