Preakness Stakes Betting 2025: The Field, Horse-by-Horse Analysis, and More

Preakness Stakes Betting 2025: The field, horse-by-horse analysis, and more. Place a horse racing bet now with the best odds at YouWager.lv.

The Preakness Stakes 2025 are about to take place now that the Kentucky Derby has reached the conclusion of its run and the month of May has arrived on the calendar.

The group that will compete in the Preakness Stakes will appear very different from the field that competed at Churchill Downs only two weeks ago. This is something that happens every time. On the other hand, the Preakness Stakes has a maximum field size of fourteen horses, in contrast to the Kentucky Derby, which allows for up to twenty horses to run. Additionally, because of the short amount of time that passes between the races—two weeks—it has become increasingly usual in recent years for horses that have won the Kentucky Derby to skip the Preakness, thereby missing out on the opportunity to compete for the triple crown.

when a matter of fact, this is precisely what transpired prior to the 2025 Preakness, when the trainers of Sovereignty, the horse that won the Derby, and Baeza, the horse that finished in third place, decided not to participate in the second leg of the triple crown at Pimlico Race Course.

Nevertheless, this does not mean that the Preakness will not continue to be an electrifying and fascinating race. Journalism, the favorite to win the Kentucky Derby, is still in the running. After finishing second to Sovereignty at Churchill Downs, Journalism came in second place. And because five trainers who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame, including Bob Baffert and Todd Pletcher, will be supervising the horses that are competing in the field, the influence of the very best the sport has to offer will be front and center in Baltimore, Maryland.

Let’s not waste any more time and get to know the horses, shall we?

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Betting Odds
1	Goal Oriented	Flavien Prat	Bob Baffert	6-1
2	Journalism	Umberto Rispoli	Michael McCarthy	8-5
3	American Promise	Nik Juarez	D. Wayne Lukas	15-1
4	Heart of Honor	Saffie Osborne	Jamie Osborne	12-1
5	Pay Billy	Raul Mena	Michael Gorham	20-1
6	River Thames	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Todd Pletcher	9-2
7	Sandman	John Velazquez	Mark Casse	4-1
8	Clever Again	Jose Ortiz	Steve Asmussen	5-1
9	Gosger	Luis Saez	Brendan Walsh	20-1

Journalism, Sandman, and American Promise are the only three horses that have competed in the Kentucky Derby. They are the only horses that are competing in the Preakness Stakes.

There are a lot of trainers who have qualified for the Hall of Fame. At Pimlico Race Course, there is no shortage of experienced hands watching the horses. D. Wayne Lukas, who has won the Preakness six times, and Bob Baffert, who has won the Preakness eight times, are just two examples. There are a total of five trainers deserving of the Hall of Fame competing in this event.

In addition, it is a race that sees jockeys who are both experienced and accomplished competing. John Velazquez, who will be riding Sandman next to Jose Ortiz, who is now riding Clever Again for the Preakness Stakes, is one of the most accomplished in terms of career successes. It is difficult to look past John Velazquez. Velazquez is considered to be one of the very finest jockeys in the sport due to the fact that he has completed his career with earnings totaling over $497 million, as well as three Kentucky Derbys, two Belmonts, and a Preakness. In terms of the total number of victories they have achieved this season, Jose Ortiz, Irad Ortiz Jr., and Flavien Prat are among the finest jockeys.

The Baffert-Prat combination behind Goal Oriented and the Pletcher-Ortiz Jr. combination behind River Thames are two of the best and most promising combinations of jockey and trainer. Do not look any further than these two combinations.

Although Asmussen is the most successful trainer in the history of horse racing in North America, he has not been victorious in the Preakness Stakes since 2009. Are Jose Ortiz, the winner of the Preakness in 2022, capable of changing Asmussen’s fortunes when he is atop Clever Again at Pimlico?

Despite the fact that fans of horse racing will not be able to witness a horse win the Triple Crown this year, they still have the opportunity to witness history being created at Pimlico Race Course. Saffie Osborne, who is riding Heart of Honor, has the potential to become the first female jockey to win the Preakness Stakes.

Rodriguez, who is trained by Bob Baffert and was previously unable to compete in the Kentucky Derby due to a foot injury, will not be participating in the Preakness Stakes.

