At the 2025 Preakness Stakes, the race favorite, Journalism, achieved a thrilling victory at Pimlico, overcoming a significant deficit in the final half-mile to win by a nose. Despite being the favorite at the Kentucky Derby, Journalism had previously lost to co-favorite Sovereignty, who followed a similar racing strategy. This time, trainer Michael McCarthy and jockey Umberto Rispoli adjusted their approach, opting for an inside move that ultimately paid off.
The race featured a dramatic finish, with Journalism narrowly defeating longshot Gosger, while Sandman finished third. The betting payout for Journalism’s win was $4.00 on a $2 bet, with additional payouts for exacta, trifecta, and superfecta bets. The anticipation for the race had been dampened by the absence of Sovereignty, who was ruled out shortly after winning the Derby, eliminating the possibility of a Triple Crown.
This marked the second instance in four years where the Derby winner skipped the Preakness, following Rich Strike’s decision in 2022. The last Triple Crown winner was Justified in 2018, highlighting the rarity of horses winning multiple races in a single year.
