Bob Neumeier

You don’t have to venture far down the alphabet to find the key letter needed to help solve the mystery of the Preakness Stakes. All Vanna White has to do is slink over to the board and uncover “B” to get us moving in the right direction.

No, the "B" does not stand for Baltimore — home of Pimlico Race Course, where the second jewel in racing’s coveted Triple Crown will be run Saturday.

The "B" stands for Barbero, Brother Derek, Bernardini, and, most importantly, "bounce." No need to buy a vowel to solve this puzzle, Mr. Sajak, the "B" will suffice, with all due respect to Sweetnorthernsaint and Like Now.

Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro is already being anointed the next Triple Crown winner by the trigger-happy racing media. Yes, those of us who loved Dynaformer's son in Louisville were handsomely rewarded with a 6-1 win mutuel ticket and astronomical gimmick payouts if you were prescient enough to include Bluegrass Cat and Steppenwolfer in the exactas and trifectas.

Part of Barbaro’s appeal was judicious handling by trainer Michael Matz, who took the less-is-more approach. That patience and care was handsomely rewarded, thanks to a confident ride by jockey Edgar Prado, with Barbaro's eye-popping victory, one of the most decisive in the annals of the Run for the Roses.

Barbaro ran significantly faster in Louisville than he has in his brief career, and therein lies the rub: he might have run too fast. Counter-intuitive? Can a horse be compromised by running too fast? The answer has been proven time and time again: yes.

Welcome to the mysterious world of the “Bounce Theory” — racing’s version of the Rubik’s Cube. The tenet holds that a horse that runs an abnormally fast race or speed-figure number will typically regress in his next start, unless he or she has sufficient recovery time, usually 30 days or more. Barbaro is being asked to bounce back in 14 days, not nearly enough rest. A trainer as sharp as Matz would never run a prized horse back on such short time.

INTERACTIVE Computer helps you pick winner

But this is different. It's the Preakness. The Triple Crown. History is at stake as well as astronomical potential stallion syndication rights.

Ironically, the biggest advantage Barbaro had for the Kentucky Derby is potentially his biggest obstacle entering the Preakness — time. But you say, he won so effortlessly, surely he has plenty of fuel left.

Maybe. It’s more likely that he doesn't, and at the hype-induced odds of 3-5 or less, he becomes a very bad bet.

Sure, talented horses often win both the Derby and Preakness off of short rest, but their patterns typically show incremental improvements, a mitigating factor in the “bounce” theory. It's the quantum leaps you have to worry about, and Barbarro is facing that issue squarely.

FREE VIDEO It's Barbaro! May 6: Watch as jockey Edgar Prado rides Michael Matz-trained horse to an easy victory in the 132nd running of the Kentucky Derby. NBC Sports

Could he regress and still win the Preakness? Sure, it happens all the time, but he’ll need cooperation from the other B's, Brother Derek and Bernardini.

Derek lost the Derby on draw day, when he was forced into the 18 post. With so many horses running his pace-pressing style, it was easy to anticipate a wide trip from the California invader. Hard-luck pilot Alex Solis tried his best to “tuck him in,” but that chance never materialized and he ran the Derby from the parking lot.

Still, Brother Derek did have enough to make a sustained thrust on the turn before understandably flattening out down the lane. He must be given another chance to turn the tables on Barbaro with better luck. Look for Solis to send this horse from the get-go with hopes he doesn’t get softened up towards the front by the speedy Like Now.

Which leaves us with the final B, the intriguing Bernardini, from the Darley Stable of Sheikh Mohammad. New shooters rarely do well in the Preakness, but this horse appears to be the goods. With just three races on his resume, he is the Barbaro of the Preakness: fresh, fit, and dangerous.

Slide show   The Week in Sports Pictures Manny messes up, the Tour takes off to Spain, Nomar returns and more. more photos

Breeding? How about being sired by the brilliant A.P. Indy out of a stakes-winning mare in Cara Rafaela. Connections? How about the powerful Maktoum family, whose Godolphin Stable is one of the most successful on the planet. Training? How about underrated Tom Albertrani, who wins nearly a quarter of his races, tantamount to hitting .300 in baseball.

And Bernardini’s last race, the Withers Stakes at Aqueduct, was a brilliant show, considering jockey Javier Castellano fumbled his whip somewhere down the lane. His one-turn mile fractions of :23, :23 1/5, 24 2/5, and 24 2/5ths should not be overlooked.

Granted, he might "bounce" in the Preakness. Granted, he has never been two turns. But his brief three-race career should play to strength, not weakness.

So, Barbaro backers, beware of the other B's: Brother Derek, Bernardini, and the "Bounce." Before booking the Belmont,  better brace yourselves. "B-lieve" me.

MORE FROM HORSE RACING

Pioneerof the Nile retired with leg injury

Pioneerof the Nile retired with leg injury Dutrow suspended 30 days for drug violation   Video: Filly Rachel Alexandra wins Preakness thriller   Watch replay of Mine That Bird's victory Interactive: Triple Crown winners, near misses Vote: When will we see next Triple Crown winner? Equibase: Quick results from top tracks Equibase: Results ticker from top tracks Equibase: Top earners   Add Horse racing headlines to your news reader: