Preakness Stakes Handicapping Picks
Horse racing gamblers are you looking for 2025 Preakness Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping Odds…plus some predictions? Need some advice on who to take? The 2025 (G1) Preakness Stakes is set for May 17 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD. Here’s a preview of our top contenders.
Preakness Stakes Preview
- Race: Preakness Stakes
- Purse: $2 million
- Distance: 1 3/16 miles
- Track: Pimlico Race Course
- Date: May 17, 2025
- Post Time: 7:01 PM (ET)
- Live: Preakness Stakes Odds: Click Here
Before we can give you our expert 2025 Preakness Stakes free pick, we have to break down the entries! In fact, we’d love to hear from you after you’ve given this post a read to see if you see an angle that we don’t!
2025 Preakness Stakes Handicapping
This weekend’s feature event in North American thoroughbred racing is a historic one, as Pimlico Race Course plays host to the 150th running of the (G1) Preakness Stakes.
Well-known as the second jewel of the US Triple Crown, this year the Preakness won’t see a Triple Crown bid, as the connections of Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty have decided to skip the race and aim instead for the (G1) Belmont in three weeks time.
Three runners from the Derby have returned to try their luck in the Preakness, including second-place finisher Journalism, seventh-place finisher Sandman, and 16th-place finisher American Promise. They’ll be joined by six other new shooters in the starting gate, and they’ll race 1 3/16 miles on the Pimlico dirt track.
Odds listed here are provided by the Pimlico Race Course track oddsmaker.
2025 Preakness Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Journalism Race Odds: 8-5
The beaten 3-1 favourite in the Derby, Journalism still ran an excellent race, coming from mid-pack to get to the lead in the stretch, only to be passed by Sovereignty late, losing by 1 1/2 lengths.
He tries to redeem himself here in a smaller and arguably easier field. He comes in after recording three consecutive triple-digit Brisnet speed figures from his last three races. No other contender in the field has more than one. The Derby was his first loss after four consecutive wins, three of those in graded-stakes.
2025 Preakness Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Sandman Odds: 4-1
The late-running Sandman broke from the gate in 18th position in the Derby and – somewhat predictably- found himself in all kinds of traffic trouble throughout the race. He did well to get through much of it and finish seventh, but even as he was passing horses late he was still losing ground on the leaders.
Although he’ll have much less traffic to contend with on Saturday, the Preakness isn’t a race that typically favours deep closers.
River Thames Race Odds: 9-2
Although he had earned enough points to qualify for the Derby, the connections of River Thames decided to skip that race and spend six weeks prepping for the Preakness instead.
Never out of the money in four lifetime starts, his two losses have come by a neck (to Sovereignty) in the (G2) Fountain of Youth, and 3/4 length in the (G1) Blue Grass Stakes.
He’s a consistent type of runner, with enough early speed to get himself in a good stalking position behind the pacesetters.
Clever Again Race Odds: 5-1
The speedy Clever Again comes in off two consecutive victories at Oaklawn Park where he took the field wire-to-wire and where he won both by open lengths that were increasing when he hit the wire.
He’s taking a step up in class here and may have to contend with Goal Oriented for the early lead. At the same time, this will be his first try beyond 1 1/16 miles, and he has a pedigree that screams distance. He may just be able to steal it on the front end, a tactic we’ve seen many times before in this race.
Here’s My 2025 Preakness Stakes Free Pick.
On paper, Journalism is the class of this field and it would take a total reversal of form not to see him hitting the board on Saturday. At the same time, the Derby qualifying trail is a grind, and in the Preakness he’ll be making his fourth start in just 10 weeks.
You have to wonder how much he has left in the tank after four tough races in a short span, and at low odds he’s worth taking a shot against.
In contrast, as mentioned above River Thames comes in fresh. It’s almost unheard of for a horse that qualifies for the Kentucky Derby to skip the race, so clearly the connections have long believed this was his best shot at winning a Triple Crown race.
I’ll hope to get a bit of value and play him for the win, and use both Journalism and Clever Again underneath in the exacta.
Full Field: 2025 Preakness Stakes Odds
By post position
- #1 – Goal Oriented 6-1
- #2 – Journalism 8-5
- #3 – American Promise 15-1
- #4 – Heart of Honour 12-1
- #5 – Pay Billy 20-1
- #6 – River Thames 9-2
- #7 – Sandman 4-1
- #8 – Clever Again 5-1
- #9 – Gosger 20-1
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