Secretariat, the Preakness, and a 39-Year Controversy
Journalism, pictured training at Churchill Downs prior to his runner-up finish in the Kentucky Derby, headlines a competitive field of 10 horses in the May 17 Preakness Stakes. (Eclipse Sportswire)
This year marks the 150th anniversary edition of one of horse racing’s most prestigious events, and the May 17 Preakness Stakes will hold added significance as it will be the final running at the existing Pimlico Race Course before moving to Laurel Park temporarily while Pimlico undergoes a comprehensive reconstruction.
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The $2 million, Grade 1 Preakness held at 1 3/16 miles on dirt stands as the second leg of U.S. horse racing’s Triple Crown for 3-year-olds, following the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve and ahead of the Belmont Stakes. This year, a Triple Crown bid won’t be attempted at the Preakness as Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty will bypass the race and point to a start in the June 7 Belmont Stakes. The Belmont Stakes will be held at Saratoga for the second year in a row while traditional host track Belmont Park continues with its own massive rebuild.
Even with the Derby winner’s absence, this year’s Preakness sets up as a competitive race featuring Derby runner-up Journalism, fan favorite Sandman, and several promising colts on the cusp of breaking through with a top-level win. The 150th Preakness drew a field of nine and will be broadcast nationwide on NBC and streamed on Peacock.
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Read on for information about each of the Preakness Stakes contenders.
Eclipse Sportswire
Jockey: Nik Juarez
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Owner: BC Stables
Career record: 10 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 1 third
Career earnings: $444,874
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 102
Pedigree: Justify – Tapella, by Tapit
Color: Chestnut
Running style: Press the pace/stalker
Analysis: This colt by 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify wheels back on two weeks of rest for another start in a Triple Crown race after finishing 16th in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve. American Promise received support at betting windows in the 151st Derby, going off as the 12.51-1 fifth betting choice in a 19-horse field, and recovered from a bump at the start to race in third after three-quarters of a mile and right behind Citizen Bull and Neoequos. After that, he backed out of contention rapidly and finished 38 ½ lengths behind winner Sovereignty. Obviously this well-bred colt is better than that showing, and a rebound effort that puts him back at the level he displayed when winning the 1 1/8-mile Virginia Derby would give him a chance to post a mild upset Saturday. That would give 89-year-old Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas his second straight Preakness win after Seize the Grey scored last year. Another victory this year would elevate “The Coach” to a tie with Bob Baffert atop the all-time Preakness win list with eight.
Bet American Promise in the Preakness Stakes.
Coady Media
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Owners: Winchell Thoroughbreds, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith
Career record: 3 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $198,400
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 108
Pedigree: American Pharoah – Flattering, by Galileo
Color: Bay
Running style: Pacesetter
Analysis: This colt by 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah profiles as an intriguing Preakness win candidate who could go off at an attractive price in the 10-1 range as he takes a big jump up in class. Clever Again is coming off of back-to-back impressive wins this winter/spring in career starts two and three, both at Oaklawn Park. He came back off of a break of more than 10 months following his April 2024 debut to win a 1 1/16-mile maiden race Feb. 23 at Oaklawn by 3 ¼ lengths. Hall of Fame trainer and two-time Preakness winner Steve Asmussen then started Clever Again in the one-mile Hot Springs Stakes March 30 at Oaklawn, and the colt romped by four lengths over the Bob Baffert-trained 2024 Grade 1 winner Gaming. A much tougher test awaits Saturday, when Clever Again will face off against another Baffert trainee in Goal Oriented that shares his front-running style and is also generating a lot of buzz. Still, he’s got plenty of untapped potential with only three career starts and a pedigree suited for racing at longer distances – he’s from a female family that’s comprised of English- and Irish-bred horses with proven success in route races, albeit on turf.
Bet Clever Again in the Preakness Stakes.
Coady Media
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Career record: 2 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $111,960
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 109
Pedigree: Not This Time – Bizzy Caroline, by Afleet Alex
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Pacesetter/press the pace
Analysis: On May 8, Goal Oriented’s co-owner Tom Ryan gave the buildup to this year’s Preakness a jolt of excitement when he told reporters that the fast-rising colt would start in the second jewel of the Triple Crown only two weeks after posting a sharp win on the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve undercard. The Not This Time colt did not make his career debut until April 6 of this year, when he scored a rallying 3 ¼-length victory in a six-furlong sprint at Santa Anita Park. He was then shipped to Churchill Downs to start in a 1 1/16-mile allowance-optional claiming race May 3. Goal Oriented set the early pace while running on a sloppy track, turned back his closest pursuers in midstretch, and then held off a rally from highly regarded Hypnus to prevail by three-quarters of a length. Goal Oriented returns on two weeks of rest and will be Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s sole entry in the Preakness after Rodriguez was removed from consideration on May 9. Baffert will attempt to extend his all-time win record in the Preakness to nine, and it will be interesting to see where 2021 Preakness-winning jockey Flavien Prat positions Goal Oriented early in a race that drew several other early speed horses. He’s certainly bred to be a good one, as his dam Bizzy Caroline won twice in turf graded stakes at route distances and is a half-sister (same dam [mother], different sire) to champion and $2.9 million earner Lady Eli.
