With rain expected most of Friday at Pimlico Race Course, the track for the 2025 Preakness Stakes may be affected. However, with precipitation set to tail off on Saturday, a fast track is the expectation for the second leg of the Triple Crown. Nine 2025 Preakness Stakes horses, led by Kentucky Derby second place finisher Journalism (8-5), will seek to capture one of the most prestigious races in the sport.
Trainer Michael McCarthy, who won this race in 2021 with Rombauer, will seek his second Preakness victory with the favorite. Journalism enters with three straight 100-plus Beyer Speed Figures, a number only one other horse in this race (Clever Again) can boast. Stranger results have happened like we saw last year, when a 12-1 shot in Seize the Grey went wire-to-wire. Are there 2025 Preakness longshot horses in the fast conditions that you should back with your 2025 Preakness Stakes bets?
2025 Preakness Stakes weather forecast
| Day | Skies | High | Rain Chance |
| Friday | Thunderstorms | 84 | 100% |
| Saturday Morning | Cloudy | 73 | 20% |
| Saturday Post Time (7:01pm ET) | Sunny | 80 | 0% |
The team at SportsLine has taken a deep dive into the history of the 2025 Preakness horses to see which ones are bred to thrive in sloppy conditions.
You can use their advice to make picks on Preakness Stakes betting sites like FanDuel Racing and TwinSpires. You can also evaluate the 2025 Preakness odds to get the latest 2025 Preakness Stakes picks.
Here are three Preakness horses to target, given the potential Pimlico track conditions, to help you figure out how to bet the Preakness Stakes:
Sandman (4-1)
In eight lifetime starts on a fast track, Sandman has finished among the top-3 finishers six times. His victory in the Grade I Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park produced a 99 Beyer Speed Figure, which would put him in a class slightly below race favorite Journalism. Trained by Mark Casse, Sandman rallied into 7th place in the Kentucky Derby, 12 1/2 lengths behind the winner.
For Sandman to succeed on the fast track, he will need a hot pace in front of him to set up for a ferocious closing kick. In each of his last seven races, the $1.2 million purchase has passed horses in the final furlongs of the race. He makes plenty of sense as a prime contender given the three lifetime victories on a fast track. You can bet Sandman at FanDuel Racing now and get a no-sweat first bet up to $500:
Clever Again (5-1)
Steve Asmussen, the winningest horse trainer of all-time, saddles Clever Again in the 2025 Preakness Stakes. Assmussen has won two prior Preakness Stakes’, in 2007 with Curlin and 2009 with Rachel Alexandra. Clever Again ran a 101 Beyer Speed Figure in his most recent race, a stakes victory at Oaklawn Park. On paper, the horse looks like the most likely competitor to Journalism in terms of recent speed figures.
With jockey Jose Ortiz aboard, getting an early lead against other early speed in the race might be paramount. Ortiz and Asmussen have a highly successful win rate of 28 percent when working together since 2024. On a fast track, Clever Again will seek the lead early and to hold off the closers in Journalism and Sandman. You can bet Clever Again now at TwinSpires and get up to $400 in bonus bets:
Pay Billy (20-1)
On a fast track, this 20-1 longshot may have some appeal considering he’s won four of six races in similar conditions. Having qualified for this race via the local Maryland circuit, Pay Billy enters with much lower Beyer Speed Figures than the majority of the field, never having surpassed an 85 BSF. But those four victories on a fast track equal that of Journalism, the race’s favorite.
Trainer Mike Gorham and jockey Raul Mena are likely to attempt a midpack strategy hoping the races go too fast upfront and Pay Billy can get first run on the closers. When making trifectas in this race, Pay Billy is worth a look based on his success in Maryland racing and on fast tracks. You can bet Pay Billy at FanDuel Racing now and get a no-sweat first bet up to $500:
How to make 2025 Preakness Stakes picks, bets
SportsLine’s Jody Demling has nailed the Preakness trifecta each of the last two years, and he is especially high on a HUGE longshot who “could be a factor” to spice up your exotics. Demling is sharing which horse it is, along with his entire projected 2025 Preakness leaderboard and betting tickets, over at SportsLine.
Best Preakness betting promos
Here are several places to bet on the Preakness Stakes.
This news was originally published on this post .
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