Everyone is keeping a low profile with only 5 days before the 2013 Preakness Stakes. The field is expected to be about half the size of the 2013 Kentucky Derby.

The only way we can have a Triple Crown winner is for Orb (the 2013 Kentucky Derby winner) to win the Preakness Stakes this coming weekend and the Belmont Stakes on June 15. Only 32 horses have won the first two jewels of the Triple Crown with the most recent being last year with I’ll Have Another, trained by Doug O’Neill, owned by J. Paul Reddam and ridden by jockey Mario Gutierrez.

Surprisingly, twelve of those 32 Kentucky Derby/Preakness winners have attained that double since Affirmed, the last horse to win the Derby/Preakness. Affirmed went on to win the Triple Crown in 1978. Possibly the reason that the many recent horses have gotten the Derby/Preakness double but failed in the Belmont Stakes is that many Derby horses do not run in the Preakness after losing the Derby. That can make the field smaller and give an edge to the Derby winner. With the Belmont, we have to remember how many spoilers come into play, those horse that only race in the Belmont.

Orb is expected to go off as the favorite in the Preakness. Starting post positions for the 138th Preakness Stakes will be drawn Wednesday afternoon, May 15. Pimlico racing officials will use a pill pull, which employs a small numbered ball in a blind draw, to decide post positions for the middle jewel of racing’s Triple Crown.

The Preakness is limited to 14 starters.

Here is the lineup of the horses that have said they would be in the Preakness as of today.

Entry, Horse, Owner, Trainer, Jockey, Breeder

1 Orb, Stuart Janney, “Shug” McGaughey, Joel Rosario, Phipps Stable

2 Oxbow, Calumet Farm, D. Wayne Lukas, Gary Stevens, Colts Neck Stable

3 Will Take Charge, Willis D. Horton, D. Wayne Lukas, Mike Smith, Eaton

4 Goldencents, W.C. Racing, Doug O’Neill, Kevin Krigger, Rosecrest Farm

5 Departing, Claiborne Farm, Albert M. Stall, Jr., Brian Hernandez, Jr., Claiborne Farm

6 Govenor Charlie, Michael E. Pegram, Bob Baffert, Martin Garcia, Michael E. Pegram

7 Mylute, GoldMark Farm, Tom Amoss, Rosie Napravnik, Mike G. Rutherford

8 Itsmyluckyday, Trilogy Stable, Eddie Plesa Jr., John Velazquez, Liberation/Brandywine

9 Vyjack, Pick Six Racing, Rudy Rodriguez, Garrett Gomez, Machmer Hall

10 Titletown Five, Hornug/Martin et al, D. Wayne Lukas, Julien Leparoux, Stonestreet T.H.,LLC