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Hindustan Times
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Preakness Stakes 2025: Meet the jockeys competing for Triple Crown glory
A competitive group of 3-year-olds is set to battle in the milestone 150th edition of the Preakness Stakes (G1) on May 17 at Pimlico Race Course. The lineup of jockeys adds an intriguing layer to the race, featuring a mix of seasoned veterans, including past Preakness champions, and fresh faces making their debut in this iconic Triple Crown event. Also Read: Preakness Stakes 2025: Journalism vs Goal Oriented- who will take home the crown? Here's a closer look at the riders set to guide their mounts in Saturday's showdown, as reported by Blood Horse. Nik JuarezAge: 31 Originally from: Westminster, Md. Previous rides in the Preakness Stakes: none Best finish: n/a 2025 Preakness horse: American Promise Nik Juarez, who rode American Promise in his Kentucky Derby debut, returns for his first Preakness appearance aboard the Justify colt. With a decade of experience across various tracks, Juarez has built a strong reputation, most recently at Oaklawn Park, where he developed a key partnership with American Promise's legendary trainer, D. Wayne Lukas. Age: 33 Originally from: Chile Previous rides in the Preakness Stakes: none Best finish: n/a 2025 Preakness horse: Pay Billy Raul Mena, a native of Chile, started his career in horse racing at just 14, initially working as a groom before becoming a jockey. Despite a serious injury from a 2011 spill, Mena made a strong comeback and scored his first U.S. win in 2015. This year, he's riding high as the regular jockey for Pay Billy, a standout in the Mid-Atlantic region who has won three of his last four starts Age: 32 Originally from: Puerto Rico Previous rides in the Preakness Stakes: 6 Best finish: 2nd in 2021 (Midnight Bourbon) and 2023 (Blazing Sevens) 2025 Preakness horse: River Thames Irad Ortiz Jr. came close to adding a Woodlawn Vase replica to his collection in 2023 when Blazing Sevens finished just a head behind National Treasure in the Preakness. Ortiz recently rode the River Thames for the first time in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1), where the colt ran a strong race, finishing third by only three-quarters of a length. Although River Thames qualified for the Kentucky Derby, he skipped the race, making him a fresh contender who could be primed for a strong performance in the Preakness. Age: 31 Originally from: Puerto Rico Previous rides in the Preakness Stakes: 5 Best finish: 1st in 2022 (Early Voting) 2025 Preakness horse: Clever Again Jose Ortiz is having an exceptional year, solidifying his Hall of Fame credentials with impressive wins and earnings across top tracks. After finishing seventh in the Kentucky Derby aboard Sandman, Ortiz shifts to ride the promising Clever Again, whom he's guided to two straight wins, including a victory in the Hot Springs Stakes for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. Age: 23 Originally from: Great Britain Previous rides in the Preakness Stakes: none Best finish: n/a 2025 Preakness horse: Heart of Honour At just 23, Saffie Osborne is set to make history as the first woman to ride in a Triple Crown race in the U.S. A rising star, she began her career in 2020 and secured her first group stakes win in 2023. Known for making headlines in Dubai, where she became the first female jockey to win at Meydan, Osborne now has the opportunity to become the first woman to capture the Preakness. Age: 32 Originally from: France Previous rides in the Preakness Stakes: 2 Best finish: 1st in 2021 (Rombauer) 2025 Preakness horse: Goal Oriented Flavien Prat has maintained an elite level of performance in 2025, following a record-setting year in 2024 that earned him his first Eclipse Award as outstanding jockey. Prat claimed his first Preakness victory in 2021 aboard Rombauer and added another top-three finish last year with Catching Freedom, finishing third. Now, he returns to Pimlico with high hopes for another strong showing in the iconic race. Age: 36 Originally from: Italy Previous rides in the Preakness Stakes: none Best finish: n/a 2025 Preakness horse: Journalism Umberto Rispoli has been one of California's top jockeys for the past five years, but in 2025, he's emerged as a national contender, largely due to his success with Journalism. The pair has teamed up for three graded stakes victories since December, along with a runner-up finish in the Kentucky Derby just two weeks ago, solidifying Rispoli's status as one of the sport's rising stars. Age: 32 Originally from: Panama Previous rides in the Preakness Stakes: 4 Best finish: 2nd in 2018 (Bravazo) 2025 Preakness horse: Gosger Luis Saez will look to secure his first Preakness win just two days before his 33rd birthday. One of North America's top jockeys, Saez has ranked in the top 10 for earnings every year since 2015, recently finishing with an impressive 23% win rate at Keeneland. In the 2018 Preakness, he guided Bravazo to a narrow second-place finish behind Triple Crown winner Justify, making him a proven contender on the Pimlico track. Age: 54 Originally from: Puerto Rico Previous rides in the Preakness Stakes: 13 Best finish: 1st in 2023 (National Treasure) 2025 Preakness horse: Sandman Two years ago, Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez secured his first Preakness win with National Treasure, expertly managing the colt's speed to hold off Blazing Sevens in a dramatic finish. After a year away, Velazquez returns to the Preakness aboard Sandman, a horse with a very different running style. With his vast experience, Velazquez will need to adjust his tactics to make the most of Sandman's capabilities as he aims for another iconic victory.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty bypassing Preakness to focus on Belmont
Horse racing will not have a Triple Crown winner this year. Mike Rogers, executive vice president at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, announced Tuesday that Pimlico had received a call from trainer Bill Mott saying that Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty will not run in the May 17 Preakness Stakes in Baltimore. Instead, Sovereignty will be prepped for the Belmont Stakes, to be run Saturday, June 7 at Saratoga. Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, is still undergoing renovations. 'We received a call today from trainer Bill Mott that Sovereignty will not be competing in the Preakness,' said Rogers in a press release. 'Bill informed us they would point toward the Belmont Stakes. 'We extend our congratulations to the connections of Sovereignty and respect their decision. We continue to see the excitement building toward the milestone celebration of the 150th Preakness Stakes, and we look forward to an incredible weekend of world-class racing and entertainment.' Sovereignty is the first Kentucky Derby winner to skip the Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown, since Rich Strike in 2022. Sovereignty is seen with the blanket of red roses outside of his stall Sunday, May 4, 2025, the morning after winning the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville. The morning after Sovereignty's one-and-a-half length win over Journalism in the Kentucky Derby, Mott indicated that he found the Belmont Stakes' distance of a mile-and-a-quarter at Saratoga 'very interesting to me.' When run at Belmont Park, the Belmont Stakes distance is a mile-and-a-half. 'I'd like to see (Sovereignty) at his best going into the Belmont,' said Mott, who bases his operations in New York. Justify was the last Triple Crown winner, completing the rare feat for trainer Bob Baffert in 2018. American Pharoah became the first colt to capture the Triple Crown in 37 years when he won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes for Baffert in 2015. After winning the Kentucky Derby last year for trainer Kenny McPeek, Mystik Dan finished second to Seize the Grey in the Preakness. That win was the 16th Triple Crown victory for trainer D. Wayne Lukas. The 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage finished third in the Preakness that year. Natural Treasure, trained by Baffert, won the race with Blazing Sevens finishing second. Justify is the last Kentucky Derby winner to also win the Preakness. Sovereignty's connections soak in Kentucky Derby win, but undecided on Preakness The state of Kentucky has produced a 21st century TV hit. It's called the Derby. Sovereignty goes beyond a trainer's wildest dreams by winning Kentucky Derby 151 Godolphin wins its first Kentucky Derby, with a little help from Seattle Slew
