Rewrite The Derby Bet With Journalism At The Preakness

The Preakness Stakes takes place this Saturday at Pimlico Race Course with a post time of 7:01pm (EST) with three holdovers from the Kentucky Derby and six new shooters vying for a prize pool of $2,000,000. The money notwithstanding, the second jewel of the Triple Crown may as well be a cubic zirconia at this point. My least favorite conversation directly after every Kentucky Derby is that the Preakness comes too soon, just two weeks after the Run for the Roses, and lately the Derby winner simply skips out on shipping to Baltimore. Who can blame them nowadays? Horses just aren’t bred to run back that quickly and maintain their health for a taxing thoroughbred season that will hopefully lead to success in the Breeders’ Cup all the way on the first weekend in November. With Sovereignty, the Kentucky Derby Champion, skipping out on this historic race, many of the amateur or part-time fans of this sport may simply tune out and not wager/watch come Saturday. Wagering was up on this year’s Derby, which can hopefully lead to a lot of dead money again.  A few of these horses will be taking some serious money from the "I bet on 3 races a year" folks. Those horses, in my humble opinion, couldn’t win if they ran this race 10 times. Let’s talk about them, the rest of the field, and then how to bet on this race.

May 13, 2025; Baltimore, MD, USA; A general view of the condemned grandstand sections at Pimlico Race Course. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Horses who can’t win that people will flock to:

#1: Goal Oriented- 5/1

This horse won on Kentucky Derby Day and is trained by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. His rider, Flavien Prat, is probably the best jockey in America right now. Sounds amazing, right? Wrong. This horse has never even raced in a stakes race, let alone a Grade 1 race. Which means he’s never faced competition like this. He also was not pointed to this race. Yet, he’s here somehow.

#7: Sandman- 4/1

This Derby darling has an absolutely giant social media following. Influencers have taken to this horse, and even the band Metallica has joined in and sent the barn merchandise. He didn’t run great in Kentucky. His closing running style does not suit the early speed-favoring Pimlico main track. He’s a very pretty horse but I don’t expect this one to run a step or be on the podium.

Horses you’ve never heard of that also have no chance:

#4: Heart of Honor- 12/1

A shipper from overseas who hasn’t run in some time, and doesn’t really have a chance.

#5: Pay Billy- 20/1

At least this horse won its last two races, albeit against much worse competition.

Horses to play underneath:

#6: River Thames- 9/2

This horse lost by a neck to the Derby winner two races back. He is a consistent in-the-money finisher and can hang on for minor placings.

#3: American Promise- 15/1

I can’t believe I am including this horse as an underneath play, but there has to be a reason this horse is coming back off of two weeks' rest. In the Kentucky Derby he never really was given an opportunity to run. He jogged home in sixteenth place. Maybe he can take third place here.

Horses who can win:

#2: Journalism- 8/5

The derby favorite who took second looked good in defeat. He is probably going to be even money when the gates open. He is for sure the goods. The only question is how he will handle the short rest after a tough mile and a quarter in the slop. 

#8: Clever Again- 5/1

He keeps getting better every race, is going to get a great trip stalking the pace from the outside, and has one of the hottest jockeys in Jose Ortiz riding. He can surprise at the fair odds of 5/1.

#9: Gosger- 20/1

There is no way you are getting this price come Saturday. He won last out impressively in the Grade III Stonestreet Lexington Stakes and has the consistent numbers to make him a player here.  Luis Saez picks up the mount from Irad Ortiz Jr., who has decided to ride #6 River Thames instead.

Bets: Trifecta Box: 2,8,9,6. Superfecta with 2,8/2,8,9/2,3,6,8,9/2,3,6,8,9