The 2025 Preakness Stakes will not have a Triple Crown in play after Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty was ruled out, but there is still a talented 2025 Preakness Stakes field heading to Pimlico Race Course on Saturday at 7:10 p.m. ET. Journalism, who finished second in the Derby, is the 8-5 favorite in the 2025 Preakness Stakes odds. Sandman also raced in the Kentucky Derby and has the second-shortest price at 4-1 on the horse racing odds board. He is the only other horse in the 2025 Preakness Stakes field who has raced against this type of competition, so he could be a popular choice in 2025 Preakness Stakes bets. Meanwhile, there are several inexperienced 2025 Preakness Stakes horses making the jump to the Triple Crown series following impressive showings in prep races. Before making any 2025 Preakness Stakes picks, you’ll want to see what SportsLine horse racing expert Gene Menez has to say before making any 2025 Preakness Stakes picks or horse racing predictions.
A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI’s handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010.
In 2015, Menez accurately gave out the Kentucky Derby superfecta, which paid $1,268.20 for $2. In 2017, he tweeted out his Kentucky Derby picks, including Always Dreaming to win, and hit the Pick 4, which paid almost $6,900 on a $1 bet.
In May of last year, Menez nailed 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby. In November, he crushed the late Pick 4 on Breeders’ Cup Saturday for a $5,303 jackpot. This year, he hit the winner and exacta in the Holy Bull Stakes and the winner, trifecta and superfecta in the Florida Derby. At the Kentucky Derby earlier this month, Menez hammered the exacta and trifecta for a $1,045 payout. Anyone who has followed him on betting apps like FanDuel Racing and TwinSpires could have been way up, especially if they used the latest FanDuel Racing promo code and TwinSpires offer code.
For the Preakness Stakes, Menez has handicapped the 2025 Preakness Stakes field, made his picks, and constructed his best bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2025 Preakness Stakes predictions
One of Menez’s surprising 2025 Preakness Stakes picks: He is fading Journalism, even though he is the 8-5 favorite. With Sovereignty not in the field, Journalism was left as the favorite. He won four straight races prior to the Kentucky Derby and showcased versatility in the slop at Churchill Downs.
However, he is trying to bounce back from a two-week layoff following that grueling race and there are many rested horses in the 2025 Preakness Stakes lineup. The most recent horse to win the Preakness after running in the Kentucky Derby was War of Will in 2019, with the past five winners not racing in the Derby. “Modern horses aren’t bred or trained to run back in two weeks,” Menez told SportsLine, making Journalism a horse to fade when finalizing how to bet the Preakness Stakes 2025. See which horses to back here.
How to make 2025 Preakness Stakes bets, picks
Menez’s top pick is a longshot who is “fast, sharp, in form and looks to be training well.” Menez is sharing who he likes, along with his top 2025 Preakness Stakes picks, over at SportsLine.
Which horse wins the Preakness Stakes 2025, and which longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2025 Preakness Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Menez’s picks for the Preakness Stakes, all from the expert who hammered the exacta and trifecta for a $1,045 payout at the Kentucky Derby.
2025 Preakness Stakes horses, odds
2025 Preakness Stakes horses, contenders, profiles
Preakness Stakes profiles 1 Goal Oriented | 2 Journalism | 3 American Promise | 4 Heart of Honor | 5 Pay Billy | 6 River Thames | 7 Sandman | 8 Clever Again | 9 Gosger