Handicapping the 2025 Preakness Stakes!
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NEWS ALERTS:
Journalism Fights for the Win in the G1 Preakness Stakes!
Margie's Intention Wins the Muddy G2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes!
Congrats to Journalism in Winning the 150th Preakness Stakes!
What a way to close out Old Pimlico and 150th edition of the Preakness Stakes with a heart-stopping and exhilarating finish that will be one to remember for years to come!
All the excitment began at the 1/4 pole when Journalism (Even) was asked for his run but found himself with nowhere to go as Clever Again (5-1), who lead from the start, and Gosger (15-1) were head-to-head on the lead and Goal Oriented (8-1) with Prat up, seemed to want to keep Jounalism boxed in.
Jounalism was sandwiched in between Clever Again and Goal Oriented as Gosger was pulling away, then Rispoli saw a small gap open and he went for it as the three runners were bumping into each other hard as Journalism squeezed through!
All the while Gosger was increasing his lead by 5 lengths with a furlong to go and it looked like the best Journalism could do would be second place! But then he showed his grit and tenancity as the fast closing Sandman (6-1) had made up a ton of ground as those three were bunching up at the 3/16 pole and actually put his Nose in front of Journalism in the stretch but then he re-engaged with his best stride and somehow manged reel in Gosger in the closing yards to win by 1/2 length!
It was another 2 1/4 lengths back to Sandman in 3rd who finished 4 lengths in front Goal Oriented in 4th. The Euro import Heart of Honor (GB) ran a decent race finishing 5th 2 lengths behind Goal Orientedand is headed to the Belmont Stakes .
There was a stewards inquiry after the race regarding the bumping of the three runners but after a quick review they made no change to the order of finish.
A lot of people felt that Bob Baffert's Goal Oriented should have been taken down and placed last as it looked like he (Flavien Prat) was the cause of what could have been a disastrous outcome.
Journalism is the first Favorite to win since Justify in 2018 and the first losing KY Derby favorite to come back and win in the Preakness since Lookin At Lucky in 2010.
The time of the race was 1:55.47 for the 1 3/16 Miles on a Fast track.
Total wagering on the Preakness day card was $110 Million which was an increase of 11.3% over the previous year.
The day after the running of the 150th Preakness Stakes, the demolition of Old Hilltop and renovation of the track began. Next year the 2nd Leg of the Triple Crown series will be held at Laurel Park.
Next up is the final Leg of the Triple Crown with the Belmont Stakes being held for the second year at Saratoga while new construction and renovations of Belmont Park have been in process.
The Big Question is, will we get a Showdown of Journalism vs. Sovereignty?
In Our Preakness S. Picks:
We made River Thames (9-1) our Top pick as felt strongly that a "New-Shooter" would prevail over the favorite Journalism (Even) as they had won in the last (7) years and that favorites in the Preakness had not won in the past 6 years.
River Thames was our choice of the "New-Shooters" because he had skipped the KY Derby even though he had earned enough points to get in to the 1st Leg of the Triple Crown series but his trainer Todd Pletcher thought he needed more time. Also, River Thames had the Critical Raise A Native sire side pedigree line, as did Journalism!
In addition he had only been beaten by a Neck in the Fountain of Youth S. by the KY Derby winner Sovereignty and ran a very good 3rd last out in the Blue Grass S. only beaten 3/4 lengths. Also he had never been out of the Trifecta in 4 career races (4-2-1-1).
Everyone knew that Journalism was the horse to beat and if he did get beat he most likely would still hit the board and with 30 yards to go, it did look like he would get beat however his remarkable talent got him to the wire just in time!
Our wagering strategy in a (9) horses field is to use 1A, 2B, 3C runners with the A (River Thames) our top choice and the Bs most likely to complete the Exact and the C runners for the Trifecta and Superfecta slots.
We used Journalism and Clever Again as our Bs along with Sandman, Gosger and American Promise as the Cs and to use Heart of Honor (GB) and Goal Oriented as ones to use if there were any scratches.
River Thames had a slight bobble at the start but then placed himself in a stalking position behind the two pace setters all the way down the backside and entering the far turn where he was floated out four wide into the stretch and then weakened and fell back to finish 6th.
Our wagering strategy did cash in on the $33.80 Exacta.
Payouts were low with the favorite winning and the 3rd favorite running 3rd. They were the 4th lowest in the last 18 years!
In Our Full Card Picks:
Payoffs were on the low side with (6) winning fravorites along with (2) 2nd favorites winning. Average $2 Win payout was a decent $21.40 with the low being $2.80 and the high $113.20.
The first two dirt races the track was rated Good with the reamining rated Fast. The Turf course was rated Good all day.
Our Top selection won in (4) races as well as being in our Top 4 selection in (7) additional races.
We Hit (11) Exacta winners R1 ($17.60, R2 ($666.20), R3 ($7.40), R4 ($8.80), R6 ($26.60), R9 ($25.20), R10 ($49.60), R11 ($10.80), R12 ($152.00), R13 ($33.80) and R14 ($5.40).
