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preakness stakes wager guide

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Get ready to experience the thrill of "The Second Jewel In The Triple Crown", the Preakness Stakes. Our extensive Preakness Stakes Wager Guide is your all-in-one resource for smart, informed betting — covering everything from the prestigious Black Eyed Susan to the grand spectacle of the Preakness itself.

Whether you're a seasoned handicapper or a first-time bettor, this guide arms you with the sharpest information available to maximize your wagers and enhance your betting experience.
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Current entries for the 2025 Preakness Stakes. Want more information like this? Get acces to the full wager guide above.

GOAL ORIENTED
1
STATS →
GOAL ORIENTED
M/L
6-1
Career Record:
2: 2-0-0
Career Earnings:
$111,960
Past 5 Races:
1-1
Jockey:
Flavien Prat
Trainer:
Bob Baffert
Color/Age:
Dark Bay or Brown/3yo
Pedigree:
Not This Time-Bizzy Caroline

Unbeaten Kentucky Derby Day allowance undercard winner at Churchill Downs gets tested for class and distance. Would be the most lightly raced Preakness entrant in this year's lineup. Same connections as Preakness 150 hopeful Rodriguez and 2023 Preakness champ National Treasure. Debuted April 6 with a victory at Santa Anita.

JOURNALISM
2
STATS →
JOURNALISM
M/L
8-5
Career Record:
6: 4-1-1
Career Earnings:
$1,638,880
Past 5 Races:
2-1-1-1-1
Jockey:
Umberto Rispoli
Trainer:
Michael McCarthy
Color/Age:
Bay/3yo
Pedigree:
Curlin-Mopotism

Kentucky Derby favorite and runner-up would head to Baltimore once again the horse to beat. The Santa Anita Derby, San Felipe and Los Al Futurity winner is a son of 2007 Preakness winner Curlin. Trainer McCarthy saddled Rombauer to Preakness glory in 2021.

AMERICAN PROMISE
3
STATS →
AMERICAN PROMISE
M/L
15-1
Career Record:
9: 2-1-1
Career Earnings:
$444,874
Past 5 Races:
16-1-4-6-1
Jockey:
Nik Juarez
Trainer:
D. Wayne Lukas
Color/Age:
Chestnut/3yo
Pedigree:
Justify-Tapella

Kentucky Derby 16th-place finisher looks for the same bounce-back that produced 2006 Preakness champ Louis Quatorze. Romping winner of the Virginia Derby in mid-March for 89-year-old D. Wayne Lukas, who won his 7th Preakness last year with Seize the Grey. Son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify.

HEART OF HONOR
4
STATS →
HEART OF HONOR
M/L
12-1
Career Record:
6: 2-4-0
Career Earnings:
$340,919
Past 5 Races:
2-2-2-1-1-2
Jockey:
Saffie Osborne
Trainer:
Jamie Osborne
Color/Age:
Brown / 3yo
Pedigree:
Honor A.P.-Ruby Love

British-bred and based son of Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A.P., he wintered in Dubai comes off 3 straight runner-up finishes. Missed by a nose in the UAE Derby to Kentucky Derby hopeful Admire Daytona, who hails from Japan. Both career wins have come in 1-mile journeys, but sustained well to the Preakness distance last time out at Meydan.

PAY BILLY
5
STATS →
PAY BILLY
M/L
20-1
Career Record:
8: 4-1-1
Career Earnings:
$234,475
Past 5 Races:
1-1-2-1-1
Jockey:
Raul Mena
Trainer:
Michael Gorham
Color/Age:
Bay/3yo
Pedigree:
Improbable-Harlington's Rose

Maryland-based colt has won 4 of his last 5 starts, inlcuding the Private Terms and the automatic berth that goes to the Federico Tesio Stakes victor. A nose away from 5 straight wins. All state starts came at Laurel Park and would be making his Pimlico debut.

RIVER THAMES
6
STATS →
RIVER THAMES
M/L
9-2
Career Record:
4: 2-1-1
Career Earnings:
$261,900
Past 5 Races:
3-2-1-1
Jockey:
Irad Ortiz Jr.
Trainer:
Todd Pletcher
Color/Age:
Bay/3yo
Pedigree:
Maclean's Music-Proportionality

Narrow defeats in the Fountain of Youth and Blue Grass by a combined margin of 1 length followed eye-catching victories at shorter trips in his first 2 starts at Gulfstream Park. Pedigree for shorter distances but has held up reasonably well going slightly lesser journeys than the Preakness.

SANDMAN
7
STATS →
SANDMAN
M/L
4-1
Career Record:
9: 3-1-2
Career Earnings:
$1,254,595
Past 5 Races:
7-1-3-2-1
Jockey:
John Velazquez
Trainer:
Mark Casse
Color/Age:
Gray/3yo
Pedigree:
Tapit-Distorted Music

Seventh-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby. Deep-closing winner of the Arkansas Derby made 4 starts at Oaklawn this winter and saved his best for last after some troubled trips. Preakness and Belmont-winning trainer Casse won the 2019 middle jewel with War of Will. $1.2M colt by super sire Tapit.

CLEVER AGAIN
8
STATS →
CLEVER AGAIN
M/L
5-1
Career Record:
3: 2-1-0
Career Earnings:
$198,400
Past 5 Races:
1-1-2
Jockey:
Jose Ortiz
Trainer:
Steve Asmussen
Color/Age:
Bay/3yo
Pedigree:
American Pharoah-Flattering

With two consecutive frontrunning victories under his belt, Clever Again is one of the ‘now’ horses in this three-year-old crop. Trainer Steve Asmussen is a two-time Preakness winner (2009, Rachel Alexandra and 2007, Curlin), while sire American Pharoah was victorious in 2015. -- Photo Courtesy: Oaklawn Park (Coady).

GOSGER
9
STATS →
GOSGER
M/L
20-1
Career Record:
3: 2-1-0
Career Earnings:
$292,200
Past 5 Races:
1-1-2
Jockey:
Luis Saez
Trainer:
Brendan Walsh
Color/Age:
Gray or Roan/3yo
Pedigree:
Nyquist-Gloria S

Son of 2016 Preakness third-place finisher (and Kentucky Derby winner) Nyquist won Keeneland’s Lexington Stakes last out by 2-lengths for trainer Brendan Walsh. Has now won two consecutive races and the Lexington has been a popular steppingstone to the Preakness in the last decade.

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