The main event, an historic anniversary and the final curtain in front of the tattered old stand marks the third Saturday in May and the 2025 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course.
The middle jewel of the Triple Crown goes down for the 150th time and the last in front of the grandstand that This Is Horse Racing’s Tom Law once dubbed “rickety but proud.” Demolition starts in earnest shortly after the Preakness, the signature event of the Maryland racing calendar and headliner of the 14-race card at Old Hilltop.
The connections of Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty took a pass on the Baltimore classic, opting to wait five weeks for the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course for the nation’s leading 3-year-old. That leaves the colt who previously owned that title, Derby runner-up Journalism, as the one to beat at Pimlico. He takes on eight in the 1 3/16-mile Preakness, including two others from the Derby in Sandman and American Promise, talented New York-bred River Thames and the lightly raced trio of Goal Oriented, Clever Again and Gosger.
The handicappers from This Is Horse Racing and The Saratoga Special are back for another run and offer picks for the Preakness Day’s 10 stakes. The picks include what figures to be the final race in front of the grandstand, the Grade 1 UAE Presidents Cup for Arabians. Go figure.
Alex DiConza made a big move on Black-Eyed Susan Day, picking five of the six stakes winners to give him a co-leading 11 winners on the Triple Crown season. Alec picked Margie’s Intention in the featured Black-Eyed Susan, along with Awesome Aaron in the Pimlico Special, Bosserati in the The Very One and Echo Sound in the Miss Preakness.
Alec heads into Preakness Day tied with Rob Whitock for the top spot. Rob came up with a pair of winners – Candied in the Allaire DuPont and Bosserati – to give him 11 on the season.
The rest of the team are still looking to hit double digits with Charles Bedard, Sean Clancy and Tom Law tied for third with seven wins apiece. John Shapazian and Paul Halloran are tied for sixth with six wins each, while Jessica Paquette and Joe Clancy complete the lineup with five wins apiece.
Here are the picks for Saturday, May 17. Be safe and good luck.
Maryland Sprint Stakes (G3). $150,000, 3-year-olds and up, 6 furlongs. 12:16 p.m. ET.
Early start to the stakes competition and a field of seven to lead things off. Concrete Glory won last year’s Claiming Crown Rocket Express and then added another win at Gulfstream before a second in a stakes in South Florida. He takes another step up here against Oaklawn star sprinter Booth, stakes winner Epic Ride and others.
- John Shapazian: Booth, Concrete Glory, Epic Ride.
- Jessica Paquette: Celtic Contender, Prince Of Jericho, Booth.
- Tom Law: Booth, Concrete Glory, Prince Of Jericho.
- Alec DiConza: Booth, Celtic Contender, Prince Of Jericho.
- Rob Whitlock: Concrete Glory, Booth, Ninetypercentmaddie.
- Joe Clancy: Booth, Concrete Glory, Celtic Contender.
- Sean Clancy: Booth, Concrete Glory, Prince Of Jericho.
- Charles Bedard: Booth, Concrete Glory, Celtic Contender.
- Paul Halloran: Booth, Concrete Glory, Epic Ride.
Skipat Stakes. $125,000, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 6 furlongs. Post time 1:28 p.m.
Zeitlos makes her first start since finishing seventh in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. Daughter of Curlin won the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America in her prior start at 6 furlongs and she’s 6-for-9 going that distance. New York shipper Striker Has Dial comes in off back-to-back wins for Horacio De Paz, Southern California Grade 3 winner One Magic Philly finished one spot ahead of Zeitlos in the Breeders’ Cup and Apple Picker carries the torch for the local contingent.
- John: Zeitlos, Striler Has Dial, One Magic Philly.
- Jessica: Disco Ebo, Striker Has Dial, Zeitlos.
- Tom: Zeitlos, One Magic Philly, Striker Has Dial.
- Alec: One Magic Philly, Zeitlos, Striker Has Dial.
- Rob Whitlock: Striker Has Dial, Zeitlos, One Magic Philly.
- Joe: Striker Has Dial, One Magic Philly, Zeitlos.
- Sean: Zeitlos, One Magic Philly, Apple Picker.
- Charles: Zeitlos, One Magic Philly, Striker Has Dial.
- Paul: Striker Has Dial, Zeitlos, One Magic Philly.
Gallorette Stakes (G3). $150,000, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 1 1/6 miles, turf. Post time 2:07 p.m.
