Journalism closes as 5-1 favorite in Preakness Future Wager
Before he finished second in the Kentucky Derby, three-time graded-stakes winner Journalism closed as the 5-1 favorite Saturday in the Preakness Future Wager.
Run by the Maryland Jockey Club and 1/ST Racing, the early betting pool for the May 17 race at Pimlico closed as scheduled Saturday at 6 p.m. EDT, 65 minutes before the start of the Derby. It attracted $347,666, up 38% from the second of two wagering periods last year.
Sovereignty, who won the Derby but is not confirmed to go to Baltimore, closed as the eighth betting choice at 19-1 in the Preakness futures.
Rodríguez, who was scratched from the Derby with a foot bruise, was the best-backed horse among potential new shooters. Trained by eight-time Preakness winner Bob Baffert, the Grade 2 Wood Memorial winner closed at 11-1.
The pool opened April 25 showing 40 betting interests, including a mutuel pool of all 3-year-olds other than the 39 individuals who were listed. Cornucopian, Poster and Tappan Street were scratched
The Preakness Future Wager, which opened April 25, was run as a separate wagering pool from the traditional pari-mutuels which open next week. The wagers had a $2 minimum and 18% takeout with simulcast and advanced-deposit wagering settled at the Pimlico host-fee rate.
This is the third year Preakness futures have been offered up to the final hour before the Kentucky Derby. In 2023, the win pool totaled $304,326. Last year there were two wagering windows with $136,608 collected Feb. 29 to March 2 and then $251,829 in a second pool that was run closer to the Derby. The early wager was not repeated this year.
| Preakness Fut. Wager | Win gross | Odds | Last race | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24. Journalism | $45,301 | 5-1 | 2nd Kentucky Derby, CD | Michael McCarthy |
| 34. Rodríguez | $23,573 | 11-1 | 1st Wood Mem. (G2), AQU | Bob Baffert |
| 4. Baeza | $18,311 | 14-1 | 3rd Kentucky Derby, CD | John Shirreffs |
| 35. Sandman | $18,220 | 14-1 | 7th Kentucky Derby, CD | Mark Casse |
| 3. American Promise | $16,889 | 15-1 | 16th Kentucky Derby, CD | D. Wayne Lukas |
| 13. Clever Again | $17,404 | 15-1 | 1st Hot Springs, OP | Steve Asmussen |
| 12. Citizen Bull | $14,908 | 18-1 | 15th Kentucky Derby, CD | Bob Baffert |
| 36. Sovereignty | $14,163 | 19-1 | 1st Kentucky Derby, CD | Bill Mott |
| 40. All other 3yos | $12,053 | 22-1 | ||
| 8. Caldera | $10,972 | 24-1 | 2nd Bathhouse Row, OP | D. Wayne Lukas |
| 33. River Thames | $9,820 | 28-1 | 3rd Blue Grass (G1), KEE | Todd Pletcher |
| 25. Luxor Café | $9,279 | 29-1 | 12th Kentucky Derby, CD | Noriyuki Hori |
| 7. Burnham Square | $8,714 | 31-1 | 6th Kentucky Derby, CD | Ian Wilkes |
| 38. Tiztastic | $7,843 | 35-1 | 10th Kentucky Derby, CD | Steve Asmussen |
| 17. Final Gambit | $7,359 | 37-1 | 4th Kentucky Derby, CD | Brad Cox |
| 19. Gosger | $7,394 | 37-1 | 1st Lexington (G3), KEE | Brendan Walsh |
| 14. Coal Battle | $6,858 | 40-1 | 11th Kentucky Derby, CD | Lonnie Briley |
| 20. Grande | $6,200 | 44-1 | 2nd Wood Mem. (G2), AQU | Todd Pletcher |
| 29. Pay Billy | $5,913 | 47-1 | 1st Federico Tesio, LRL | Michael Gorham |
| 11. Chunk of Gold | $5,793 | 48-1 | 9th Kentucky Derby, CD | Ethan West |
| 16. East Avenue | $5,302 | 52-1 | 8th Kentucky Derby, CD | Brendan Walsh |
| 31. Publisher | $5,283 | 52-1 | 14th Kentucky Derby, CD | Steve Asmussen |
| 21. Heart of Honor | $5,241 | 53-1 | 2nd UAE Derby (G2), MEY | Jamie Osborne |
| 32. Render Judgment | $4,955 | 56-1 | 17th Kentucky Derby, CD | Kenny McPeek |
| 23. Instant Replay | $4,839 | 57-1 | 1st Bathhouse Row, OP | Brad Cox |
| 5. Bracket Buster | $4,615 | 60-1 | 7th alw OC, CD | Vicki Oliver |
| 2. Admire Daytona | $4,261 | 65-1 | 19th Kentucky Derby, CD | Yukihiro Kato |
| 1. Admiral Dennis | $4,158 | 67-1 | 4th Blue Grass (G1), KEE | Brad Cox |
| 9. California Burrito | $4,132 | 68-1 | 8th Pat Day Mile (G2), CD | Tommy Drury |
| 18. Flying Mohawk | $3,905 | 72-1 | 18th Kentucky Derby, CD | Whit Beckman |
| 22. Hill Road | $3,750 | 75-1 | 3rd T.B. Derby (G3), TAM | Chad Brown |
| 6. Built | $3,328 | 84-1 | 9th Pat Day Mile (G2), CD | Wayne Catalano |
| 10. Captain Cook | $3,209 | 87-1 | 4th Wood Mem. (G2), AQU | Rick Dutrow |
| 39. Voldemort | $3,177 | 88-1 | 1st MSW, SA | Bob Baffert |
| 28. Owen Almighty | $3,149 | 89-1 | 5th Kentucky Derby, CD | Brian Lynch |
| 26. Madaket Road | $2,778 | 101-1 | 2nd Pat Day Mile (G2), CD | Bob Baffert |
| 27. Neoequos | $1,763 | 160-1 | 13th Kentucky Derby, CD | Saffie Joseph Jr. |
| 15. Cornucopian | scr | 2nd alw OC, AQU | Bob Baffert | |
| 30. Poster | scr | 4th Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), TP | Eoin Harty | |
| 37. Tappan Street | scr | 1st Florida Derby (G1), GP | Brad Cox | |
| Total win pool | $347,666 |