BET THE PREAKNESS STAKES
What: Preakness Stakes
When: Saturday, May 17, 2025
Where: Pimlico Racetrack, Baltimore, MD
BETTING THE PREAKNESS 101
How do I bet the Preakness? Can I bet Preakness 150 Online?
You can bet the Preakness on NYRA Bets! Look for Pimlico in Today's Racing menu on race day, Saturday, May 17, 2025. We also offer Advance Wagering on the Preakness card on Friday, May 16.
How do I watch the Preakness?
You can stream the races live and watch replays on NYRA Bets.
Where is the Preakness Stakes?
The Preakness is run the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore every year.
What horses are running in the Preakness?
Most years you will see a handful of horses from the Kentucky Derby run back in two weeks. They will be joined by horses who either failed to qualify for the Kentucky Derby or who deliberately withdrew from the Kentucky Derby. The Preakness Stakes does have an automatic qualifying race in the form of the Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel Park. The race is limited to only three-year-old horses, so horses only have one chance in their career to win the race.
How many horses run in the Preakness Stakes?
It varies by year, but the field size is always smaller than the Kentucky Derby. You will often see between seven and 12 horses running in the Preakness, which makes post position slightly less important as the field size is more representative of a typical horse race.
History of the Preakness
The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the second leg of the Triple Crown, following the Kentucky Derby and preceding the Belmont Stakes. The race is run over a distance of 1 3/16 miles (9.5 furlongs) on a dirt track, and is open to three-year-old horses.
The Preakness Stakes was first run in 1873 and has a long and storied history in American horse racing. Since its inception, the race has become known for its festive atmosphere and has been dubbed "The People's Race." As the second race in the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes is one of the most prestigious races in the United States.
NYRA Bets is proud to offer betting on the Preakness Stakes. As a leading online betting platform, we offer a user-friendly interface that allows bettors to easily place bets on this historic race. Whether you're a seasoned bettor or a newcomer to the sport, NYRA Bets has everything you need to bet on the Preakness Stakes.
To bet the Preakness, simply create an account with NYRA Bets and navigate to the Preakness Stakes wager pad on race day. From there, you can place your bets and watch the race live on our platform. With our expert analysis and insider tips, you can make informed bets and increase your chances of winning big on the Preakness Stakes.
So whether you're looking to bet on the Preakness Stakes for the first time or you're a seasoned pro, NYRA Bets is the best place to do it. Join us for the 2025 Preakness Stakes and experience the excitement of betting on one of the most iconic horse races in American history.
PREAKNESS BETTING TRENDS
To get you ready for the Preakness Stakes (G1), NYRA Bets handicapper Matthew DeSantis went back to 2013 and looked at betting trends that can help you score big in the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown.
How do Kentucky Derby winners do?
Over the last 12 years only three Kentucky Derby winners, American Pharoah, Justify, and California Chrome, have followed up their victory with another one in the Preakness Stakes. However, Derby winners do usually run well as they have hit the board eight of the 12 years and it is notable that two Kentucky Derby winners, Country House (2019) and Rich Strike (2022), opted not to run in the Preakness Stakes.* Winning a race on a two-week turnaround can be a significant challenge, particularly when faced with several new runners who are fresh having not run in the Kentucky Derby (G1). In fact, the last five winners of the Preakness Stakes (G1) did not run in the Kentucky Derby (G1) though last year’s winner, Seize the Grey, did run the same day in the Pat Day Mile (G2).
* I am counting Medina Spirit as the Kentucky Derby winner in 2021 for this analysis as at the time of the running of the Preakness Stakes he was still considered the winner.
How does the post time favorite do?
Not great. Again, since 2013 only three post time favorites have won, and no favorite has done so since Justify in 2018. However, despite not winning, they do consistently run well having hit the board at a 75% clip. The performance of favorites is highly correlated with the performance of the Kentucky Derby winner as nearly always the incoming Derby winner is the betting favorite. In the two years when the Kentucky Derby winner did not compete (2019 and 2022) the betting favorite finished sixth (Improbable) and second (Epicenter).
How do other top contenders do?
Second choice runners tend to do well winning at nearly the same rate as favorites while also finishing in the trifecta close to the same amount. However, the performance of the third betting choice does drop off a bit despite them also having two victories in the last 12 years. During that stretch only 25% of third choices have hit the board, so be wary to playing too chalky of a trifecta ticket as you would be well served to include some bigger prices.
Betting favorites and their Preakness Stakes performance since 2013
| Wins | Top 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Favorite | 3 (25%) | 9 (75%) |
| 2nd choice | 2 (17%) | 7 (58%) |
| 3rd choice | 2 (17%) | 3 (25%) |
How about longshots?
Since field sizes are smaller in the Preakness Stakes than they are in the Kentucky Derby you often do not get massive 60/1 type of bombs in this race. Despite that, you consistently see 10/1 to 19/1 runners do well and hit the board at a reliable rate. However, over the last four years, only two horses at 10/1 or higher have managed to finish in the top three, which is a 12% rate compared to the 33% rate they hit the board from 2013-2020. This year there are several new shooters likely to enter the race and a limited number of Kentucky Derby runners, which could open things back up for a longshot to run well.
How to bet longshots?
If you like playing 20/1 and higher horses in the Preakness, you are not doing well. No horse at those odds has won during the last 12 years and they only hit the board at a 14% rate. Your more modest longshots between 10/1 and 19/1 have performed well as upset winners during that stretch so it might be worth playing against a short price at times, but do not load up too many longshots on your tickets at 9/1 and lower horses make up nearly 60% of the trifecta over the last 12 years.
Table 2: Performance by post time odds in the Preakness Stakes since 2013
Performance by post time odds in the Preakness Stakes since 2013
| Wins (n=12) | Top 3 (n=36) | |
|---|---|---|
| 9/1 and lower | 8 (67%) | 21 (58%) |
| 10/1 to 19/1 | 4 (33%) | 10 (28%) |
| 20/1 to 40/1 | 0 (0%) | 5 (14%) |
How should you bet the Preakness Stakes?
A great deal of this answer will depend on whether Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty shows up and how many of his buddies who ran at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 3 come with him. If Sovereignty and Journalism show up, they tower over the field from a standpoint of class and speed figures, but Sovereignty might be up against the speed bias Pimlico tends to have on big weekends. Of the potential new shooters facing off, horses like Gosger and Clever Again strike me as the ones that will provide solid value as River Thames and Rodriguez are more likely to attract public money behind the Kentucky Derby runners.
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