Fresh from winning the 151st Kentucky Derby at a mud-splattered Churchill Downs, the news came out that the winner Sovereignty WON’T take his chance in the Preakness Stakes – meaning US horse racing fans will not witness a Triple Crown winner in 2025.
However, the better news that filtered out of the Maryland track was that the lucrative $100,000 ‘Trainer Bonus’ will return for Preakness weekend 2025.
Derby Winner Sovereignty To Miss Preakness Stakes, With The Belmont Stakes The Next Target
This year’s Kentucky Derby-winning trainer William Mott announced on Tuesday – three days after the Run For The Roses – that his winner Sovereignty will bypass the Preakness Stakes on Saturday 17 May.
Therefore, this of course, also means there won’t be a Triple Crown winner, with the Preakness Stakes the second leg of the trio of famous US races – where only 13 horses have ever landed all three.
Instead, Mott has stated that Sovereignty, who had an epic tussle with Derby favorite Journalism up the Churchill Downs stretch, will be aimed at the Belmont Stakes – the last leg of the US Triple Crown series on June 7.
The last Kentucky Derby winners to also land the Belmont Stakes were 2018 and 2015 Triple Crown winners Justify and American Pharoah.
But the last horse to win only the Derby and Belmont – which Sovereignty will be trying to do – was the D. Wayne Lukas-trained Thunder Gluch in 1995.
This season’s Belmont Stakes will be run on Saturday June 7 at Saratoga with Belmont Park still being refurbished.
As a result of Sovereignty not running, the best US offshore sportsbooks make Derby runner-up Journalism the new 2025 Preakness Stakes favorite.
WATCH: Sovereignty Winning The 2025 Kentucky Derby
When is the Preakness Stakes 2025?
- 📅Date: Saturday May 17, 2025
- 🏇Racecourse: Pimlico
- 💰Purse/Winner: $2m / $1.2m (winner)
- 📺TV: NBC (Live Stream: You Tube, Peacock, fuboTV)
- 🎲Preakness Odds 2025: Journalism 5/2 | Rodriguez 5/1 | Sandman 8/1
Preakness Stakes Weekend Trainer Bonus To Continue In 2025
Despite the disappointment of Pimlico racetrack not getting to see this year’s Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty – the course was boosted by the news that their $100,000 bonus money will continue for a ninth straight year.
This Preakness Stakes weekend trainer bonus is on the table for any barn that run a minimum of five horses over the weekend – which runs from May 16 and 17.
Over the meeting there will be 16 stakes races, with eight graded and a total of $4.35m purse – which includes $1.2m to the winner of the 2025 Preakness Stakes.
It will be the barn with the most points over the two days that will share the Preakness Stakes trainer bonus – with the cash split as follows.
2025 Preakness Weekend Trainer Bonus Split
- 1st – $50,000
- 2nd – $25,000
- 3rd – $12,000
- 4th – $7,000
- 5th – $4,000
- 6th – $2,000.
How Are The Preakness Weekend Trainer Bonus Points Worked Out?
Points are won based on where each trainer’s horses finish over the weekend.
With a trainer having a minimum of five runners (starts) to qualify for the Preakness Weekend Trainer bonus.
- 1st – 10 points
- 2nd – 7 points
- 3rd – 5 points
- 4th – 3 points
- Any starter in one of the 15 Thoroughbred Stakes Races – 1 point
Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen has dominated the Preakness Weekend Trainer Bonus in recent times – winning four of the first seven years (2017, 2018, 2021 & 2022).
As a result, Asmussen is sure to be popular with the best crypto sports betting sites to come out as leading Preakness weekend trainer again.
But in 2024 Cherie DeVaux became the first female trainer to win the bonus – while before her it was Brad Cox in 2019, Mike Maker (2020) and Graham Motion (2023), who trains in Maryland, that have taken home the extra cash.
In addition, there will also be another $50,000 bonus on offer for trainers that rack-up the most points in the non-stakes races over Preakness weekend.
With trainers having a minimum of three starts to qualify – the Brittany Russell yard won this bonus in 2024.
- 1st – $25,000
- 2nd – $10,000
- 3rd – $7,500
- 4th – $4,000
- 5th – $2,500
- 6th – $1,000
Andy is an experienced betting and gambling journalist with over 20 years industry experience. He brings an excellent knowledge of the world of sports betting and industry gambling news but is mainly regarded as horse racing expert within the betting world.
