Average Preakness Payouts 1990 – Current

By Dana Byerly, Hello Race Fans Co-founder

With the 2015 Kentucky Derby, and its lower than average payouts, in the books, it’s time to turn our attention to the Preakness. Traditionally the Preakness is a bit of a let down from a wagering point of view with lower odds and payouts. How much lower? Let’s take a look.

The average Preakness payouts since 1990…

Payout on a $2 win ticket: $10.90
Payout on a $2 exacta ticket: $99.87
Payout on a $2 trifecta ticket: $928.10

Compare that to the Kentucky Derby payouts and average over the same period that it’s no wonder the Preakness can be a let down! Here’s a closer look at each pool over the time period.

Preakness Payouts 1990 – 2016

In addition to lower odds and a smaller field with less chance for chaos, there is much less money up for grabs in the Preakness. In our Follow The Money post you can see the amount of money bet into each of the exotic pools going to back to 2007, and you’ll notice a big drop each year from the Kentucky Derby to the Preakness.

So what’s a bettor to do on Preakness day? That depends on your opinions naturally, but one approach could be to focus more on your projected outcome rather than trying to ensure maximum coverage. In a field of 18-20 trying to cover a number of scenarios can produce some whopper payouts, but in field 7-10 where several in the field are a short price, that approach can easily spread your bankroll thin.

However you play it, we hope you cash some tickets and have a great time!