Watch 2016 Preakness Stakes Live Online: Start Time, Streaming Video Of Saturday’s Race

Fans can watch the 2016 Preakness Stakes live online and see if Nyquist has what it takes to extend his perfect record to 9-0 and set up what would be the potential of two Triple Crown winners in the last two years.

The far-and-away favorite in the Kentucky Derby, Nyquist delivered on the hype and pulled away for a resounding victory that has all eyes on him again at Saturday’s Preakness Stakes.

The Preakness Stakes will kick off on Saturday, with post time scheduled for 6:45 p.m. Coverage of the race will start at 5 p.m. on NBC, with live streaming video also available for those watching along online (a link to the video can be found below).

Many horse racing experts worry that this year’s race could suffer a bit of a decline as the “American Pharoah hangover” continues. For decades — 37 years, to be exact — the story each year had been about when a horse would win the Triple Crown again, and American Pharoah ended that speculation last year.

A case for why each of Nyquist’s rivals could win the #PreaknessStakes. https://t.co/kwixIi6YlJ

— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) May 20, 2016

As ESPN writer Dana O’Neil noted, the end of the long drought will put more pressure on Nyquist to perform and at least set up the chance for a Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes.

But with American Pharoah’s glorious run down Belmont Park’s homestretch still fresh in people’s minds, it is no longer enough to be just the Derby winner. The bar, for 37 years viewed as almost unattainable, now has been reset — and only Nyquist can soar over it.

Nyquist is again the heavy favorite in the 2016 Preakness Stakes, with odds of 3-to-2 as of Friday evening. While that may not make for a big payout for those laying a few dollars on him, it could set up another potential Triple Crown finish at the upcoming Belmont Stakes if he can deliver on the odds.

For their part, Nyquist’s team have done all they can to take the attention off their horse. ESPN noted that trainer Doug O’Neill moved Nyquist out of the traditional Kentucky Derby winner’s Barn 40 at Pimlico — one of the busiest and most central areas — to a quieter stable.

But the gambit didn’t work as well as expected, and by Thursday there were close to two dozen fans outside the stable, trying to get a peek at Nyquist and snapping pictures. Fans also lined the rail to watch his morning workout on Thursday.

Bob Baffert, owner of American Pharoah, said he remembers the attention being the same last year.

“People want to take a look at him because he’s the Derby winner,” he said. “It’s, ‘Oh that’s what he looks like.’ They’re finally paying attention, and they just want to get a look at him.”

Fans who watch the 2016 Preakness Stakes live online will undoubtedly see a wet affair. The National Weather Service has called for a 100 percent chance of rain on Saturday, a day-long downpour that is expected to drop an inch in total.

That could favor Nyquist, as the horse has a strong track record on wet grounds, but ultimately could lead to a more unpredictable affair.

O’Neill said he and the rest of Nyquist’s team are prepared for whatever conditions there may be, and whatever pace the race should take.

“I think we’re going to leave there running and just kind of play it by ear,” O’Neill said (via Forbes). “If they’re not showing a lot of pace, we’re going to make it. If it’s hot and heavy, (jockey) Mario (Gutierrez) has shown and Nyquist has shown that they can sit off a hot and heavy pace.”

Fans who want to watch the 2016 Preakness Stakes live online can click here for streaming video through NBC Extra.

[Photo by Garry Jones/AP Images]