Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty won't partake in the 150th annual Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, halting his Triple Crown pursuit. It's an unfortunate reality for him, the team and equestrian fans everywhere who wanted to watch a chase for history.
Nonetheless, even without Sovereignty, the list of ponies set to run in the 2025 Preakness Stakes is fascinating. Journalism, the odds-on favorite, who was also the front-runner to win the Kentucky Derby, headlines the bunch. But here's a complete list of the horses participating in the Run for the Black-Eyed Susans.
Every horse in the 2025 Preakness Stakes with post numbers
Post Number | Horse | Jockey |
|---|---|---|
1 | Goal Oriented | Flavien Prat |
2 | Journalism | Umberto Rispoli |
3 | American Promise | Nik Juarez |
4 | Heart of Honor | Saffie Osborne |
5 | Pay Billy | Raul Mena |
6 | River Thames | Irad Ortiz Jr. |
7 | Sandman | John Velazquez |
8 | Clever Again | Jose Ortiz |
9 | Gosger | Luis Saez |
Journalism finished just behind Sovereignty in the 151st version of the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. He's a three-year-old colt who's relatively new to the racing scene, accompanied by jockey Umberto Rispoli. His first competition was the 2024 Maiden Special Weight at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.
Pay Billy is tied with Gosger as the biggest long-shot to win this year's Preakness Stakes. Like Journalism, he's a young colt trying to make a name for himself. Bred in Kentucky, his sire is Improbable (now deceased), a champion American thoroughbred.
Sportsbooks suggest Sandman figures to be Journalism's top challenger. He was purchased for $1.2 million as a 2-year-old at the 2024 Ocala Breeders’ March Sale. Here's a fun fact about him: One of his owners, Vincent Viola, also owns the NHL's Florida Panthers.
Why isn’t Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty running the Preakness?
Instead of going for the Triple Crown, Sovereignty's trainer, Bill Mott, is opting to focus on the upcoming Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 7.
"We want to do what's best for the horse," Mott stated at Churchill Downs regarding the decision to have Sovereignty skip the Preakness (h/t AP News). Albeit disappointing, it's hard to argue with his team looking out for him. It's better than seeing them prioritize the Triple Crown and risking injury to the talented colt.
Mott is no stranger to winning the Kentucky Derby, having done so with Country House in 2019. Notably, he chose not to pursue the Triple Crown with him, too, sitting out the Preakness Stakes. Perhaps that factored into his thought process.