Total - $1,003.40 for $2 wagers. Cashed in on (5) Trifectas – Race 2 ($1,853.10), Race 3 ($10.10), Race 6 ($21.90), Race10 ($34.50) and Race 11 ($26.40).
Total - $1,946.00 in $1 wagers. Also had (2) Superfectas in Race 3 ($14.10) and Race 11 ($122.40).
Total - $136.50 in $1 wagers. Hit (9) Daily Doubles – Race 1 ($123.00), Race 2 ($114.90), Race 3 ($3.80), Race 9 ($17.90), Race 10 ($9.10), Race 11 ($7.60), Race 12 ($10.80), Race 13 ($3.40) and Black-Eyed Susan/Preakness DBL ($15.00).
Total - $305.50 in $1 wagers. Had (6) Pick 3s - Race 1 ($189.10), Race 2 ($105.35), Race 9 ($24.25), Race 10 ($39.10), Race 11 ($11.30) and Race 12 ($16.90).
Total $386.00 in 50 CENT wagers. Cashed in on (1) Pick 4 – Race 10 ($88.85)
Total - $88.85 in 50 CENT Grand Total Winning Wagers - $3,866.25. wagers. Our Best Longshot to use in Race 2 Won paying $89.60. The Belmont Stakes, the final Leg of the Triple Crown series, is up next on June 7th and will be held at Saratoga for the 2nd year at the reduced distance of 1 1/4 Miles, not the usual 1 1/2 Miles. Will we get a Showdown of the KY Derby winner Sovereignty & the Preakness Stakes winner Journalism? If you did not sign up for our Triple Crown series Picks you can sign up for our Belmont Stakes & Full Card Picks by Clicking here Now...
Total - $1,003.40 for $2 wagers. Cashed in on (5) Trifectas – Race 2 ($1,853.10), Race 3 ($10.10), Race 6 ($21.90), Race10 ($34.50) and Race 11 ($26.40).
Total - $1,946.00 in $1 wagers. Also had (2) Superfectas in Race 3 ($14.10) and Race 11 ($122.40).
Total - $136.50 in $1 wagers. Hit (9) Daily Doubles – Race 1 ($123.00), Race 2 ($114.90), Race 3 ($3.80), Race 9 ($17.90), Race 10 ($9.10), Race 11 ($7.60), Race 12 ($10.80), Race 13 ($3.40) and Black-Eyed Susan/Preakness DBL ($15.00).
Total - $305.50 in $1 wagers. Had (6) Pick 3s - Race 1 ($189.10), Race 2 ($105.35), Race 9 ($24.25), Race 10 ($39.10), Race 11 ($11.30) and Race 12 ($16.90).
Total $386.00 in 50 CENT wagers. Cashed in on (1) Pick 4 – Race 10 ($88.85)
Total - $88.85 in 50 CENT Grand Total Winning Wagers - $3,866.25. wagers. Our Best Longshot to use in Race 2 Won paying $89.60. The Belmont Stakes, the final Leg of the Triple Crown series, is up next on June 7th and will be held at Saratoga for the 2nd year at the reduced distance of 1 1/4 Miles, not the usual 1 1/2 Miles. Will we get a Showdown of the KY Derby winner Sovereignty & the Preakness Stakes winner Journalism? If you did not sign up for our Triple Crown series Picks you can sign up for our Belmont Stakes & Full Card Picks by Clicking here Now...
There will be No Triple Crown Winner this Year!
Who will win the 2025 Preakness Stakes? That is the big question!
With the defection of the Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty from the 2nd leg of the Triple Crown series, the big question is who will win the Preakness Stakes?
Journalism, the runner up and post time Favorite in the Kentucky Derby, will run in the 2nd Leg of the Triple Crown series and no doubt will be the favorite in the Preakness Stakes!
There will be (2) other Kentucky Derby runners also showing up to take another shot at a Triple Crown Series race along with (6) "New Shooters" that are rested and ready to take on the KY Derby runners.
With the Preakness Stakes being 1/16th mile shorter than the Kentucky Derby you would think that Journalism in the Preakness is a can not lose horse!
Did you know that in the last 19 years ONLY 5 Kentucky Derby winners were able to win the Preakness Stakes?
They were: Justify (2018), American Pharoah (2015), Caifornia Chrome (2014), I'll Have Another (2012) and Big Brown (2008).
Last year Mage (15-1) upset winner of the Kentucky Derby finished 3rd in the Preakness Stakes as the favorite!
No Kentucky Derby winner in the race this year.
There are (6) "New Shooters" that are rested and ready, that are lining up to take their best shot at the Kentucky Derby runners coming back for the 2nd Leg of the Triple Crown.
Since the Derby winner, Sovereignty, is skipping the Preakness, the "New Shooters" are looking at a wide-open race. They are: Goal Oriented, Clever Again, Gosger, River Thames, Pay Billy and Heart of Honor (GB).
In handicapping the Preakness Stakes you need to include the NEW shooters who almost always have a say in the Exotic wagers (Exacta, Trifecta and Superfecta).
Just like last year when when Seize the Grey (9-1) who did not run in the KY Derby, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, defeated the Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan (5/2) by 2 1/4 lengths while the Derby 4th place runner Catching Freedom ran 3rd followed by another "New Shooter" in 4th.