Preakness Stakes Betting 2025: Horse-by-Horse Analysis

1 – GOAL ORIENTED – 6-1

It is reasonable to anticipate that this extremely speedy colt will lead as far as he goes for top connections and gun from the rail. Nobody is riding as good as Prat, and Baffert is looking for a record-breaking eighth Preakness victory. Prat is the best rider in the race. The lack of experience is the one thing that can be considered a disadvantage for a versatile colt that has never covered more than 1 1/16 miles or raced in a major race. A wet track would not be an issue for the colt that led throughout the whole 1 1/16 mile race that took place on the Derby undercard for slop. Unquestionably belongs in the exotics casino and is deserving of a little won play.

Conclusion from the betting: Use underneath

2 – JOURNALISM – 8-5

Journalism was unable to recuperate from a sluggish beginning in the Derby, where he slipped too far behind heading into the first turn. Nevertheless, he appeared to be a winner in the upper stretch of the race before Sovereignty ended his fortune. With a decent trip, Journalism should be able to replicate the success that his sire, Curlin, had in winning the Preakness in 2007. There is no other competitor in this field that ranks as highly as that colt. The same as in Louisville, you need to defeat him to win.

The winner of the wager is the pick.

3 AMERICAN PROMISE – 15-1

Even though the free-running colt had a difficult journey and finished sixteenth in the Derby, he shown a lot of determination after he ran into some difficulties early on. A glaring shortcoming of his is his record in graded stakes, which is a perfect 0 for 3 with a total of 58 lengths of defeat. The fact that May foal is one of the youngest horses in the field yet having the most experience (he will be making his eleventh start) is an oddity. There is a possibility of a pace drop.

Opinion of the gamblers: toss

4 – HEART OF HONOR – 12-1

A big underlay at 12-1 involves an English shipper who has a connection to a father-daughter relationship. The winner of the 1 3/16-mile UAE Derby (G2) was Admire Daytona, who finished in last place among 19 horses in the Kentucky Derby. Admire Daytona received a loss of more than 50 lengths. A disadvantage, to be sure. There is no need to be concerned about the distance because Heart of Honor also finished in second place in the 1 3/16-mile preparation for the UAE Derby. However, the significant class leap is an issue.

Opinion of the gamblers: toss

5 – PAY BILLY – 20-1

Finished in first place in the 1 1/8-mile Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel, which earned him an automatic participation in the Preakness Stakes. Time moved slowly, and he completed his final furlong in a laborious 13 and a half seconds. Chooses a challenging situation to make his debut in the graded stakes. If it were one of the undercard stakes on Saturday, it would be a far better fit.

Tos is the betting verdict.

6 – RIVER THAMES – 9-2

In addition to the outstanding Ortiz, the Preakness is one of the few major races that Pletcher has not won, and it is also one of the few races that Ortiz has never won. River Thames has not competed since finishing in a close third place in the Blue Grass (G1) on April 8th, and Pletcher is very good with horses that have been on layoff. One of the most memorable moments of his career was when he fought Sovereignty in the Fountain of Youth (G2) and lost by a narrow margin. Rather than talent, the primary worry for a New York-born athlete who has not scored a single point beyond a mile is stamina.

Conclusion from the betting: Use underneath

7 – SANDMAN – 4-1

Not only did his connection to the Metallica song “Enter Sandman” help to his buzz on social media, but it also contributed to his odds of 5-1 in the Derby, which is one of the most significant underlays in the race in recent years. In a poor Arkansas Derby (G1), when a very rapid pace created an ideal setup, was overbet after going from last to first in the race. I was never involved in the Churchill race, and I ended up finishing eighth, losing by 12 and a half lengths. Because of the way he runs, it is difficult to imagine him competing on a track that is typically associated with horses.

Opinion of the gamblers: toss

8 – CLEVER AGAIN – 5-1

It is highly likely that Goal Oriented and American Promise will provide competition for the early pace with the speedy son of American Pharoah. Following a four-length victory in a listed event at Oaklawn Park, he makes a significant class rise in his first graded stakes race. He won the race from start to finish. It appears like he is in in over his head.

Opinion of the gamblers: toss

9 GOSGER – 20-1

Gets a shot at the Preakness Stakes after winning the Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland with ease. The renewal of the race was nothing special. Since that time, Stalker has been doing well in his training, and he is counting on Saez to provide him with the greatest possible trip, most likely from the middle of the pack. Although it is not a candidate for victory, 20-1 seems to be an overlay.

Conclusion from the betting: Use underneath

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Preakness Stakes Betting 2025: The Field, Favorites, Long Shots, and More, by YouWager.lv.