Odds for 2025 Preakness & Expert Picks, Predictions

• The 150th running of the Preakness Stakes is Saturday, May 17 with post time of 7:01 p.m. in Baltimore.

• Journalism, who was second in the Kentucky Derby, is considered the favorite at 8-5 odds as of Friday morning.

• Read on for my look at the best odds for the Preakness, and my expert prediction for “The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans.”

They’ll be off for the 150th time at the Preakness Stakes Saturday with a nine-horse field. The weather forecast calls for temperatures in the upper 80s at post time and no rain, unlike the slop in the Kentucky Derby.

Derby winner Sovereignty is sitting out, citing the workload of two big races in two weeks. This has again sparked calls for change to the Triple Crown calendar. Seize the Grey went wire-to-wire last year at 12-1 odds to win the Preakness.

Who’s winning the 150th Preakness? I had a good pick for the Derby, and I have my look at the best odds and prediction.

Odds for 2025 Preakness

Odds from FanDuel Racing as of Friday morning. Saddle up with our best FanDuel promo code.

After dueling Sovereignty down the stretch in the Kentucky Derby, Journalism is the favorite leading into the Preakness.

Let’s talk about a couple of longshots in the field. Pay Billy is the local favorite, and he won his last two races at nearby Laurel Park, but he’s never run at Pimlico before. He’s sure to get more action on him as the race nears. Don’t get suckered when you see his odds drop Saturday.

Heart of Honor is a European-bred horse who was second in the United Arab Emirates Derby to Admire Daytona, but the bad news is Admire Daytona was woefully outclassed and finished last in the Kentucky Derby.

The longshot I like at 15-1 is American Promise. He ran well the first ¾ of a mile in the Kentucky Derby but then faded badly, my guess is the muddy track messed him up. His speed figure (basically a number charting a horse’s pace) is strong, and he will do better in the shorter distance for the Preakness.

2025 Preakness Prediction

The big thing to know about the Preakness is that it’s the ‘sprint’ race of the Triple Crown, the shortest one of the three. That means it rewards speed more than the other races.

I’m going with Clever Again to win. His latest speed figure was 101, and he won wire-to-wire in the Hot Springs Stakes. In a small field, winning wire-to-wire is a strong possibility. He has good bloodlines that include 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. I also like his jockey, Jose Ortiz, who won the Preakness back in 2022 and has had the second-highest wins of any jockey since 2000.

The one question mark on Clever Again is that this will be his first time running more than a mile, but I think he has the speed to overcome it.

2025 Preakness Picks

• Win: Clever Again

• Place: Journalism

• Show: Sandman

Nobody is going to outright say it, but this isn’t the strongest Preakness field ever. I like Clever Again to win, because he has the speed, and I believe Journalism will tire after running in the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago.

I love Sandman to finish in the money. He clearly didn’t like the slow at Churchill Downs and finished seventh. His speed figure is 99, and he’s won three races on a fast track, which we should get Saturday.

Goal Oriented is the other horse getting plenty of love, but he’s only made two career starts before Saturday. Even though he has the trainer (Bob Baffert) and bloodline (Afleet Alex, who won the Preakness and Belmont in 2005), this is a big leap for a horse.