Preakness Stakes horses 2025: Fast facts to know before you bet on second Triple Crown race

The 2025 Preakness Stakes (Saturday, 6:50 p.m. E T, NBC/Peacock) will mark the 150th running of the Triple Crown horse race at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. With the Preakness post positions set, it's time to break down the field for the sesquicentennial edition, which doesn't include Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty, being preserved for the Belmont Stakes on June 7.

Journalism, who had been the Derby favorite and finished second at Churchill Downs, has a clear edge (8-5) going into the Preakness. Sandman (4-1) and American Promise (15-1) will also run both legs, looking for much better results.

Here's looking at the three Derby entries and six fresh horses in the Preakness and whether a new challenge will emerge for Sovereignty in the third and final leg:

MORE: Odds, expert picks and more for 2025 Preakness Stakes

Preakness post positions, odds for 2025

Here are the early morning line odds for the nine horses competing in the 2025 Preakness Stakes.

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Which 2025 Preakness contenders have the best track record?

1. Journalism

Journalism was edged by Sovereignty and now should be brimming with confidence after that upstart is skipping the Preakness. He won the Santa Anita Derby and just saw an impressive four-race winning streak end in Louisville. The muddy conditions had an effect so a fast track on the Pimlico dirt can push Journalism back to victory.

2. River Thames

This horse also has a second-place finish to Sovereignty, coming in the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park. River Thames also has fared better more in shorter sprints, bolstering its chances for the 1 3/16 miles of the Preakness.

3. Clever Again

Clever Again was sired by American Pharoah, the legendary Triple Crown and Breeders Cup Classic winner from 2015. A decade later, this progeny can make him proud. This horse is also rested and coming off resounding wins at Oaklawn.

Which trainers can you trust most in the Preakness?

1. Bob Baffert

Baffert has a record eight wins in the second jewel, most recently with Natural Treasure in 2023. He was unable to get Derby entrant Rodriguez in the field but he's still in the mix with Goal Oriented, going two-for-two with wins at Churchill Downs and Santa Anita. This horse is fine enough to make it nine for Baffert.

2. D. Wayne Lukas 

Lukas got back on the board at age 88 last year with Seize the Grey, his seventh Preakness winner and first since Oxbow in 2013. He'll try to make it a double to tie Baffert with American Promise, who can live up to some unfulfilled promise from the Derby.

3. Michael W. McCarthy

Before training Journalism, McCarthy brought home his first Preakness victory with Rombauer in 2021. his most recent entry into the race.

Which jockeys can you trust most at the 2025 Preakness?

1. John R. Velazquez

He won the Preakness aboard National Treasure in 2023, giving him his sixth career Triple Crown triumph. He missed out on the Derby this year when Grande was scratched. He will try to guide Sandman to a nice rebound.

2. Jose Ortiz

Ortiz, a two-time Triple Crown winner, won the 2022 Preakness with Early Voting. This time, he's been charged with getting Clever Again into first place.

3. Flavien Prat

He also has two jewels in his box, including Rombauer for McCarthy in the 2021 Preakness. He just showed with Baeza at the Derby and will try to build on that to help Goal Oriented come through for Baffert.

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Which horse is the best longshot pick to win the 2025 Preakness?

Gosger (20-1)

Gosger has the pedigree of Nyquist, the 2016 Kentucky Derby winner. He's looked better with each race for trainer Brandon Walsh. Jockey Luis Saez has two previous Triple Crown wins, both in the Belmont. He could play spoiler from the final position outside.

Which Preakness post positions have been the most advantageous?

No. 4: The inside post had a long drought until filly Swiss Skydiver made it two wins in 14 years in 2020, following up Curlin' from 2007. No. 4 was notably bad for Derby winner Always Dreaming in 2017, but that is anomalous, given it has produced 14 winners since 1909. It's not looking great for Heart of Honor.

No. 5: Early Voting made it three wins from here in the past 15 years as the Preakness winner in 2022, joining Exaggerator in 2016 and Shackelford in 2011. Pay Billy will try to use that to his longshot advantage.

No. 6: Rombauer made it three wins from here in 16 years by taking the 2021 Preakness, joining Oxbow in 2013 and Big Brown from 2008. That makes it easier to trust River Thames.

No. 7: This was fortunate for Justify in '18 and for another Bob Baffert horse, Looking at Lucky in '10. Since Sunday Silence in '89, six horses have won from No. 7, good for 17 percent over a 36-year span. That should give Sandman some confidence to go with the Derby experience.

No. 1: Somewhere in the middle has been consistently the best spot, but the lowest number has been kind of late, as National Treasure won from No. 1 for Baffert in 2023. War of Will upset Improbable out of No. 1 in 2019. American Pharoah also won from No. 1 on its way to the Triple Crown in '15. Goal Oriented can tap into this Baffert history.

No. 3: This position helped California Chrome win the Preakness in 2014, but the previous winner had been Prairie Bayou in 1993. American Promise didn't catch a break here.

No. 2: Cloud Computing produced a shocker from here in 2017, ending a long drought from when Snow Chief won in 1986. Journalism will try to rewrite that quickly.

How many horses have won the Preakness and the Kentucky Derby?

Thirteen horses have won the Triple Crown, finishing off the Derby and the Preakness by also taking the Belmont Stakes, most recently Justify in 2018. Another 24 have won the first two jewels before failing to make history at Belmont. Baffert had this happen twice right before Justify and American Pharoah (2015) won Triple Crowns for him: I'll Have Another in '12 and California Chrome in '14.

Since Justify's Triple Crown, there have been 20 Triple Crown races with 20 unique winners, with no horse taking even two jewels. That will extend to 21 with Sovereignty out of the field and attempting to double up out of order.

Preakness picks 2025

Here is the projected order of finish at the 2025 Preakness Stakes:

• Win: Goal Oriented
• Place: River Thames
• Show: Sandman

This is lining up well for Baffert even without Rodriguez, thanks to Sovereignty being out and Journalism drawing a bad post. No. 1 is No. 1 again with Prat coming through to edge fellow veteran Irad Ortiz Jr., also winner of two jewels.