Bet Goal Oriented in the Preakness Stakes.
Eclipse Sportswire
Jockey: Luis Saez
Trainer: Brendan Walsh
Owner: Harvey A. Clarke Racing Stables
Career record: 3 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $292,200
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 96
Pedigree: Nyquist – Gloria S, by Tapit
Color: Gray or roan
Running style: Press the pace/stalker
Analysis: This Harvey Clarke homebred Nyquist colt did not develop fast enough to qualify for the Kentucky Derby as he has been patiently brought along by trainer Brendan Walsh since making his debut in December 2024. Gosger is 2-for-2 this year at age 3, winning a one-turn mile maiden race at Gulfstream Park in February and then moving up to the graded stakes level and taking the 1 1/16-mile Stonestreet Lexington Stakes April 12 at Keeneland. The Lexington offered 20 qualifying points to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, but at that point it was too little, too late for Gosger and he’s been training for the Preakness at Keeneland in the four-plus weeks since. The race flow sets up well for him as several speed horses are entered which could ensure a fast pace that he can track behind before making a bid for the lead, although Derby runner-up and probable Preakness favorite Journalism shares the same running style. He’s bred to easily handle 1 3/16 miles and even longer as a close relative to I’ll Have Another, who won the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness and was favored to win the Belmont Stakes as well before being withdrawn from the race the day before due to injury. Perhaps best of all, Gosger will get the services of red-hot jockey Luis Saez for the first time. He’ll need to take another step forward in terms of speed figures Saturday but still rates an upset chance.
Bet Gosger in the Preakness Stakes.
Dubai Racing Club
Jockey: Saffie Osborne
Trainer: Jamie Osborne
Owner: Jim And Claire Ltd.
Career record: 6 starts – 2 wins – 4 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $340,919
Top Equibase Speed Figure: n/a
Pedigree: Honor A. P. – Ruby Love, by Scat Daddy
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Stalker
Analysis: This English-bred, United Arab Emirates-based colt adds some international flavor to the Preakness field, a rarity in the race’s history. He comes in off of a rallying runner-up finish by a nose to Admire Daytona in the United Arab Emirates Derby Sponsored by Jumeirah April 5 at Meydan Racecourse. That race was held at 1 3/16 miles, the same as Saturday’s Preakness, and Heart of Honor finished strong and gave the impression that he would relish even more ground in the future. He’s from the first crop of Kentucky-bred Honor A. P., who raced in California a few years ago and finished fourth in the 2020 Kentucky Derby, held in September that year. Overall, Heart of Honor has raced well in his five Dubai starts, but the level of competition is suspect – pacesetting UAE Derby winner Admire Daytona shipped to the U.S. to run in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve May 3 and finished last of 19. At the very least, this colt is a threat to fill out the trifecta and/or superfecta as there are several speed horses entered in the Preakness which should result in a solid pace for Heart of Honor to close into. And the trainer/jockey, father/daughter combo of Jamie and Saffie Osborne should be one of the best stories of Preakness week.
Bet Heart of Honor in the Preakness Stakes.
Eclipse Sportswire
Jockey: Umberto Rispoli
Trainer: Michael McCarthy
Career record: 6 starts – 4 wins – 1 second – 1 third
Career earnings: $1,638,880
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 110
Pedigree: Curlin – Mopotism, by Uncle Mo
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker
Analysis: Journalism was confirmed as a Preakness starter on May 11 by co-owner Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve runner-up immediately became the headline attraction. He ran very well in the May 3, 1 ¼-mile Derby as the 3.42-1 post-time favorite, overcoming a rough start to gain a stalking position through the backstretch before moving up on jockey Umberto Rispoli’s cue through the far turn and launching a sustained drive to take a brief lead in early stretch. Journalism dueled gamely with Sovereignty to his outside as that colt followed him and then engaged him in the stretch, but he tired in the final strides to finish 1 ½ lengths back in second, although he did hold that spot by a neck over Baeza. Neither of those contenders is entered in the Preakness, and while Saturday’s field does include some promising runners moving up in class such as Goal Oriented, Gosger, and Clever Again along with the reliable Sandman, this multiple graded stakes winner stands out as the clear-cut favorite. Look for Journalism to attempt a similar stalking trip as he had in the Kentucky Derby – minus the troubled start – and the small cutback in distance to 1 3/16 miles should help him seal the deal this time. Unless the two-week turnaround proves to be more difficult than expected, this classy Curlin colt should be tough to handle Saturday evening.
