The 2025 Preakness Stakes is in Baltimore this weekend. The horses, bag policy, traffic and more.
The 150th running of the Preakness Stakes will take place this weekend at Baltimore's historic Pimlico Race Course.
This will be the final horse race at the track ahead of demolition and a major reconstruction project, which will impact Pimlico and the surrounding Park Heights neighborhood.
When is the Preakness Stakes?
The Preakness Stakes, the second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown, will be on Saturday, May 17. Post time is scheduled for approximately 6:50 p.m.
Preakness is always held two weeks after the Kentucky Derby. The final leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, is usually held three weeks after Preakness.
Who are the favorites in the Preakness Stakes?
Journalism, who finished second in the Kentucky Derby, is among the odds-on favorites to win the Preakness Stakes. The horse is trained by Michael McCarthy and ridden by jockey Umberto Rispoli.
Journalism was the Kentucky Derby favorite before Sovereignty took the win. Sovereignty will not run in the Preakness, his trainer announced.
Sandman and American Promise are the other Preakness Stakes horses who competed in the Kentucky Derby.
Sandman, ridden by jockey John Velazquez and trained by Mark Casse, placed seventh in the Kentucky Derby. The colt is named after the Metallica song "Enter Sandman," and social media influencer Griffin Johnson is part of the ownership group.
American Promise, trained by 89-year-old Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, finished 16th in the Kentucky Derby. The horse is the son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify.
What horses are in the 2025 Preakness Stakes?
Here's the entire nine-horse Preakness Stakes field:
- Gold Oriented (jockey Flavien Prat, trainer Bob Baffert), early 6:1 odds
- Journalism (jockey Umberto Rispoli, trainer Michael McCarthy), early 8:5 odds
- American Promise (jockey Nik Juarez, trainer D. Wayne Lukas), early 15:1 odds
- Heart of Honor (jockey Saffie Osborne, trainer Jamie Osborne), early 12:1 odds
- Pay Billy (jockey Raul Mena, trainer Michael Gorham), early 20:1 odds
- River Thames (jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., trainer Todd Fletcher), early 9:2 odds
- Sandman (jockey John Velazquez, trainer Mark Casse), early 4:1 odds
- Clever Again (jockey Jose Ortiz, trainer Steve Asmussen), early 5:1 odds
- Gosger (jockey Luis Saez, trainer Brendan Walsh), early 20:1 odds
You can learn more about each horse in this guide to the Preakness lineup.
Preakness bag policy at Pimlico
For those attending the Preakness Stakes, leave those large backpacks and purses outside the venue. Only bags 18 inches by 18 inches and smaller are allowed on the grounds - and expect them to be searched.
Signs are not allowed, and political attire is also banned.
Some other umbrellas, drones, selfie sticks and any outside food or beverage. You can bring in an empty, clear disposable water bottle as long as it's not made of glass.
Who won the 2024 Preakness Stakes?
Last year, trainer D. Wayne Lukas claimed his seventh Preakness Stakes with Seize the Grey winning at Pimlico. The gray colt had 15:1 odds before the 2024 Preakness Stakes, edging race favorite Mystik Dan.
Preakness Stakes history in Baltimore
Pimlico Race Course opened on October 25, 1870, making it the second oldest racetrack in the United States, . The first Preakness Stakes was run in 1873.
Horses run around the dirt track over a distance of 1 3/16 miles (or 9.5 furlongs and 1.9 kilometers).
Pimlico Race Course has been the middle victory for 13 Triple Crown winners, including Secretariat, Seattle Slew, American Pharoah, and most recently, Justify, in 2018.
Secretariat, in 1973, owns the Pimlico course record.
Trainer Bob Baffert, who has Gold Oriented in this weekend's Preakness Stakes, has a trainer record with eight wins. D. Wayne Lukas will be looking for his eighth win at Pimlico, training American Promise.
Pimlico Race Course to undergo renovations
Saturday's horse races will be the last at Pimlico before the area undergoes a massive transformation.
The Maryland Board of Public Works approved the Maryland Stadium Authority's plan to demolish Pimlico and begin reconstruction.
The MSA unveiled the concept design for the new Pimlico Race Course, which will create a "strong and consistent identity." The new clubhouse will be inspired by Baltimore landmarks, like the Rawlings Conservatory in Druid Hill Park and the original Pimlico clubhouse.
