The race for the Triple Crown consists of three main events. The Derby is run first, followed by the Preakness and then the Belmont. Of the three, the Preakness is the oldest. It was first run in 1873, one year before the Belmont and two years before the Derby. The Preakness has been run 147 times; it was not run in 1880, 1881, during World War I (1917 and 1918) or World War II (1943). The average purse for the race when it has been run is $319,858.05. The Preakness has had many different locations. It was first held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, which has been its home since 1873.
The Preakness Stakes holds great prestige for jockeys because it is a step toward the ultimate goal of winning the Triple Crown. Of course, a Triple Crown victory is also the accumulation of many wins over the course of a jockey's career. From the 14 horses in the field, you can pick the Preakness favorites. Our in-depth guide examines the odds and predictions from our expert tipsters on which horses are most likely to come out on top. Compile a list of the top Canadian horse racing betting sites. Then start winning!
Top Canadian Sites for Preakness Stakes Betting
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Up to 600 $ |
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Up to 900 $ |
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Up to 3000 $ |
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Up to 92200 $ |
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Preakness Odds & Predictions for 2025
If you are interested in betting on the Preakness online, you will want to make sure that you are well informed about the goings on at the Kentucky Derby. This is because the horse that won the first leg of the Triple Crown has a heightened reason to perform well, as the Preakness is the next hurdle to clear on the way to possibly making history. Sometimes the history of the tape is a little different, like when the horse that won the Kentucky Derby in 2025 didn't run in the Preakness because he developed a fever, raced, and was retired, all in a very short period of time. Below is a list of horses that are pretty much guaranteed to run in the Preakness itself, as the Preakness is also run at Pimlico Race Course.
Favourites To Win Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is the second leg of the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred racing. The Preakness is run each year on the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The Preakness Stakes is a must-see event for many horse racing fans, and the early betting buzz is already surrounding the event with talk of current odds.
- Winner of the 2021 Belmont Stakes, Essential Quality is one of the early favorites for the Kentucky Derby at current odds of around 4-1. The reason is simple: his form throughout his career has been nothing short of impressive.
- Another horse to watch is Hot Rod Charlie, who finished third in the 2021 Kentucky Derby and has run well in recent races. His current odds are around 5-1.
- Life Is Good, winner of the 2021 Sham Stakes, is a top 2025 Preakness contender with odds around 6-1. Similarly, Mandaloun, who finished second in the 2021 Kentucky Derby, is also a top contender with odds of around 8-1.
- Surprises can happen in any horse race, and history shows that the Preakness has seen its share of unexpected winners and payoff-enhancing longshots. If today's bettors want to increase their chances of cashing a ticket with an above-average payout, they may be well served to place a win or place bet on a couple of 20-1 shots: King Fury and Crowded Trade.
There are a number of things to consider when betting on the Preakness, not the least of which is the recent form of the horse you wish to back. You also need to consider the horse's jockey and trainer, as well as the track conditions at the time of the race. There are different types of bets, including win, place and each-way bets, which differ in the type of payout and the level of risk involved.
As the race approaches, Preakness Stakes betting odds may change due to several factors. These include changes in a horse's or jockey's form, track conditions on race day, and any other variables that may affect a horse's performance. It's important to keep up with the news and the odds when making a decision about betting on a race.
Where is the Preakness Held?
People who follow the event may wonder why the site of the Preakness Stakes has remained pretty much the same over the decades. Pimlico Race Course is the first stop for the three-year-old race. Many sportsbooks in Baltimore, Maryland offer excellent horse racing odds. The offerings at these locations may vary, but they tend to agree on the top contenders. They also serve as a great way to find out what the locals think about the race. So if you're looking to place a bet, or just get a feel for what's going on in the local horse racing scene, these betting shops are a good first stop. However, if you are unable to make it, you can still do it all via the World Wide Web. You can track the pool prize from the comfort of your own home and stand a chance of hitting the jackpot with the horse racing ticket calculator.
History of the Preakness Stakes
For those betting on the Preakness Stakes, its history is worth knowing. It dates back to 1873, two years before the Kentucky Derby. The Preakness, a Grade I race, is a 9.5-furlong race for 3-year-old colts and fillies run in the same direction around the same oval as the Derby. Today, the Preakness is best known as the second leg of the Triple Crown and is also known as "The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans." (The winner receives a blanket made from Maryland's state flower, the rudbeckia hirta).
The Preakness Stakes is the second of three horse races in the United States Triple Crown series and is usually run on the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Betting on the Preakness Stakes gives serious horse racing fans a great chance to pick their favorite ponies at excellent odds, not to mention the plethora of enhanced specialty betting markets that accompany the event. In 2020, we entered a world where betting on the Preakness Stakes in September was a real thing. The odds didn't change, even if the weather did.
The Preakness Stakes is still a big deal in the horse racing world, second only to the Kentucky Derby in importance. Attendance for the event peaked in 2017, with 140,000 people showing up at Pimlico Race Course to watch the race. The popularity of the event is reflected in the betting numbers, with people from all over the world trying to win some money by picking the right horses. The big competition for betting dollars and the even bigger prizes for picking the right horses make betting on the Preakness Stakes an electrifying experience.
Preakness Horse Race Tips
Most of the headlines coming into the Preakness Stakes are about the winner of the Kentucky Derby. Accordingly, most bettors tend to place their bets based on what they think the general public will be betting on. They do this because they think that betting is really just a way of doing business with the people who run the track. Obviously, this is not a very good strategy for any Preakness bettor, but it is especially bad for a first-time bettor who probably should not be betting on any race at all.
- The collection of tracks will not be released until after the Kentucky Derby. This postpones betting on future races, but it does give us some insight into which of the horses are better suited to run on which tracks.
- Most horse racing bettors bet on the horse that wins the Kentucky Derby because it's also favored to win the Preakness. This, of course, makes the payout of the bet rather unattractive to most horse racing fans.
- Aside from the Chinese, the winner is anomalous degrees of separation from the hen, which usually shows up as crow symbols. That's good enough, and that's good enough for them.
Past Preakness Stakes Winners
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Winning Time |
| 2022 | Early Voting | Jose Ortiz | Rich Strike | 1:54.54 |
| 2021 | Rombauer | Flavien Prat | Michael McCarthy | 1:53.62 |
| 2020 | Swiss Skydiver | Robby Albarado | Kenny McPeek | 1:53.28 |
| 2019 | War of Will | Tyler Gaffalione | Mark Casse | 1:54.34 |
| 2018 | Justify | Mike E. Smith | Bob Baffert | 1:55:93 |
| 2017 | Cloud Computing | Javier Castellano | Chad Brown | 1:55:98 |
| 2016 | Exaggerator | Kent Desormeaux | Keith Desormeaux | 1:58:31 |
| 2015 | American Pharoah | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert | 1:58:46 |
| 2014 | California Chrome | Victor Espinoza | Art Sherman | 1:54.84 |
| 2013 | Oxbow | Gary Stevens | D. W. Lukas | 1:57.54 |
| 2012 | I’ll Have Another | Mario Gutierrez | Doug O’Neill | 1:55.94 |
| 2011 | Shackleford | Jesus Castanon | Dale Romans | 1:56.47 |
| 2010 | Lookin at Lucky | Martin Garcia | Bob Baffert | 1:55.47 |
| 2009 | Rachel Alexandra | Calvin Borel | Steve Asmussen | 1:55.08 |
| 2008 | Big Brown | Kent Desormeaux | Richard Dutrow, Jr. | 1:54.80 |