How to bet the 2021 Preakness Super High-5

With half the horses and typically less chaos, the Preakness Stakes understandably does not have the reputation for producing big payoffs in the same way the Kentucky Derby does. While hitting a Preakness trifecta or even a superfecta is less likely to result in a life-changing score like in the Derby, a huge payday is still available in the Preakness for those willing to be more adventurous.

With just 10 horses lined up, many of whom have shown strong consistency throughout their young careers, this year looks like as good an opportunity as any to take a shot at hitting the Super High-5.

The 2019 Super High-5 was so difficult to solve that no one hit it. A lone ticket would have paid $404,310.

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In 2020 it resulted in a payoff of $64,812.60 despite a 6-1 shot winning and the 9-5 favorite finishing second. All it took was Jesus' Team running third at 30-1 to spice things up. 

This year's Jesus' Team is Keepmeinmind. He does not look quite fast enough to win, but he has been a horse who could be counted on to fill out the exotics as a 2-year-old.

His 3-year-old form was poor leading up to the Derby, but his connections shook things up by taking off the blinkers. That resulted in a big workout and a sneaky good effort while running seventh. He broke poorly and went very wide turning for home, but he was still one of only a handful of horses making up ground late in a Derby dominated by frontrunners. With plenty of pace signed on in the Preakness, do not be surprised if he sneaks in the top three at a big price.

Derby winner Medina Spirit is likely to show his usual grit and will be hard to keep out of the top three, but he certainly looks beatable on top. He will be in the same uncomfortable position chasing Concert Tour that he was in when he chased Life Is Good and Rock Your World and could not make a dent. Controversy and all, Medina Spirit should be respected, but his stablemate offers better value. 

Concert Tour is a boom-or-bust prospect in this year's Preakness, making him the perfect horse to put alone on top of Super High-5 tickets. I believe he is a freak when he makes the lead and ordinary when he does not. He will be ridden aggressively for the lead from an outside draw, and if he is able to take the field all the way, it makes rounding out the Super High-5 much easier.

For the sake of budget, there are only six horses that need to be considered for the five spots on this ticket.

In addition to the three mentioned above, Midnight Bourbon, Crowded Trade and Rombauer are the ones worth using underneath.

Midnight Bourbon finished in the top three in his first seven lifetime starts before running a strong sixth while finding himself farther off the pace than usual in the Kentucky Derby.

Crowded Trade looks to have a bit of hang in him, but he has the right style and numbers to at least get a piece of the action for trainer Chad Brown.

Rombauer does not look fast enough to win, but he has kept great company and makes logical sense in the fourth and fifth holes.

Using a budget under $40, here is the $36 Super High-5 ticket I have come up with for the 2021 Preakness Stakes:

$1 superfecta partial wheel:

10 with 2, 3 with 2, 3, 4, 5 with 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 with 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 = $36 ticket.