Suwanee's Mucho Macho Man Running in Preakness

Mucho Macho Man, the third-place Kentucky Derby finisher with Suwanee ownership, is among the betting favorites for Saturday's Preakness Stakes, the second leg in thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown.

The horse also known as 3M is listed with 5/1 odds, same as Dialed In; only Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom has shorter odds (2/1) for Saturday's race. Suwanee residents Dean and Patti Reeves are co-owners of Mucho Macho Man through Reeves Thoroughbred Racing.

Mucho Macho Man landed the No. 9 spot in Wednesday's post draw at Pimlico track in Baltimore. The Preakness field has 14 horses, compared to 19 for the Kentucky Derby. The 2-year-old thoroughbred's third-place finish in the Kentucky Derby makes it a contender in the Preakness.

Television coverage on NBC is scheduled to begin Saturday at 4:30 p.m.; the race start officially is 6:19 p.m.

Thoroughbred racing is a national, year-long sport, according to Dean Reeves. "It's not like the Super Bowl," he said. Later this summer, there will be the Belmont Stakes back in New York, and the Breeders Cup in Louisville, Ky.

"We kept thinking," Patti Reeves said, "that it would be great this year if the Falcons won the Super Bowl and Mucho Macho Man won the Kentucky Derby."

Well, that didn't happen, but 3M still covered Dean Reeves' show bet; the owner also bet on his horse to win and place. 

"It's so difficult to get there," Dean Reeves said of the highest level of horse racing. "There's a lot of worry and stress. We knew we had a good horse. We were just hoping he would not get sick or injured."

Derby plans were made anyway in January when the owners booked 30 rooms before knowing whether their horse would be eligible (it's based on graded earnings). "You can't decide two weeks before," Dean Reeves said. "There's so much to do on that day."

Besides logistics, there's the matter of the Kentucky Derby entry fee: $50,000. It's $20,000 for the Preakness.

Obviously, it's a high-end sport. Dean Reeves, though, long has been a success with Reeves Contracting, the Sugar Hill-based company that has done site work on the Sugar Hill City Hall as well as the Georgia Dome and Centennial Park. Now it's mostly about Reeves Thoroughbred Racing. Patti Reeves sells outdoor advertising.

Racing is Dean Reeves' primary focus, as Dean Reeves' son and a partner have handled day-to-day activities for the past 3 1/2 years. Dean Reeves said it has taken the business to a new level.

"A year ago, I had never won a race," he said. That fits with 3M's underdog image. He had early health difficulties, but now is a fan favorite.

"People seem to connect with this horse," Dean Reeves said. "That's the real rewarding part."

And Mucho Macho Man really connects with one of the owners, too. "He talks to Patti," Dean Reeves said.