In 2023 National Treasure (3-1), trainer by Bob Baffert, was not allowed to participate in the Kentucky Derby, was well rested and won as the KY Derby winner Mage finished 3rd.
In 2022, it was Early Voting (6-1) that skipped the Kentucky Derby as trainer Chad Brown was looking to repeat his 2017 Preakness win by waiting for the 2nd Leg of the Triple Crown to beat the KY Derby post time Favorite and Preakness favorite Epicenter (3/2) by 1 1/4 lengths and paid $13.40 for the win.
In 2022 when Rombauer (12-1), who skipped the Kentucky Derby, took on the Derby winner Medina Spirit and the two other runners coming back for the 2nd Leg of the Triple Crown won by 3 1/2 lengths. The 41 Superfecta paid $1,025 with the (3) KY Derby runners finishing 2nd, 3rd and 4th.
In 2020, the Filly Swiss Skydiver (12-1) (trained by Ken Mcpeek) jumped into the Triple Crown series and beat the Kentucky Derby winner Authentic by a neck as "New Shooters" Jesus Team (41-1) and Art Collector (5/2) finished 3rd and 4th. $1 Trifecta paid $1,205 and the $1 Superfecta paid $5,053.
In 2017 when "New Shooter" Cloud Computing (13-1) won the race and Senior Investment (31-1) finished 4th. The $1 Trifecta paid $1,097 and the $1 Superfecta paid $8,162 and the $1 Super High 5 paid $283,223!
In 2016 Cherry Wine (17-1) ran 2nd and Stradivari (8-1) finished 4th with the two favorites running 1st and 4th and the Exacta paid $88, Trifecta $146 and the Superfecta $317.
In 2015 with a small field of 8 runners, 3 of them being "New Shooters", 2 of them came in 2nd (28-1) and 3rd (12-1) to American Pharoah (4/5) the payoffs were: Exacta $124, Trifecta $985 & Superfecta $1,906!
Do you know which runners have the BEST chance of winning the Preakness Stakes?
Favoritism will probably be Journalism.
Did you know that 12 of last 15 Preakness Favorites all LOST? They were Mystik Dan (2025), Mage (2023), Epicenter (2022), Medina Spirit (2021), Authentic (2020), Improbable (2019), Always Dreaming (2017), Nyquist (2016), Orb (2013), Bodemeister (2012), Animal Kingdom (2011) and Super Saver (2010).
Will it be Journalism who will break this trend of Favorites not being able to win the Preakness Stakes or will it be another "New Shooter" winning the 2nd Leg of the Triple Crown series?
The Preakness Stakes is limited to 14 runners and it looks like we will have a good field of 9 going to the starting gate. (3) horses from the Kentucky Derby and (6) "New Shooters".
Do you know which of the new faces have the Pedigree for winning the Preakness Stakes?
If you are not aware of the importance of Pedigree for the Triple Crown races and it's importance for correctly picking the Exacta, Trifecta and Superfecta, then you need to get our Picks.
Just Like in the Kentucky Derby, there is a Winning Profile that has proven itself over the years at the Preakness and it is different from the KY Derby and Belmont Stakes Winning Profiles.
The Profile is included with our Preakness Stakes & Wagering strategy.
It is extremely difficult for 3-year old horses to meet the demands of 3 races at 3 different distancess at 3 different tracks over a period of just 5 weeks!
Thus the difficulty of winning the Triple Crown.
Most people think that the Pimlico track is a early running pace speed track and that horses coming from off the pace can not win the Preakness Stakes.
That was true at one-time, however, the folks at Pimlico have done an excellent job in recent years to eliminate this track bias. They have also widened the turns so they are not so sharp, which had also helped the speed horses. The turns are now more like Churchill Downs!
Unfortunately, a lot of jockeys still think they must be up front early in order to have a shot at winning the race. The big question is, who will try to go fast early and try to steal the race in a wire-to-wire attempt like Gary Stevens did on Oxbow for D. Wayne Lukas in 2013 and did it again last year with Seize the Grey?
Don't forget Lukas has another one this year with American Promise who also likes to race on the lead!
Remember Magic Weisner in 2002?
He came from out of the clouds to just miss catching speedster War Emblem at odds of (45-1) and made for a very nice Exacta, Trifecta and Superfecta payouts ... Exacta $327, Trifecta $2,311 and the $1 Superfecta gave back $6,701.
Our Preakness Stakes Picks utilizes the Proven Winning Profile to identify those horses that have the CORRECT pedigree for winning the 2nd Leg of the Triple Crown series.
It has been successful in 17 of the last 25 years in picking the winner!
Not only has it picked the winner but also the Exacta in 20 of the last 26 years, the Trifecta in 16 of those 25 years and even hit the Superfecta in 11 of those!
Included with the Preakness Picks is our powerful wagering strategy for the Exacta, Trifecta and Superfecta tickets.
The key to making money on the Preakness Stakes is to hit the Trifecta and Superfecta tickets without requiring a large bankroll to get maximum coverage in a 14 horse field.
You will also be provided with a Link to download FREE Past Performances for all Preakness Stakes horses when they become available.