How to watch the 2025 Preakness Stakes: Schedule, odds, horses and weather
Saturday marks the 150th edition of the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of thoroughbred racing's annual Triple Crown. The sports betting world congregates in Baltimore this weekend, with a $2 million purse at stake on the track. This will be the final run at Pimlico as we know it — the tenured venue is scheduled to be demolished and rebuilt for 2027, and next year's race will be held at Maryland's Laurel Park.
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Horse racing won't field a Triple Crown winner this year, as Kentucky Derby champion Sovereignty was not entered in the field. There will still be much to appreciate, from favorites Journalism and Sandman to Black-Eyed Susan Day and a T-Pain performance (?!). Here's everything to know come Saturday.
It's the second of three historic Triple Crown events, sitting between the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. Saturday's nine-horse field is considerably smaller than the Derby, which had 19 entrants. The winning horse gets a blanket of yellow blossoms stained with black lacquer to mimic Maryland's state flower, the Black-Eyed Susan (which isn't typically in bloom in May) and the weather vane is painted in the color of the winning silk.
The Preakness is still a spirited event, but it was infamously more raucous with 'bring your own alcohol' policies for the grandstand and infield. Pimlico organizers switched that up in 2009. There are two great musical acts, though — Wyclef Jean on the grounds and T-Pain post-race.
Post-time is set for 7:01 p.m. ET, which means there will be about three hours of broadcast programming before the main event.
The race is 1 3/16 miles long. All-time great Secretariat set the Preakness record at 1:53 way back in 1973. Smarty Jones recorded the largest margin of victory (11 1/2 lengths) in 2004. The winningest jockey is Eddie Arcaro, who finished first six times from 1941-57. The winningest trainer is Bob Baffert, with eight triumphs between 1997 and 2023.
Seize the Grey took last year's event, clocking in at 1:56.82.
According to The Weather Channel, Baltimore should expect cloudy skies with warm air during the day. 'A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible,' it says, with highs nearing 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Winds will be blowing west-southwest at 10-to-20 mph, and humidity will be around 49 percent. Sunset will be at 8:15 p.m.
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It's Pimlico's version of the Kentucky Oaks, a race for 3-year-old fillies. It is named for Maryland's official state flower. The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes is held on Friday before the Preakness at Pimlico. The Grade II race has a $300,000 purse.
The Black-Eyed Susan is also the event's premier cocktail, comprising vodka and St-Germain liqueur with pineapple, lime and orange juices.
Morning line refers to the first slate of odds, based on initial poll position. Horse racing has parimutuel betting, meaning that odds fluctuation applies to all bettors up until the final odds settle. For most sports, a 10-1 ticket will pay out at 10-1, even if the pregame odds shift down to 2-1. But for horse racing, that 10-1 ticket will pay out at 2-1 — no extra credit for getting the pick before it was popular.
Bettors can try to predict the race's winner outright, but there are a variety of other ways get action on a racer:
Analyzing the Preakness 2025 field: Favorites, contenders and long shots
After 150th Preakness, a wrecking ball and 'philosophical dilemma' for Triple Crown's middle child
Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty to skip Preakness, dashing 2025 Triple Crown hopes
(Photo of Journalism: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
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