2025 Preakness Stakes Odds, Picks & Predictions
The 2025 Preakness Stakes is the 150th running of the second installment of the Triple Crown of horse racing. The race should begin at approximately 7:01 p.m. ET from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, and it can be viewed on NBC.
Unfortunately for fans hoping for a triple crown, we won’t see history this season. That’s because Sovereignty, the winner of the 2025 Kentucky Derby, has elected to opt out of the Preakness, leaving the pursuit of the Triple Crown for yet another year.
Journalism, the horse that was the runner-up in the Run for the Roses, will be the favorite in Baltimore this weekend. Journalism is a heavy favorite (8/5).
Should you play the chalk, or go with another option deeper in the field? We’ll highlight three of our best bets for Saturday’s still important race, although it does lose some of its luster with no potential Triple Crown history on the line.
2025 Preakness Stakes Best Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Journalism (8/5)
Journalism has earned three victories in the 2025 season, winning the DK Horse 2 San Felipe Stakes (Grade II) at Santa Anita on March 1st, while returning in the Santa Anita Derby (Grade I) on April 5th in the run-up to the Kentucky Derby with another victory. Journalism averaged a 109.0 Equibase Speed Figure in those two victories, so it’s no surprise the horse challenged for the win at Churchill Downs.
With Sovereignty not in the field, Journalism is a strong play. The Curlin-sired horse, ridden by jockey Umberto Rispoli and trained by Michael W. McCarthy, is angling for history for both the jockey and trainer. Rispoli has never won a Triple Crown race, while McCarthy has just a single Triple Crown win, helping Rombauer to the winner’s circle at the 2021 Preakness Stakes. Journalism goes off from Post No. 2.
Sandman (4/1)
If you’re not into backing the chalk, Sandman has a little more value for the chance to quadruple up.
Sandman is partly owned by Vincent Viola. He saw his National Hockey League franchise, the Florida Panthers, win Lord Stanley’s Cup last season, and he certainly wouldn’t mind adding another championship trophy to his collection.
Sandman didn’t show well in the Kentucky Derby, fading to seventh place. That was a bummer after a strong win at Oaklawn Park in the Arkansas Derby (Grade I). At Churchill Downs, Sandman had an Equibase Speed Figure of just 87, so the Tapit-sired horse enters with a little bit of stink.
However, John R. Velazquez is the jockey, the winner of the 2023 Preakness Stakes with National Treasure. Trainer Mark E. Casse took War of Will to the winner’s circle in the 2019 Preakness Stakes, too, so this is a powerful combination for Sandman.
American Promise (15/1)
American Promise is looking for greatness at the Preakness Stakes, and the horse has some good history on its side.
Backing American Promise takes a bit of a leap of faith. The horse faded badly in the Kentucky Derby, finishing 16th. The Justify-sired horse is ridden by Nik Juarez, with D. Wayne Lukas as the trainer. The latter has picked up seven wins at the Preakness Stakes in a span from 1980 through last season. Lukas helped Seize the Gray win the 149th running of the Preakness Stakes. Can he do it again? It’s worth a roll of the dice as a rather decent longshot, at least if you can put that dismal Kentucky Derby finish out of your mind.