It may not be the Kentucky Derby, but the Preakness Stakes still holds a special place in horse racing. This year will mark the 150th edition of the prestigious race, which saw Seize the Day take home the win in 2024.
Who will take home the victory in 2025? Here’s everything you need to know about the Preakness Stakes, including its date, time and whether 2025 Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty will take part in the race.
The 2025 Preakness Stakes will take place Saturday, May 17 at 7:01 p.m. ET.
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That’s typical for the event, which takes place annually on the third Saturday in May. The Preakness Stakes is typically run at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The race is named after a horse that won a race at Pimlico on the day it opened in 1870.
Will Sovereignty run in the 2025 Preakness?
There will be no Triple Crown winner in 2025. Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty will not take part in the 2025 Preakness. Sovereignty’s trainer, Bill Mott, said the horse will skip the race to focus on the Belmont Stakes.
Sovereignty is the second horse in the past four years to win the Kentucky Derby, but skip the Preakness Stakes. Rich Strike did the same thing after winning the 2022 Kentucky Derby. Rich Strike finished sixth out of eight horses in the Belmont Stakes.
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A total of 13 horses have won the Triple Crown, the most recent of which was Justified, which won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in 2018.
2025 Preakness Stakes horses, post positions and odds
Below is a list of every horse taking part in the 2025 Preakness Stakes. They are listed in order of post position.
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Goal Oriented (6-1)
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Journalism (8-5)
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American Promise (15-1)
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Heart of Honor (12-1)
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Pay Billy (20-1)
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River Thames (9-2)
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Sandman (4-1)
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Clever Again (5-1)
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Gosger (20-1)
Journalism — which was the favorite to win the 2025 Kentucky Derby — will serve as the favorite for the 2025 Preakness Stakes. Journalism finished as the runner-up to Sovereignty at the 2025 Kentucky Derby.
Preakness Stakes 2025 weather updates
A high of 91 degrees is expected in Baltimore on Saturday. It’s possible a stray storm of thunderstorm could hit earlier in the day, which could effect the race. The temperature will drop to 67 degrees by night time, so it should be a comfortable temperature when the horses get into their post positions.
Preakness Stakes 2025 payout, purse
The purse at the 2024 Preakness Stakes was $2 million, the highest figure in the race’s history. Seize the Grey received $1.2 million of that purse after winning the event in 2024.
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The purse should be similar — if not higher — ahead of the 2025 Preakness Stakes.
By comparison, the 2025 Kentucky Derby had a total purse of $5 million, with roughly $3.1 million expected to go to the winner.
Does Bob Baffert have a horse in the 2025 Preakness Stakes?
Controversial horse trainer Bob Baffert will have a horse in the 2025 Preakness Stakes. Baffert is the trainer for Goal Oriented, which will run out of the No. 1 post position Saturday.
Goal Oriented did not run in the 2025 Kentucky Derby. Baffert was expected to have two horses in the 2025 Kentucky Derby, but that figure fell to one after Rodriguez was scratched from the event. Baffert’s other horse, Citizen Bull, finished 15th at the 2025 Kentucky Derby.
Who is performing at the 2025 Preakness Stakes?
Following the 2025 Preakness Stakes, T-Pain will perform at the event. Jack Harlow headlined the post-race concert in 2024.
How to watch the 2025 Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes coverage will begin on CNBC early Saturday, but will wind up on NBC and Peacock by 4 p.m. ET. That should give fans a few hours of coverage and analysis ahead of the race’s 7:01 p.m. ET start time.
Mike Tirico is expected to serve as the host for the coverage after missing the Kentucky Derby due to a peanut allergy.