Remember to keep tabs on that weather forecast before wading in too deep. A rare graded stakes on the turf for females without a runner from Chad Brown’s deep barn. Plenty to like here with German-bred Three Havanas making U.S. debut for Christophe Clement, Queen Of The Mud making her second start of the season off good run sprinting on the turf in California and Dana’s Beauty, who lost at odds-on on Claiming Crown Day before rebounding with two stakes win in her next three starts.
- John: Three Havanas, Dana’s Beauty, Queen Of The Mud.
- Jessica: Sparkle Blue, Queen Of The Mud, Austere.
- Tom: Queen Of The Mud, Dana’s Beauty, Sparkle Blue.
- Alec: Ocean Club, Way To Be Marie, Three Havanas.
- Rob: Three Havanas, Way To Be Marie, Charlene’s Dream.
- Joe: Three Havanas, Queen Of The Mud, Austere.
- Sean: Charlene’s Dream, Queen Of The Mud, Dana’s Beauty.
- Charles: Three Havanas, Way To Be Marie, Dana’s Beauty.
- Paul: Three Havanas, Queen Of The Mud, Way To Be Marie.
Chick Lang Stakes. $150,000, 3-year-olds, 6 furlongs. Post time 2:48 p.m.
Field of 11 includes the 2-for-2 Ancient World, last-out stakes winner Normandy Coast, one-time classics hopeful Keep It Easy, Bay Shore runner-up Faster Gator, One Nine Hundred and Retribution. Fun race.
- John: Retribution, One Nine Hundred, Keep It Easy.
- Jessica: Retribution, Ancient World, One Nine Hundred.
- Tom: Normandy Coast, One Nine Hundred, Touchy.
- Alec: One Nine Hundred, Normandy Coast, Touchy.
- Rob: Ancient World, Normandy Coast, Retribution.
- Joe: Retribution, Normandy Coast, Chipotle.
- Sean: Faster Gator, One Nine Hundred, Touchy.
- Charles: Faster Gator, Ancient World, One Nine Hundred.
- Paul: One Nine Hundred, Ancient World, Touchy.
Jim McKay Turf Sprint Stakes. $125,000, 3-year-olds and up, 5 furlongs, turf. Post time 3:30 p.m.
Veterans galore for annual tribute to the legend of the Maryland Million and of course Wide World of Sports. Witty finished second last year and looks for his 10th career win. Determined Kingdom already hit that number last year for the late Larry Johnson. Same for Coppola, Boat’s A Rockin and Duncan Idaho. Good luck here.
- John: Witty, No Nay Hudson, Duncan Idaho.
- Jessica: Determined Kingdom, Fore Harp, Witty.
- Tom: No Nay Hudson, Witty, Determined Kingdom.
- Alec: No Nay Hudson, Witty, Boat’s A Rockin.
- Rob: Witty, Coppola, Mattingly.
- Joe: Witty, Determined Kingdom, Fore Harp.
- Sean: Witty, Fore Harp, No Nay Hudson.
- Charles: No Nay Hudson, Coppola, Boat’s A Rockin.
- Paul: Fore Harp, No Nay Hudson, Witty.
Spendthrift Farm Sir Barton Stakes. $100,000, 3-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles. Post time 4:11 p.m.
Invictus, highly regarded maiden last summer at Saratoga before running into Chancer McPatrick, won last time out at Keeneland and stretches out here in restricted stakes. Hymn led before finishing fourth in the Bath House Row at Oaklawn, while Federico Tesio runner-up Just A Fair Shake, Crudo and Bear Claw Necklace could factor.
- John: Invictus, Crude, Hymn.
- Jessica: Invictus, Crudo, Bear Claw Necklace.
- Tom: Invictus, Hymn, Bestfriend Rocket.
- Alec: Invictus, Crudo, Just A Fair Shake.
- Rob: Invictus, Bear Claw Necklace, Hymn.
- Joe: Invictus, Crudo, Hymn.
- Sean: Invictus, Crudo, Just A Fair Shake.
- Charles: Bestfriend Rocket, Invictus, Crudo.
- Paul: Invictus, Hymn, Just A Fair Shake.
James W. Murphy Stakes. $100,000, 3-year-olds and up, 1 mile, turf. Post time 4:53 p.m.
Graham Motion sends out the duo of End Of Romance and Soleil Volant against beaten Grade 3 Transylvania Stakes favorite Reagan’s Wit, Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille winner Clock Tower and others.
