The first pool to wager on Preakness 149, Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, begins Thursday, Feb. 29 and will close just hours after three major prep races are contested Saturday in Florida, California, and New York.

When pools open at noon Thursday, 12 weeks before Preakness 149 at Pimlico Race Course, Baoma Corp.’s undefeated Nysos will be the 4-1 favorite with the pari-mutuel field of “all other 3-year-olds” the 6-1 second choice.

The first Preakness 149 future wager will close after Saturday’s runnings of the $400,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park, the $400,000 San Felipe (G2) at Santa Anita Park, and the $300,000 Gotham (G3) at Aqueduct.

There are 40 betting interests in the Preakness 149 future wager, with the 40^th betting interest being the pari-mutuel field, or “all other 3-year-olds.” The Preakness 149 future wager has a $2 minimum and 18 percent takeout. The first pool closes at 8 p.m. Saturday evening. The second pool opens Friday, April 26 and closes Saturday, May 4 at 6 p.m.

The Preakness future wager is available at all participating ADW’s, 1/ST Bet and Xpressbet.

Horse Racing Nation is presenting sponsor of the Field and Morning Line Odds.

Several future wager betting interests and key Preakness and Triple Crown contenders will be in action this weekend.

In the Fountain of Youth, Remsen (G2) winner Dornoch, 15-1 in the future wager and the full brother to last year’s Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mage, will face eight others including Breeders’ Futurity (G1) winner Locked (20-1), the impressive maiden winner Speak Easy (50-1), and Victory Avenue (50-1), who finished second to Speak Easy in his only start.

In the San Felipe, possible Preakness starters include Coach Prime (15-1) and San Vicente (G2) winner Muth, both trained by Bob Baffert. Just a Touch (30-1), a son of Justify who won his debut at Fair Grounds Jan. 27 for trainer Brad Cox, is expected to go in the Gotham.

The Preakness Future Wager was unanimously approved by the Maryland Racing Commission. Similar to that of future wagers for the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks (G1), bettors are not refunded if their selection does not run in the Preakness, which is limited to a maximum of 14 starters.

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