Bet Journalism in the Preakness Stakes.
Eclipse Sportswire
Jockey: Raul Mena
Trainer: Michael Gorham
Owner: RKTN Racing
Career record: 8 starts – 4 wins – 1 second – 1 third
Career earnings: $234,475
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 93
Pedigree: Improbable – Harlington’s Rose, by Harlington
Color: Bay
Running style: Press the pace/stalker
Analysis: Pay Billy carries the local hopes for Preakness 150 having made all eight of his starts in the Mid-Atlantic region. The colt from the first crop of 2019 Kentucky Derby fourth-place finisher Improbable enters on a two-race winning streak, taking the 1 1/16-mile Private Terms Stakes by 3 ½ lengths in March and then the 1 1/8-mile Federico Tesio Stakes by 1 ½ lengths on April 19, both at Laurel Park. The Federico Tesio is an automatic qualifier for the Preakness, and Pay Billy won by using the same tactics he’s employed in most of his starts: race just off the early pace, bid for the lead coming into the stretch, and finish strong. This colt has been in tip-top form since last December, winning four of five starts, all with Raul Mena in the irons. The big question, of course, is about whether he can maintain that level of success competing against a tougher field in the Preakness. Pay Billy’s speed figures are about 10-12 points lower than those earned by most of the other Preakness horses as well as the historical standard for winning this race.
Bet Pay Billy in the Preakness Stakes.
Coglianese Photos/Gulfstream Park
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Owners: WinStar Farm, CHC Inc., Pantofel Stable, and Wachtel Stable
Career record: 4 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 1 third
Career earnings: $261,900
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 103
Pedigree: Maclean’s Music – Proportionality, by Discreet Cat
Color: Bay
Running style: Press the pace/stalker
Analysis: Although River Thames earned enough qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve with a runner-up finish in the Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes and a third-place effort in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, his connections chose to skip the May 3 Derby and point to the Preakness. He projects to be one of the top two or three betting choices in the race and could be sitting on a breakthrough race after running very well in his two Derby preps. In the March 1 Fountain of Youth held at 1 1/16 miles, River Thames took a clear lead in the stretch at Gulfstream Park but was caught late by Sovereignty and lost by a neck. Five weeks later in the Blue Grass, he stalked the pace and fought all the way to the finish when third, finishing just three-quarters of a length behind Burnham Square, who rallied from last to win. River Thames’ form was flattered, of course, by Sovereignty’s win in the Kentucky Derby, and although his pedigree is sprint-oriented he should be able to handle the 1 3/16-mile Preakness distance. Look for Irad Ortiz Jr. to settle River Thames just behind what could be a solid pace set by Clever Again, Goal Oriented, and American Promise and engage those foes entering the far turn, possibly running in tandem with the formidable Journalism. Both Ortiz and Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher are seeking their first wins in this race.
Bet River Thames in the Preakness Stakes.
Eclipse Sportswire
Jockey: TBA
Trainer: Mark Casse
Owners: D. J. Stable, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds, and CJ Stables
Career record: 9 starts – 3 wins – 1 second – 2 thirds
Career earnings: $1,254,595
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 104
Pedigree: Tapit – Distorted Music, by Distorted Humor
Color: Gray or roan
Running style: Closer
Analysis: The 150th Preakness field got a welcome addition May 10 when co-owner Jon Green of D. J. Stable and Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse announced that Sandman would come back on two weeks of rest after running seventh in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve. He’ll add a good dose of class as a Grade 1 winner who’s bankrolled more than $1.25 million so far, and the handsome gray colt has built a growing fan base as well. Boosted by that support, Sandman was the 5.77-1 second choice in the Kentucky Derby, where he assumed his customary position near the back of the 19-horse field early on while racing on a wet track for the first time. Perhaps he was affected by the kickback on a sloppy track, for while Sandman did rally through the far turn and into the homestretch, he did not make up much ground and ended up 12 ½ lengths behind Sovereignty. He came out of the race in great shape according to his connections, and if Sandman can regain the form he showed winning the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby by 2 ½ lengths back in March, he’ll give Casse a good chance to tally his second Preakness win following War of Will’s score in 2019. Several front-runners are entered in the race and they should ensure a swift pace, which Sandman will need in order to set up his late kick.
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