Preakness guide: Journalism tries for classic redemption

Pimlico in Baltimore hosts the 150th running of the Preakness Stakes on Saturday.

A field of nine 3-year-olds led by three-time graded-stakes winner Journalism and two other Kentucky Derby starters will go in the 1 3/16-mile second jewel of the Triple Crown. Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty will not be one of them, however.  Post time for the Preakness is set for 7:01 p.m. EDT.

The Preakness Stakes will be on NBC and streaming on Peacock from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. EDT. Undercard stakes coverage of Pimlico will be on CNBC and Peacock beginning at 2 p.m. EDT. FanDuel TV will also broadcast undercard stakes at Pimlico as part of its regular Saturday coverage.

Free past performances for the Preakness and undercard stakes are provided courtesy of Brisnet.

Here are the latest Preakness odds.

Check out the special Preakness wagers and mandatory payouts for the weekend. 

The Preakness began in 1873, two years before the Kentucky Derby. The race takes its name from the horse Preakness, who won the Dinner Party Stakes on Pimlico's opening day in 1870. It's first winner, Survivor, flashed dominance with a 10-length winning margin, a feat not toppled until 2004, when newly-elected Hall-of-Famer Smarty Jones took the Preakness by 11 1/2 on his Triple Crown try. The Preakness has been run at seven different distances and in two states, Maryland and New York, where the race was run as an open handicap and won by a five-year-old horse once.

The Preakness has been run in two divisions, resulting in two winners and the track's famed weather vane sporting two different silks at the same time. It went on hiatus for three years in the 1890s due to anti-gambling laws. Six fillies have won the Preakness, with Swiss Skydiver the most recent in 2020, when the race was run in September in the midst of the Covid pandemic.

And these are just a few highlights from the racing side of the Preakness, whose noteworthy social and political incidents could fill an endless scroll. But one more to mark, this is the final year the race will be run at its current location as it stands: the state of Maryland plans to demolish the grandstand and replace it with a state-of-the-art facility by 2027. 

For 2025, the 8-5 favorite is Journalism, the Kentucky Derby favorite and runner-up to winner Sovereignty. Journalism has trained with pep for Michael McCarthy at Churchill Downs and seems to be coming into the race as well as he did for the Derby. 

Sandman, Mark Casse's Arkansas Derby winner and the darling of TikTok's Griffin Johnson, returns for another shot at glory. Casse turned around War of Will from a soggy Derby run to a Preakness victory in 2019.

D. Wayne Lukas hopes to repeat his win with Seize the Grey last year, as he sends American Promise to Pimlico and assures a swift pace.

Bob Baffert's Goal Oriented makes his third lifetime start in the Preakness, stepping in for stablemate Rodriguez, who continues to battle a foot ailment that kept him out of the Derby.

River Thames, who ran second behind Sovereignty in the Fountain of Youth, comes in off a third in the Blue Grass for trainer Todd Pletcher. He'll be the best bet of the new shooters.

Matt Shifman has more on each Preakness entrant, with post positions, jockeys and morning line odds for all nine horses. 

Here are the lifetime top speed figures for the Preakness Stakes entrants.

*Beyer and TimeformUS speed figures are presented courtesy of Daily Racing Form.

Pace makes the race

TimeformUS projects an average pace for the Preakness, but there will be pressure with as many as four horses contesting the lead. Goal Oriented will send from the rail and has the forward style of Baffert runners. American Promise will also be on go from the starting bell. Clever Again, Steve Asmussen's Preakness entrant, has speed from the outside. River Thames should tuck in behind the leaders in the pressing spot. Gosger, Pay Billy and international shipper Heart to Heart will find their strides mid-pack. Journalism and Sandman will be towards the back of the pack early, with Journalism just off the heels of them and Sandman a length back or more. 

It won't be a meltdown scenario, but there will be enough early zip for late runners to have a fair chance.

HRN handicappers

The hard-core handicappers are back for the Preakness. Get their in-depth, horse-by-horse analysis and wagering strategies. 

On-site at Pimlico, the Ron Flatter Racing Pod features Preakness trainers Mike McCarthy and Jamie Osborne on their charges' chances in the race, plus updates on the management switch-over from 1/ST Racing to the state of Maryland from TV host and analyst Ron Nicoletti and executive vice president Mike Rogers. Finally, The Paddock Prince, David Levitch, has Preakness tips for those looking for last-minute insight. Listen now. 

Do Kentucky Derby starters have an edge in the Preakness? We crunch 24 years of data to find the answer. 

Which Preakness contenders have the best sires for success? 

Ed DeRosa predicts that Journalism will be greater than even money in the Preakness. 

"There are a lot of ways to express your Preakness opinion," he said. "I can't imagine there will be an opportunity better than in the win pool."  

HorseCenter is all about Journalism in the Preakness. But will the guys take him at what will be a short price? Get Matt Shifman & Brian Zipse's picks for Preakness and the Black-Eyed Susan. 

Can you predict the final order of finish for the Preakness? See how your choices compare to our handicapper's. 

Bet these three long shots on the Preakness undercard to boost your payoffs.