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The 2025 Preakness Stakes will have a smaller field size and shorter distance compared to the Kentucky Derby. Although they are both Triple Crown races, the difference in the number of 2025 Preakness Stakes horses brings a different feel to the race at Pimlico Race Course because it more closely replicates the size of a traditional race, rather than the pomp and circumstance that surrounded the nearly 20-horse field at Churchill Downs. The 2025 Preakness Stakes field features nine horses, three of whom ran in the Kentucky Derby, and six making their Triple Crown debuts. Journalism took off as the Kentucky Derby favorite and after placing second, he’s the favorite yet again at 8-5 in the latest 2025 Preakness Stakes odds. Post time is 7:01 p.m. ET.

Journalism is undefeated in four races between 1 mile and 1 1/8 miles, so the 1 3/16-mile 2025 Preakness Stakes distance could play to his strengths. He’ll have competition with 2025 Preakness Stakes contenders like Sandman (4-1), River Thames (9-5) and Clever Again (5-1), so who should you include in 2025 Preakness Stakes bets? 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. Although there is a lot to like about the horse, Menez doesn’t see much value in Journalism’s price. Each of the nine 2025 Preakness horses running on Saturday has multiple victories, including multiple horses with graded stakes wins. Although Journalism has won 66% of his career races, the team around him isn’t nearly as accomplished as other 2025 Preakness Stakes connections. That’s hard to ignore when betting on a favorite at lower than 2-1 odds to win a Triple Crown race.

Jockey Umberto Rispoli is making his Preakness Stakes debut and trainer Micahel McCarthy has only one Preakness Stakes victory in his career. Meanwhile, McCarthy is going against Bob Baffert, who has eight wins, and D. Wayne Lukas, who has seven. Journalism has favorite talent, but it remains to be seen if the humans around him can bring him to a Triple Crown victory. “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