Connections play a critical role in the development and performance of thoroughbreds. The 2025 Preakness Stakes field is loaded with 2025 Preakness Stakes trainers and 2025 Preakness Stakes jockeys who have had successes at Pimlico Race Course. There are five trainers saddling 2025 Preakness Stakes horses who have previously won the Run for the Black-Eyed Susans and three jockeys who have ridden Preakness winners. Of the nine 2025 Preakness Stakes entries, only three are working with a Preakness-winning trainer and jockey. Goal Oriented (6-1) is trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Flavien Prat, Sandman (4-1) is trained by Mark Casse and ridden by John Velazquez, and Clever Again (5-1) is trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Jose Oritz.
Kentucky Derby runner-up Journalism is the 8-5 favorite in the 2025 Preakness Stakes odds ahead of Saturday’s 7:01 p.m. ET post. 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. Michael McCarthy won the 2021 Preakness Stakes with Rombauer but jockey Umberto Rispoli will be making his Preakness Stakes debut on Saturday. Rispoli got Journalism into a dream position at Churchill Downs two weeks ago, but he lost a head-to-head battle where Sovereignty pulled away in the final furlong to win the Kentucky Derby.
Now horse racing handicappers are understandably wondering if the Santa Anita Derby winner and darling of the Kentucky Derby trail has peaked too soon. Journalism topped out with a 108 Beyer Speed Figure at the San Felipe Stakes (G2) in March and has posted back-to-back 102s in the two races since. Several other horses in the 2025 Preakness Stakes field are still improving and it’s possible that the rest of the horses on the Triple Crown trail have simply caught up to Journalism in terms of development. “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