The Favorite Is the Class of the Preakness Field — but the Odds Are Dismal

The favorite is the class of the Preakness field — but the odds are dismal

The 150th Preakness Stakes arrives with a twist. Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty will not compete, ending this year’s Triple Crown bid before it had a chance to begin. Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott opted to rest the colt and aim for the Belmont Stakes instead, citing long-term health over history-making ambition. With Sovereignty out and the field considerably less alluring, our betting strategy should shift to new shooters and potential valu…

MARK BELLING’S 2025 PREAKNESS STAKES ANALYSIS

OVERVIEW The Triple Crown schedule is archaic.  Horses run nowhere near as frequently now as they did in the past yet the half-century old schedule of the Preakness being two weeks after the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes three weeks after the Preakness is still in place.  But top horses virtually never run with two weeks rest anymore.  This year the Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty isn’t even trying the Preakness, meaning there is no ch…