Preakness Betting Verdict: Ny Traffic
Our new staff writer J.N. Campbell has been busy putting together his thoughts for each of the 11 runners for Preakness 145. Our racecard is embedded below where you can join any of our betting partners and underneath you'll find his thoughts on the horses bolting from Gate #7 - Ny Traffic.
Preakness Stakes Racecard
Authentic
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Age: 3 /
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Jockey: J. Velazquez /
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Trainer: B. Baffert /
Art Collector
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Age: 3 /
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Jockey: B. Hernandez Jr. /
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Trainer: T. Drury Jr. /
Swiss Skydiver
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Age: 3 /
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Jockey: R. Albarado /
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Trainer: K. McPeek /
Thousand Words
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Age: 3 /
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Jockey: F. Geroux /
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Trainer: B. Baffert /
Mr. Big News
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Age: 3 /
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Jockey: G. Saez /
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Trainer: W. Calhoun /
Ny Traffic
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Age: 3 /
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Jockey: H. Karamanos /
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Trainer: S. Joseph Jr. /
Max Player
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Age: 3 /
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Jockey: P. Lopez /
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Trainer: S. Asmussen /
Pneumatic
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Age: 3 /
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Jockey: J. Bravo /
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Trainer: S. Asmussen /
Excession
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Age: 3 /
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Jockey: S. Russell /
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Trainer: S. Asmussen /
Liveyourbeastlife
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Age: 3 /
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Jockey: T. McCarthy /
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Trainer: J. Abreu /
My Rating Scale:
- Muy Caliente (For the Win…)
- Sneaker Award (Shot to Upset or Chance to Hit the Board)
- Snowball in Hell (Not Much of a Chance)
Morning Line Odds: 15-1
Much respect for Ny Traffic, as he ran against some tough opponents over the course of the summer, namely Maxfield in the Matt Winn (G3) and Authentic in the Haskell (G1). His late surge in the last furlong at Monmouth fueled the myth that Authentic could not go long. Something nonsense about Into Mischief runners being unfit for sprinting. That propagated myth only helped Baffert’s winner earn a better price in the Derby. So, thank you Ny Traffic. He was an outsider pick by all sorts of tipsters at Churchill and at 12-1, based on how he ran, it was really undeserving.
As for his chances and price in the Preakness, I would think somewhere around 20-1 would be a settlement. Karamanos is a downgrade from Paco Lopez in my estimation, but Traffic has that tactical speed, which means you never know how it will shake out.
Maybe he and Big News will duel for third when it comes down to it; some might argue he will be closer to the pace. Whatever position he sits in, this horse reminds me of the 2010 Preakness winner, Oxbow, in a way. That horse hung around, and hung around, along the Derby Trail, but never won consistently until the Preakness.
Maybe Ny Traffic will pull an upset, and for that, he is going in my exotics. That Saffie Joseph is another unheralded trainer that gets overlooked. But if you look at his statistics, he has started over 430 races this year, and even though he is based at Gulfstream, that is an impressive number. Math Wizard is another of his charges, so he is not to be underestimated at the Stakes level. Then again, this is a Grade 1.
Chance: Sneaker Award
