Preakness: Md. stewards decide not to suspend or fine riders

Maryland stewards questioned jockeys who were involved in the controversial three-horse squeeze at Preakness 2025 last weekend before deciding Friday not to fine or suspend them.

“After reviewing the films and speaking with the riders involved, we, the presiding stewards of the 150th running of the Preakness Stakes, came to the unanimous decision not to take action against Flavien Prat, rider of fourth-place finished Goal Oriented or Umberto Rispoli, rider of first-place finisher Journalism,” a statement said on the Maryland Racing Commission website.

It was the first public explanation from stewards Adam Campola, Ross Pearce and Russell Derderian since they took fewer than three minutes to decide they would not change the order of finish in last Saturday’s classic at Pimlico in Baltimore. They did not say whether their race-day decision was unanimous. Maryland Racing Commission regulations did not require them to make a public statement.

The incident at the top of the stretch near the three-sixteenths pole last Saturday led to a polarizing debate about whether Rispoli, Prat or no one should have been disqualified. Rispoli rallied Journalism through the narrowest of gaps between Goal Oriented and fading rail runner Clever Again. Prat veered inward riding Goal Oriented to try and engage Journalism when they made contact. Clever Again, ridden by José Ortiz, was pinned along the rail as the last of the dominos and retreated to finish last in the field of nine.

“It was just a mess,” Campola told BloodHorse. “We got lucky nothing really bad happened.”