The renovation will make Pimlico the permanent home of Maryland thoroughbred racing and will allow the facility to host more than 100 racing days each year. It currently hosts about 15 yearly.
Aside from making Pimlico a world-class race track, there will be a hotel, event space, and other amenities.
"This work is bigger than a racetrack, as historic and important as it is," said MSA Chair Craig Thompson. "This is about bringing hundreds of millions of dollars in state investment to Park Heights."
The Preakness Stakes will move to Laurel Race Course in 2026 before returning to Pimlico in 2027.
What races make up the Triple Crown?
With Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty forgoing the Preakness Stakes, there will not be a Triple Crown winner this year.
The Triple Crown of thoroughbred racing includes the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.
There have been 13 Triple Crown winners, who won all three races within the same year. The most recent Triple Crown winners were Justify in 2018 and American Pharoah in 2015.
Before that, Affirmed won the Triple Crown in 1978, and Seattle Slew won in 1977.
Traffic changes for Preakness Stakes
The Baltimore City Department of Transportation (BCDOT) announced road closures and traffic modifications for Saturday, May 17.
The traffic changes include (according to the BCDOT):
Thursday, May 15, starting at 6 p.m. until Sunday, May 18, at 1 a.m.
- Rogers Avenue – Closed from Winner Avenue to W. Northern Parkway
- Bland Avenue – Closed from W. Northern Parkway to Rogers Avenue
- Key Avenue – Closed from W. Northern Parkway to Rogers Avenue
- Woodcrest Avenue – Closed from W. Northern Parkway to Rogers Avenue
- Merville Avenue – Closed from W. Northern Parkway to Rogers Avenue
- Stuart Avenue – Closed from W. Northern Parkway to Rogers Avenue
Friday, May 16, from 5 a.m. until 8 p.m., and Saturday, May 17, from 5 a.m. until Sunday, May 18, at 1 a.m.
- Rogers Avenue – One-way traffic westbound from Winner Avenue to Park Heights Avenue
- Winner Avenue – One-way traffic northbound from Hayward Avenue to W. Northern Parkway
Saturday, May 17, from 5 a.m. until 5 p.m.
- Westbound Northern Parkway – Right Lane closure from Falls Road to W. Rogers Avenue
- Westbound Northern Parkway – Right Lane closure from Greenspring Avenue to Pimlico Road
- Westbound Northern Parkway – Left Lane closure from Preakness Way to Pimlico Road
- Eastbound Northern Parkway – Left Lane closure from Park Heights Avenue to Greenspring Avenue
- Northbound Park Heights Avenue -- Left Lane closure at Hayward Avenue
- Southbound Park Heights Avenue – Left turn lane closure at Rogers Avenue
Saturday, May 17, from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m.
- Southbound Jones Falls Expressway exit ramp to eastbound W. Northern Parkway will be closed. Motorists will be redirected to the Cold Spring Lane exits.
- Cylburn Avenue – Closed from W. Northern Parkway to Greenspring Avenue
Saturday, May 17, from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m.
- Hayward Avenue – One-way traffic eastbound from Park Heights Avenue to Winner Avenue
Saturday, May 17, from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m.
- The north & southbound Jones Falls Expressway exit ramps to westbound Northern Parkway will be closed. Motorists will be redirected to the Cold Spring Lane exits.
Saturday, May 17, from 5 p.m. until Sunday, May 18, at 1 a.m.
- Pimlico Road – Closed from W. Northern Parkway to Ken Oak Avenue
- Hayward Avenue – One-way traffic westbound from Winner Avenue to Park Heights Avenue
- Rogers Avenue – Closed from Pimlico Road to Greenspring Avenue
Storms possible during Preakness weekend
A line of strong storms could sweep through Maryland on Friday and Saturday, during the Preakness Stakes, according to WJZ's First Alert Weather Team.
A risk of severe thunderstorms has prompted an Alert Day on Friday, with a round of morning storms possible. The chance of morning storms will peak between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.
A few storms may become severe, and the strongest storms could produce damaging wind gusts and large hail.
The weather is expected to dry out by Saturday afternoon as races get underway at Pimlico, though isolated storms are possible in Baltimore. Plan for warm, muggy conditions with afternoon temperatures in the mid-80s.
