This article is part of our Horse Racing series.
Preakness Odds and Betting Preview
The second leg of the Triple Crown heads northeast to Baltimore, Maryland, for the 150th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. This year's race has a little less drama as Sovereignty elected not to race and set its eyes on the Belmont Stakes next month.
Nine horses will run a slightly shorter distance than the Kentucky Derby at 1 3/16 miles (9.5 furlongs). Let's take a look at the horses and break down the race, set for Saturday at 7:01 p.m. EST
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Preakness Stakes Horses & Odds
| Horse | Starts, W-P-S | ML Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
| 1. Goal Oriented | 2, 2-0-0 | 6-1 | Flavien Prat | Bob Baffert |
| 2. Journalism | 6, 4-1-1 | 8-5 | Umberto Rispoli | Michael McCarthy |
| 3. American Promise | 10, 2-1-1 | 15-1 | Nik Juarez | D. Wayne Lukas |
| 4. Heart of Honor | 4, 1-3-0 | 12-1 | Saffie Osborne | Jamie Osborne |
| 5. Pay Billy | 9, 5-1-1 | 20-1 | Raul Mena | Michael Gorham |
| 6. River Thames | 4, 2-1-1 | 9-2 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Todd Pletcher |
| 7. Sandman | 9, 3-1-2 | 4-1 | John Velazquez | Mark Casse |
| 8. Clever Again | 3, 2-1-0 | 5-1 | Jose Ortiz | Steven Asmussen |
| 9. Gosger | 3, 2-1-0 | 20-1 | Luis Saez | Brendan Walsh |
Preakness Results
2024: Seize the Grey (9-1)
2023: National Treasure (5-2)
2022: Early Voting (5-1)
2021: Rombauer (11-1)
2020: Swiss Skydiver (11-1)
As we can see, there have been a pair of double-digit odds winners recently, and Seize the Grey was the sixth betting choice last year, but we haven't seen any shocking upsets like the Derby. The field essentially being cut in half plays a role in that, and there hasn't been a winner over 15-1 odds over the last 15 years.
Of the recent winners on the list, none of them raced in the Kentucky Derby, which isn't ideal news for Journalism, American Promise or Sandman. For what it's worth, Seize the Grey did race at Churchill on Derby Day last year. Nevertheless, three of the last four winners have opted for over a month-long layoff, showing the difficulty of racing at long distances with just two weeks in between.
Check the best sports betting apps to find out how to bet on the Preakness Stakes if you're in an eligible state.
Preakness Favorites
The overwhelming favorite for Saturday's race is Journalism, and with good reason. The Kentucky Derby runner-up won't have to worry about Sovereignty this time around, and he's never finished off the board. He's clearly the most accomplished horse in the field with a Grade 1 and two Grade 2 wins on the resume.
Coming in next with morning-line odds of 4-1 is Sandman, whose winning percentage might not jump off the page amongst this field but his win in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby proves a high ceiling. He'll look to bounce back from a disappointing Derby showing, where he had a crowded trip but moved up late to finish seventh.
Early Speed
The least tested horse in this race is Goal Oriented, who is a perfect 2-for-2 and will make a big step up in class from a $125k Allowance Optional Claiming race to a Grade 1. He held the lead for the entire race as the favorite and should have the opportunity to do it again starting on the rail. It also doesn't hurt to have 2021 Preakness winner Flavien Prat on board to go along with eight-time winner Bob Baffert as his connections.
American Promise pressed for the early lead at the Derby, but much like the other horses at the front, fell victim of the fast pace and faded to finish 16th. Going back to his previous start in the $500k Virginia Stakes, he was second early on and took the lead by the three-quarter pole and won by nearly eight lengths.
Closers
Clever Again doesn't look like a closer at first glance, considering that he's gone gate-to-wire in both of his victories, but I think that's more a case of the level of races. He's only raced three times, jumping up from a pair of Maiden Special Weight races to a $200k stakes race last time, winning both by over three lengths. Considering Clever Again expanded his lead in the stretch run in both those wins and will be racing against much better competition, I'd expect him to go more off the pace this time around.
One of the two longest shots on the board at 20-1, Gosger is one of the horses that will hope to benefit from a hot early pace and pass tired leaders in the stretch run. He successfully made the jump up from the maiden ranks to win a Grade 3 at Keeneland five weeks ago, where he made up a two-length deficit over the final two furlongs for a resounding victory.
How To Bet On The Preakness
Win Bet: This is the most common horse racing bet. You're wagering on a horse strictly to win. Second or dead last both pays zero. Bet on as many horses to win as you like!
Place Bet: Betting on a horse to place means you'll win if the horse(s) you bet on finishes first or second, giving you a better chance of cashing a ticket.
Show Bet: If you bet on a horse to show, you'll win if your horse finishes in the top three. Best saved for horses with longer odds.
Across the Board: If you bet on a horse across the board, you're betting them to win, place and show. If your horse wins, you cash all three! A $2 across the board bet will cost $6. My dad's favorite bet!
Exacta: An exacta wager is betting on the two horses that come in first and second. You can bet on multiple horses to finish first and multiple to finish second to give yourself more chances. Often times, handicappers will do an exacta box with several horses in which they'll win no matter which of their horses comes in first or second. A $1 exacta wager tends to be the most common.
Trifecta: Selecting the top-3 finishers is called a trifecta, and often comes with a big payout due to the degree of difficulty - especially in a 20 horse race. Just like the exacta, you can box the trifecta, although the additional combinations make a lot of bettors choose $.50 trifecta wager.
Superfecta: If you really like to gamble, the superfecta pays out for correctly picking the top-4 finishers in order. Don't be afraid to throw some longshots in your selections, as you'll often see a 50-1 shot or longer sneak into the top-4. A $.10 superfecta wager allows for a wealth of combinations.
Daily Double: If you like to have action on multiple races, the Daily Double pays out for correctly picking horses in two consecutive races. Feel free to pick multiple horses in each race to give yourself more combinations, albeit at a higher cost. You can pair the Kentucky Derby Daily Double with the race before or the race after.
Preakness Predictions
There's no question that Journalism is the horse to beat here. He's answered nearly everything that been asked of him and is the only one of the top-6 finishers from the Kentucky Derby making the trip to Pimlico. With that said, there's a reason that Sovereignty isn't in the field as it's not easy to come back in two weeks. Over half of the field has at least a four-week layoff, and I wouldn't be surprised if Journalism was second-best once again. I'm going with the fast-rising Clever Again alongside Jose Ortiz, to get his second Preakness win in the last four years.
My Bets
Win: 8
Exacta: 6/7,8 ($5 wager would cost $10)
Trifecta: 2/6,7,8/4,6,7,8 ($1 wager would cost $9)
