Sovereignty Not Running In Preakness, But Will Journalism Compete?
Horse racing fans and bettors hoping to see a rematch between Sovereignty and Journalism in the Preakness Stakes on May 17 are out of luck.
On Tuesday, officials announced that Sovereignty will not run in the Preakness, according to ESPN.com. This ends "any chance at a Triple Crown for a seventh consecutive year," the sports news site reported.
"We received a call today from trainer Bill Mott that Sovereignty will not be competing in the Preakness," said Mike Rogers, executive VP of 1/ST Racing, which operates the Preakness. "We extend our congratulations to the connections of Sovereignty and respect their decision."
The decision on whether Journalism will run in the Preakness is pending.
On Tuesday, May 6, Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners told Gambling.com their team will "make a decision around this weekend" whether Kentucky Derby runner-up Journalism will run in the Preakness.
During last Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, the first leg of the Triple Crown, Sovereignty overtook Derby favorite Journalism down the stretch to capture the Run for the Roses. The Preakness at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore is the second leg of the Triple Crown. At 1 3/16-miles, the Preakness is a shorter race than the 1 1/4-miles Kentucky Derby. The Preakness occurs only two weeks after the Kentucky Derby. Some in the horse racing industry contend the Triple Crown races aren’t spaced far enough apart.
If Sovereignty had run in the Preakness and won, he would have been in position to capture the Triple Crown with a victory at the Belmont Stakes in New York on June 7. With a win in all three, Sovereignty would have been just the 14th horse, and the first since Bob Baffert-trained Justify in 2018, to win the Triple Crown. Sovereignty's team has indicated he will run in the Belmont Stakes.
Other possible contenders in the 2025 Preakness Stakes include two 3-year-olds scratched from the Kentucky Derby—Rodriguez and Grande.
The Preakness draw is set for Monday, May 12.
Possible Preakness Contenders
Below is a tentative list of contenders that might run in the $2 million, Grade 1 Preakness, compiled from the Courier-Journal and other sources.
List: Horse, trainer, jockey
- Caldera, D. Wayne Lukas, Rafael Bejarano
- Clever Again, Steve Asmussen, Jose Ortiz.
- Gosger, Brendan Walsh, TBA.
- Grande, Todd Pletcher, John Velazquez
- Heart of Honor, Jamie Osborne, Saffie Osborne
- Instant Replay, Brad Cox, Flavien Prat
- Journalism, Michael McCarthy, Umberto Rispoli
- Pay Billy, Michael Gorham, Raul Mena
- River Thames, Todd Pletcher, Irad Ortiz Jr
- Rodriguez, Bob Baffert, Mike Smith
- Sandman, Mark Casse, TBD
2025 Preakness Schedule, TV Times
- TV: NBC, Peacock, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app
- Location: Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, Maryland
- Date: Saturday, May 17
- Post time: 6:50 p.m. ET (TV coverage from 2 p.m. ET)
Source: Fox Sports
2025 Triple Crown Schedule
The Kentucky Derby is the first leg of the Triple Crown.
- The Kentucky Derby: Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky, May 3
- The Preakness Stakes: Pimlico, Baltimore, Maryland, May 17
- The Belmont Stakes: Saratoga*, New York, June 7
*Note: This race is being held in Saratoga as work continues on a $550 million upgrade at Belmont Park in Elmont on Long Island, just east of New York City.
Get more information on Kentucky Derby betting from Gambling.com.
