The Preakness Stakes has a area of 9 horses set to race in Baltimore on Saturday for the 2025 working of the center jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown.
Journalism, who was favored to win the Kentucky Derby earlier this month however got here in second, was picked because the morning-line favourite for the a hundred and fiftieth working of the Preakness at Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course.
2025 Preakness Stakes horses and odds
For the Preakness, Journalism was given 8-5 odds following Monday’s post-position draw at a Baltimore-area brewery. The chances will change as bettors place their wagers main as much as Saturday’s approximate submit time of seven:01 p.m. EDT. Right here’s a listing of all of the 3-year-old horses within the race so as of their quantity with their morning-line odds:
1. Purpose Oriented, 6-1
2. Journalism, 8-5
3. American Promise, 15-1
4. Coronary heart of Honor, 12-1
5. Pay Billy, 20-1
6. River Thames, 9-2
7. Sandman, 4-1
8. Intelligent Once more, 5-1
9. Gosger, 20-1
Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty can be lacking from the beginning gate for the Preakness, dashing any hopes this yr for a horse to take the Triple Crown — the three-race sequence consisting of the Derby, the Preakness and subsequent month’s Belmont Stakes in New York.
Sovereignty’s coach instructed Preakness organizers the bay colt was skipping the Run for the Black-Eyed Susans to organize for the Belmont. The Derby winner arrived final week at Saratoga Race Course, the non permanent house of the Triple Crown’s third race whereas Belmont Park on New York’s Lengthy Island is present process an enormous redevelopment.
Journalism completed the Derby 1 1/2 lengths behind Sovereignty and a neck in entrance of Baeza, who crossed the end line third. The second-place outcome ended the colt’s profitable streak at 4 victories, the final three of which have been graded-stakes races in California: the Santa Anita Derby in April, March’s San Felipe Stakes and the Los Alamitos Futurity Stakes in December.
Jockey Umberto Rispoli was aboard Journalism for these three wins and for the Derby. He’ll have the mount once more Saturday in his first Preakness.
Journalism’s coach, Michael McCarthy, left the door open for a doable rematch with Sovereignty on the Belmont.
“I’d imagine, if he’d give a good account of himself here on Saturday,” McCarthy stated Wednesday, in accordance with Preakness organizer 1/ST. “He had three races in seven weeks as a 2-year-old. It didn’t seem to bother him. Three races in five weeks is a little bit different but he’s a hardy horse. … It’s in the back of our minds.”
Preakness Stakes entry Journalism breezes throughout morning exercises at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Might 14, 2025.
Gregory Fisher-Imagn Photographs
Two different horses within the Preakness — Sandman and American Promise — additionally ran within the Derby. Sandman completed sixth within the Run for the Roses, and American Promise got here in sixteenth within the 19-horse area.
For the Preakness, Sandman was given 4-1 odds within the morning line, the closest to Journalism. The grey colt gained the Arkansas Derby in March after coming in third in February’s Insurgent Stakes and second within the Southwest Stakes in January.
Sandman can be below jockey John Velazquez, who’s ridden within the Preakness 13 instances, most not too long ago aboard Nationwide Treasure for his victory in 2023.
American Promise acquired 15-1 morning-line odds for Saturday’s race. The chestnut colt has two wins this season, together with the Virginia Derby in March, and completed fifth on the Risen Star Stakes in New Orleans in February.
Nik Juarez, who rode American Promise within the Derby, could have the mount once more for his first Preakness. However the colt’s coach, D. Wayne Lukas, is not any stranger to the race, saddling a report 48 starters and profitable seven instances, most not too long ago with Seize the Gray final yr.
Preakness Stakes entry American Promise breezes throughout morning exercises at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Might 14, 2025.
Gregory Fisher-Imagn Photographs
River Thames was given the third-best odds within the morning line with 9-2. The bay colt gained two races this yr, misplaced to Sovereignty by a neck at Florida’s Fountain of Youth Stakes in March and completed third eventually month’s Blue Grass Stakes in Kentucky.
Irad Ortiz Jr. can be aboard River Thames for the jockey’s seventh mount on the Preakness. Ortiz is on the lookout for his first win on the race after coming in second twice, most not too long ago with Blazing Sevens in 2023. The colt’s coach, Todd Pletcher, has saddled 10 horses on the Preakness and continues to be looking for his first win.
Intelligent Once more, the son of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, acquired 5-1 odds within the morning line. The bay colt has gained two races this yr, together with Arkansas’ Sizzling Springs Stakes in March.
Jose Ortiz will trip Intelligent Once more within the Preakness, his first mount within the race since profitable aboard Early Voting in 2022. With the colt, coach Steve Asmussen is on the lookout for his first Preakness win since filly Rachel Alexandra‘s victory in 2009.
Purpose Oriented, with 6-1 morning-line odds, will give coach Bob Baffert a shot at including to his report eight Preakness victories. The darkish bay colt has gained two races this yr, together with one of many Derby’s undercard races. Flavien Prat, who gained the Preakness aboard Rombauer in 2021, could have the mount Saturday.
With 12-1 odds within the morning line, Coronary heart of Honor will give jockey Saffie Osborne an opportunity to change into the primary girl to win a Triple Crown race since 1993, when Julie Krone gained the Belmont aboard Colonial Affair. Primarily based within the U.Okay., Coronary heart of Honor has gained two races this season within the United Arab Emirates and got here in second eventually month’s UAE Derby.
Two horses, Gosger and Pay Billy, got 20-1 morning-line odds within the Preakness. Gosger involves Pimlico with two wins this yr, together with final month’s Lexington Stakes in Kentucky. This season, Pay Billy has gained 4 instances at Maryland’s Laurel Park.
