2025 Preakness Stakes sleepers, free advice, odds, contenders: 3 top longshot picks at Pimlico Race Course

By: CBS Sports Posted On: May 17, 2025 View: 12

Imagn Images

The 150th edition of the Preakness Stakes will mark the end of an era, as the 155-year-old Pimlico Race Course will undergo major renovations after Saturday's race. The second leg of the Triple Crown will move to nearby Laurel Park until those renovations are complete. Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty is not in the 2025 Preakness Stakes field for Saturday's race, but Derby runner-up Journalism is the 8-5 favorite in the 2025 Preakness Stakes odds. Journalism is facing a smaller field than he did at Churchill Downs, with post time set for 7:01 p.m. ET. Journalism will have to get past other 2025 Preakness Stakes horses like Sandman (4-1), River Thames (9-2) and Clever Again (5-1). Sandman and American Promise (15-1) are the only other Kentucky Derby horses in the 2025 Preakness Stakes field, so should you back them with your 2025 Preakness Stakes bets? SportsLine's horse racing experts are breaking down the Preakness Stakes 2025 from all angles.

A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Jody Demling hit the top three finishers in the Kentucky Derby in the correct order. He also called 10 of the last 20 Preakness winners, including 2023 when he hit the winner, exacta, trifecta and superfecta. He hit the trifecta in the 2024 Preakness Stakes and has predicted the winner of the Belmont Stakes four of the last seven years. Anyone who has followed those picks on sites like FanDuel Racing and TwinSpires is up huge. You can see Demling's full projected leaderboard at SportsLine.

Here are three Preakness Stakes longshots to target, according to Demling:

Clever Again (5-1)

Clever Again is a son of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, and he is trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. Jockey Jose Ortiz earned his first Preakness victory in 2022 with Early Voting, who had only made three lifetime starts. Clever Again is making his fourth career start after winning a pair of races earlier this year.

He broke his maiden at Oaklawn Park after a 10-month layoff, and he added a four-length victory in the Hot Springs Stakes over favored Gaming, a Grade 1 winner. Clever Again brings elite speed to the Preakness Stakes, which often bodes well against the small field. If he breaks well, he will be in an excellent position to win the second leg of the Triple Crown. New users can bet Clever Again at FanDuel Racing now and get a no-sweat first bet up to $500 with the latest FanDuel Racing offer code:

Goal Oriented (6-1)

Bob Baffert's Goal Oriented takes his perfect record into his first graded stakes race on Saturday. Baffert is the winningest trainer in Preakness Stakes history, with eight victories, most recently winning in 2023. Although Goal Oriented didn't run in the Kentucky Derby itself, he did run at Churchill Downs on Derby Day and won his race to improve to 2-0 over his career.

Besides a proven winning trainer in Baffert, Goal Oriented will be ridden by a top jockey in Flavien Prat. The 32-year-old won the 2021 Preakness Stakes with Rombauer, who ran as an 11-1 longshot. Prat is a multi-time Triple Crown winner, also riding Country House to a Kentucky Derby win as a 30-1 longshot. Prat's proven ability to get the most out of longshot horses, plus a pairing with Baffert, makes Goal Oriented a longshot to strongly consider for 2025 Preakness Stakes bets. New users can bet Goal Oriented at FanDuel Racing and get a no-sweat first bet:

American Promise (15-1)

American Promise is coming off a tough trip in the Kentucky Derby, as he got cut off at the start and was unable to squeeze between horses down the stretch. He is returning to the track on Saturday for legendary trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who has sent more horses to the second leg of the Triple Crown than any other trainer. The 89-year-old won the Preakness last year and is trying to become the first to win the Preakness back-to-back since Baffert in 2001 and 2002.

Jockey Nik Juarez made his first Kentucky Derby start aboard American Promise, and he will stay aboard for the Preakness. Juarez grew up nearly 30 miles northeast from the track, so it will be a particularly special day for him as he makes his first Preakness start. American Promise is one of the most experienced horses in the field with 10 starts since last July, and he won the Virginia Derby (LS) in March. New users can take advantage of the current TwinSpires offer code and bet American Promise now at TwinSpires and get up to $400 in bonus bets: