Get caught up with Robusta's past performances, jockey, trainer and full analysis heading into the second leg of the Triple Crown
By Gene Menez May 12, 2026 at 1:58 pm ET • 2 min read 
Imagn Images Over this last two starts, the Santa Anita Derby and the Kentucky Derby, Robusta has lost by a combined 33 ½ lengths and has beaten just four of 25 horses. Still trainer Doug O'Neill believes this colt has a chance to be a factor in the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, and those who dismiss the horse should be warned: Robusta nearly pulled off a huge upset at 67-1 earlier this year. Bet Robusta and the entire Preakness Stakes at DraftKings Racing, where new users who click through our links can win a share of $150,000 with DK Horse's King of the Track promo here:
4 Robusta (30-1)
- Trainer: Doug O'Neill
- Jockey: Rafael Bejarano
- Last race: 14th in the Kentucky Derby by 17½ lengths
- Career record: 6 starts: 1 win, 1 second
- Career earnings: $83,500
- Best career Beyer Speed Figure: 89 (San Felipe)
- Sire: Accelerate
Below, we'll dig further into Robusta as part of our series profiling all the horses competing in the 151st Preakness Stakes on Saturday, May 16. We'll look back into his past performances, what questions need to be answered Saturday and analyze how the post draw affects his chances.
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What to know about Robusta
Storied Calumet Farm, which is best known for producing Triple Crown winners Whirlaway and Citation, holds the record for most wins in the Preakness Stakes by an owner with eight. The farm is associated with the race almost as much as Black-Eyed Susans.
And perhaps Calumet's relationship with the Preakness is the main reason why the farm's Robusta is in the race. Certainly past performances and current form suggest he'd be better off going elsewhere. In his last two starts, Robusta finished last of seven in the Santa Anita Derby (losing by 16 lengths) and 14th of 17 in the Kentucky Derby (17 ½ lengths). In the latter, he was wide all around, never fired and passed only tiring horses down the stretch.
Nothing about the last two races points to a competitive effort just two weeks after Louisville. O'Neill has to hope that Robusta returns to his San Felipe Stakes form in March when he almost pulled off an upset at 67-1 odds, losing by only a head, and earned an 89 Beyer Speed Figure, which is 11 points better than his next best. But based on the horse's other five career performances, the San Felipe is looking more like an anomaly.
Even in a race without any killers, Robusta has been installed as a 30-1 longshot for the Preakness Stakes, and there's every chance that Robusta believers will get all of that at DK Horse and 1/ST BET. Claim our jumbo-sized 1/ST BET offer here to get a $500 sign-up bonus with the promo code 500BET:
Post draw analysis
In five starts prior to the Kentucky Derby, Robusta had been no more than a length off the lead at the third call. So expect him to be prompting the pace, especially from the No. 4 post position. His one career victory came in the only race in which he was gifted an easy lead in :48 seconds, and there's little chance of that happening on Saturday in a Preakess field loaded with speed.
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