- John: Reagan’s Wit, Soleil Volant, End Of Romance.
- Jessica: Twain, End Of Romance, Studlydoright.
- Tom: End Of Romance, Clock Tower, Reagan’s Wit.
- Alec: Reagan’s Wit, End Of Romance, Curahee.
- Rob: Reagan’s Wit, Soleil Volant, Clock Tower.
- Joe: Twain, Reagan’s Wit, End Of Romance.
- Sean: Reagan’s Wit, End Of Romance, Barbadian Runner.
- Charles: Barbadian Runner, Mission Artemis, Reagan’s Wit.
- Paul: Reagan’s Wit, Soleil Volant, End Of Romance.
Dinner Party Stakes (G3). $250,000, 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/8 miles, turf. Post time 5:52.
Balnikhov returns from Southern California by way of Kentucky to defend his title in annual Preakness lead-in stakes. He dominated last year and comes in with similar form for trainer Phil D’Amato. Good group lines up, including Grade 1 winner Trikari, multiple Grade 3 winner Fort Washington, Grade 2 winner Neat, last year’s James W. Murphy winner Fulmineo, Signator and others.
- John: Neat, Signator, Fort Washington.
- Jessica: Trikari, Crystal Quest, Fulmineo.
- Tom: Trikari, Balnikhov, Fort Washington.
- Alec: Irish Aces, Balnikhov, Trikari.
- Rob: Trikari, Fort Washington, Cash Equity.
- Joe: Crystal Quest, Fort Washington, Irish Aces.
- Sean: Crystal Quest, Trikari, Fort Washington.
- Charles: Irish Aces, Trikari, Crystal Quest.
- Paul: Trikari, Irish Aces, Fort Washington.
Preakness Stakes (G1). $2 million, 3-year-olds, 1 3/16 miles. Post time 7:01 p.m.
The main event. All eyes on Journalism as he tries to etch his name into the Triple Crown logs in the absence of Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty. Connections mulled running the son of Curlin a bit before heading to Maryland with the beaten Derby favorite. He’ll be a short price and deservedly so with a glistening resume and plenty of positives. Who can spoil the party? How about Bob Baffert, an eight-time Preakness winner who sends out unbeaten Goal Oriented? Or D. Wayne Lukas, a seven-time Preakness winner who sends out Derby 16th-place finisher American Promise? Stranger things have happened. Common sense says River Thames, second by just a neck to Sovereignty in the Fountain of Youth and kept out of the Derby purposely; and Arkansas Derby winner Sandman are the legit spoilers. But don’t count out Hot Springs winner Clever Again for Steve Asmussen and Grade 3 Lexington winner Gosger for Brendan Walsh.
- John: Goal Oriented, Sandman, Journalism.
- Jessica: Gosger, Heart Of Honor, Journalism.
- Tom: River Thames, Journalism, Sandman.
- Alec: Journalism, Goal Oriented, Clever Again.
- Rob: Journalism, River Thames, Goal Oriented.
- Joe: Journalism, Clever Again, River Thames.
- Sean: Journalism, Clever Again, Gosger.
- Charles: Journalism, Sandman, Clever Again.
- Paul: Clever Again, Journalism, Heart Of Honor.
UAE President Cup. $200,000, Arabians, 4-year-olds and up, 1 1/16 miles. Post time 7:43 p.m.
Close the day with something very few know about, Arabian racing. But hey, it’s racing and there’s a start and finish. And it’s only 9-plus hours after the day started. Pick the winner and celebrate with crabcakes.
- John: Rb Motherland, Diamond Gem Aa, Wma Big Baby.
- Jessica: Quick Rae Ae, Diamond Gem Ae, Rb Motherload.
- Tom: Rb Grand Slam, Rb Motherload, Aa Take A Chance.
- Alec: Diamond Gem Aa, Rb Grand Slam, Wma Smoke Signal.
- Rob: Quick Rae Aa, Diamond Jim Aa, Like Moulin Rouge.
- Joe: Rb Grand Slam, Diamond Gem, Rb Motherload.
- Sean: Diamond Gem Aa A, Rb Motherload A, Rb Grand Slam A.
- Charles: Rb Grand Slam, Wma Smoke Signal, Diamond Gem.
- Paul: Diamond Gem Aa, Rb Grand Slam, Rb Motherload
