The second leg of the Triple Crown each year is the Preakness Stakes. This race is just as important as the Kentucky Derby before it, as a horse needs to win both of those races to have a chance to close out the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes later on. But betting on this race is a little different than betting on the Derby from a strategy standpoint. Here, we look at the Preakness Stakes odds for this year and talk about some of the horse racing betting strategy that needs to be considered.
Latest Preakness Stakes Odds
Typically, the horse that won the Kentucky Derby is the favorite to win the Preakness Stakes as well, though that is not the case thanks to Sovereignty not participating in this race after winning the Kentucky Derby. Here, we look at the odds for the upcoming Preakness Stakes, which bettors should keep an eye on going into the second race of this year’s Triple Crown season.
- Goal Oriented 6/1
- Journalism 8/5
- American Promise 15/1
- Heart of Honor 12/1
- Pay Billy 20/1
- River Thames 9/2
- Sandman 4/1
- Clever Again 5/1
- Gosger 20/1
2025 Preakness Stakes Preview
The 150th Preakness Stakes is set for Saturday, May 17, 2025, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. With Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty opting out of the race, the field is wide open, offering bettors a fresh set of contenders vying for the second jewel of the Triple Crown. The race covers 1 3/16 miles on dirt and boasts a purse of $2 million. Post time is approximately 6:50 PM ET.
Without a Triple Crown on the line, attention shifts to a competitive lineup of other horses looking to make their impression on the big stage at Pimlico. Leading the field is Journalism, who was the favorite to win the Kentucky Derby but was not able to get the job done. With so many of the key horses from the Derby not participating in this race, it would be a huge disappointment for Journalism to fall short again here.
Other notable contenders include:
- Sandman: Sandman finished seventh in the Kentucky Derby but could take advantage of so many elite horses not racing here.
- Clever Again: This horse did not run in the Kentucky Derby and will look to get a win in its debut in this year’s Triple Crown festivities.
- Goal Oriented: The Bob Baffert trained horse got a win at Churchill Downs two weeks ago, but did not race in the Derby.
Preakness Stakes Prediction
Considering recent performances, pedigree, and current form, the prediction for the 2025 Preakness Stakes is as follows:
- Journalism: We aren’t anticipating Journalism falling short for the second race in a row, especially with so many top horses sitting this race out.
- Goal Oriented: I like the chances of Goal Oriented to push Journalism in this race, as this horse could very well win the Preakness.
- American Promise: Running out of the third position, I expect this to be the surprise performance of the race.
Where Can I Bet On the Preakness Stakes?
The most convenient place to bet on the Preakness Stakes is FanDuel Sportsbook, which offers horse racing betting right from their sportsbook app in most states where FanDuel is legal. Bettors can use their sportsbook balance to place horse racing wagers, which is incredibly convenient, especially for those who only have an interest in betting the ponies during the three Triple Crown races.
Bettors can take advantage of our FanDuel Sportsbook bonus code to help build their bankroll ahead of the Preakness. Just click the button on this page and sign up at FanDuel, with no promo code required, to get your bonus ahead of one of the most exciting days of the year in horse racing.
Preakness Stakes Track Info
The Preakness Stakes features the shortest track of the three Triple Crown races at 1 3/16 miles in length. That is 1/16 of a mile shorter than the Kentucky Derby, which comes in at 1 1/4 miles. While this is the shortest track on the Triple Crown schedule, it is by no means a sprint of a race, as jockeys still need to manage their horses throughout the course of this race to avoid them being gassed by the time the final stretch rolls around.
Bettors are typically able to correlate Kentucky Derby performances into this race given the similar distances between the two events. But there are still plenty of chances for bettors to look back at past performances at this distance to get an idea of where there might be value in the Preakness Stakes betting markets.
Past Preakness Stakes Winners and Odds
Looking at the winners of the Preakness Stakes in recent years, you will notice that this is not typically an event reserved for longshots. The relatively short distance combined with the thinning of the field after the Kentucky Derby make this race one that is often won by horses near the top of the odds board. Below is the list of recent winners of this race and their odds when the race started.
| Year | Horse | Odds |
| 2024 | Seize the Gray | 12/1 |
| 2023 | National Treasure | 4/1 |
| 2022 | Early Voting | 5/1 |
| 2021 | Rombauer | 12/1 |
| 2020 | Swiss Skydiver | 11/1 |
| 2019 | War of Will | 4/1 |
| 2018 | Justify | 1/2 |
| 2017 | Cloud Computing | 12/1 |
| 2016 | Exaggerator | 3/1 |
| 2015 | American Pharoah | 4/5 |
| 2014 | California Chrome | 3/5 |
Preakness Stakes Betting Strategy
From a strategy standpoint, the Preakness Stakes is a fascinating race. It is tempting to bet on the horse that won the Kentucky Derby to win this race as well, as the distances are similar and that horse is coming off of a win. But there are no guarantees that the winner of the Derby will come out on top in the Preakness. Bettors still have to handicap this race diligently in order to give themselves the best chance at cashing their ticket.
With that said, bettors should also avoid heading straight to the longshots when betting on this race. As you can see above, no horse has won this race at longer than 12/1 odds over the last decade. While it is always possible that streak ends in the next edition of the Preakness Stakes, this track is nothing like the Belmont, where longshots have certainly had a better chance of coming out on top.
