Bob Baffert has a proven track record at Pimlico Race Course and Preakness Stakes betting odds for Midnight Interlude are stronger than listed on the morning line. Baffert has saddled five Preakness winners and for hunch bettors, his wins have followed a pattern of back-to-back success. In 1997, Baffert scored with Silver Charm, and followed up with Real Quiet the next year. In 2001 he trained Point Given to victory in the Preakness, and followed with War Emblem the following year. Lookin at Lucky won it last year, so if history is to repeat itself, he’s due to win the 2011 running. Midnight Interlude is listed as a +1250 long-shot to win the Preakness ahead of the field. He disappointed in the Kentucky Derby, but after his trainer was forced to scratch Jaycito in the Santa Anita Derby, Midnight Interlude crossed the finish line in first ahead of Comma to the Top and Mr. Commons.

The Santa Anita Derby winner worked three-eighths of a mile in a spry 353/5 seconds Monday at Churchill Downs under assistant trainer Peter Hutton. That was the second-fastest of six works at the distance over the sloppy track. Baffert clocked Midnight Interlude galloping out the half-mile in 483/5 seconds, which would have been the fastest work at that distance, and five furlongs in 1:024/5. I really like this horse to run the Preakness more like he ran the Santa Anita Derby, not the Kentucky Derby. His horse racing odds at Bodog.com are awfully generous right now, so I wouldn’t waste any time as most Bob Baffert horses receive a lot of action on race-day. Get in on it now and squeeze as much value out of this pick as possible.

Midnight Interlude hails from one of the hottest stables in the nation. Trainer Bob Baffert entered the middle of May second in earnings ($5.2 million), thanks to an outstanding 30 percent win rate and 12 graded stakes from 10 horses, including Kentucky Oaks winner Plum Pretty. The statistics are there for this horse, but he will have to run a near-perfect race. Baffert won the Preakness a year ago with Lookin At Lucky, who also was off the board in the Derby. But the only similarity between that already established colt and Midnight Interlude is the trainer. Midnight Interlude has yet to prove he can cope with legitimate fractions, which he is likely to face in the Preakness.

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