The 150th running of the Preakness Stakes — the middle jewel of the Triple Crown — will take place just after 7:00 p.m. ET at Baltimore’s historic Pimlico racecourse on Saturday, May 17.
For some horseplayers, this race is as simple as making Preakness predictions to Win, Place, and Show. But to spurn the exacta, trifecta, and superfecta is to spurn the chance at incredibly lucrative payoffs.
Consider last year's Preakness, where Seize the Grey won and paid $21.60 on a $2 win bet. But it wasn't a great leap in logic to include Kentucky Derby winner and Preakness favorite Mystik Dan underneath in an exacta play if you liked Seize the Grey, and that $2 bet paid $109.40. And the $2 trifecta, with second-choice Catching Freedom in third? $367.40 for $2!
Let's dive into my free betting picks for each exotic pool.
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Preakness Stakes exacta pick
The exacta tasks the bettor with selecting the Top 2 finishers of a race in exact order. The minimum wager at Pimlico is $1. Bettors can also “box” an exacta, meaning two (or more) selected Preakness Stakes horses on a ticket can finish in any order, albeit at an increased cost.
No. 2 Journalism (+160 at FanDuel Racing) is a logical favorite in the Preakness Stakes odds off his runner-up effort in the Kentucky Derby combined with his stellar results in California (4-for-5). He's clearly the fastest horse on paper, too.
However, the great unknown of his ability to overcome a quick turnaround makes me want to have some action against him. No. 8 Clever Again (+500 at FanDuel Racing) is the best bet in the field if you're looking to beat Journalism.
If Clever Again can replicate his highly-rated Hot Springs Stakes effort, Journalism will have to be on top of his game in Maryland on Saturday.
Beyond these two, I'm also intrigued by No. 6 River Thames (+450 at FanDuel Racing) and No. 9 Gosger (+2000 at FanDuel Racing) and will throw them in the lower rungs of my exotic plays.
River Thames was a dominant winner in consecutive starts at Gulfstream before getting nipped at the wire by eventual Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty in the Fountain of Youth. His third-place finish in the Blue Grass Stakes when last seen was decent enough to make him a second-place threat if one of the Top 2 falter.
Gosger may be a Preakness Stakes long shot, but he looks far from hopeless. While it's true he's a bit slower than these other contenders on paper, he's only run three times, so the upside is there. That, combined with an increase in distance following his going-away Lexington Stakes victory, makes me think he's sitting on a lifetime-best effort.
$4 exacta pick:
- To win: No. 2 Journalism
- Second place: No. 6 River Thames, No. 8 Clever Again, No. 9 Gosger
$3 exacta pick:
- To win: No. 8 Clever Again
- Second place: No. 2 Journalism, No. 6 River Thames, No. 9 Gosger
$2 exacta pick:
- To win: No. 2 Journalism, No. 8 Clever Again
- Second place: No. 2 Journalism, No. 8 Clever Again
Total = $25
Preakness Stakes trifecta pick
The trifecta requires the bettor to determine the first three finishers of a race in exact order. The payoff can be much higher than the exacta, but both the ticket cost and the risk factor increase significantly, even with a minimum wager amount of 50 cents.
I'll use the same four horses I used in my exacta plays to formulate one trifecta ticket. As long as either No. 2 Journalism or No. 8 Clever Again win the 2025 Preakness and two of my other Top 4 picks round out the in-the-money spots, this will cash.
$3 trifecta pick:
- To win: No. 2 Journalism, No. 8 Clever Again
- Second place: No. 2 Journalism, No. 6 River Thames, No. 8 Clever Again, No. 9 Gosger
- Third place: No. 2 Journalism, No. 6 River Thames, No. 8 Clever Again, No. 9 Gosger
Total = $36
Preakness Stakes superfecta pick
The superfecta is even tougher to hit than the trifecta, as the bettor must pick the first four finishers of a race in the correct order. Of course, the potential payday can be tremendous. The minimum wager amount is just 10 cents, making it somewhat easier to get involved.
I'll stick with my Top 4 selections for my main superfecta ticket, once again keying on either Journalism or Clever Again to win, but I'll also go "ALL" for the fourth leg in a backup play.
$2 superfecta pick:
- To win: No. 2 Journalism, No. 8 Clever Again
- Second place: No. 2 Journalism, No. 6 River Thames, No. 8 Clever Again, No. 9 Gosger
- Third place: No. 2 Journalism, No. 6 River Thames, No. 8 Clever Again, No. 9 Gosger
- Fourth place: No. 2 Journalism, No. 6 River Thames, No. 8 Clever Again, No. 9 Gosger
$0.50 superfecta pick:
- To win: No. 2 Journalism, No. 8 Clever Again
- Second place: No. 2 Journalism, No. 8 Clever Again
- Third place: No. 6 River Thames, No. 9 Gosger
- Fourth place: ALL
Total = $36
