When the Preakness Stakes 2025 goes to post at 7:01 p.m. ET on Saturday, two 2025 Preakness Stakes horses will stand out from the rest of the field. Sandman and Gosger are the lone two thoroughbreds of the gray/roan color, while the other seven horses have a shade of brown as their coat color. There have been only four gray-coated winners in Preakness history, while nearly 96% of victors have been a shade of brown. People will find many ways to make 2025 Preakness Stakes bets, and you can be assured that some will back Sandman or Gosger simply due to their unique coat colors. While the two share the same hue, they don't share the same Preakness Stakes 2025 odds.
Sandman is the second-favorite at 4-1, trailing only Journalism (8-5). Meanwhile, Gosger is a 20-1 horse racing longshot, tied with Pay Billy for the longest odds in the 2025 Preakness Stakes field. Which horses should you back with your 2025 Preakness Stakes betting? Before making any 2025 Preakness Stakes picks, you'll want to see what SportsLine horse racing expert Gene Menez has to say before making any 2025 Preakness Stakes picks or horse racing predictions.
A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI's handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010.
In 2015, Menez accurately gave out the Kentucky Derby superfecta, which paid $1,268.20 for $2. In 2017, he tweeted out his Kentucky Derby picks, including Always Dreaming to win, and hit the Pick 4, which paid almost $6,900 on a $1 bet.
In May of last year, Menez nailed 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby. In November, he crushed the late Pick 4 on Breeders' Cup Saturday for a $5,303 jackpot. This year, he hit the winner and exacta in the Holy Bull Stakes and the winner, trifecta and superfecta in the Florida Derby. At the Kentucky Derby earlier this month, Menez hammered the exacta and trifecta for a $1,045 payout. Anyone who has followed him on betting apps like FanDuel Racing and TwinSpires could have been way up.
For the Preakness Stakes, Menez has handicapped the 2025 Preakness Stakes field, made his picks, and constructed his best bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2025 Preakness Stakes predictions
One of Menez's surprising 2025 Preakness Stakes picks: He is fading Journalism, even though he is the 8-5 favorite. While Menez is a fan of the horse, he doesn't like these short odds, which could drop even more come closing time.
Journalism is one of just three holdovers from the Kentucky Derby, meaning the vast majority of the field will have a rest advantage. Additionally, Journalism's speed figure decreased at the Kentucky Derby compared to his prior start, and that figure is unlikely to rebound coming off limited rest. Given his short odds, Menez advises to steer clear of Journalism with Preakness Stakes 2025 bets. "Modern horses aren't bred or trained to run back in two weeks," Menez told SportsLine, making Journalism a horse to fade when finalizing how to bet the Preakness Stakes 2025. See which horses to back here.
How to make 2025 Preakness Stakes bets, picks
Menez's top pick is a longshot who is "fast, sharp, in form and looks to be training well." Menez is sharing who he likes, along with his top 2025 Preakness Stakes picks, over at SportsLine.
Which horse wins the Preakness Stakes 2025, and which longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2025 Preakness Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Menez's picks for the Preakness Stakes, all from the expert who hammered the exacta and trifecta for a $1,045 payout at the Kentucky Derby.
2025 Preakness Stakes horses, odds
2025 Preakness Stakes horses, contenders, profiles
Preakness Stakes profiles 1 Goal Oriented | 2 Journalism | 3 American Promise | 4 Heart of Honor | 5 Pay Billy | 6 River Thames | 7 Sandman | 8 Clever Again | 9 Gosger
