The handlers of Sovereignty took the air out of Saturday’s Preakness Stakes shortly after the Kentucky Derby by announcing the winner of the Run for the Roses would not pursue the Triple Crown in Baltimore.

That leaves the Preakness Stakes celebrating its prestige and history – Saturday’s race with be the 150th Run for the Black-Eyed Susans – and in a familiar position.

Since Justify captured the Preakness Stakes in 2018 on the way to becoming U.S. thoroughbred racing’s 13th Triple Crown winner, three of the next six Kentucky Derby winners didn’t run at Pimlico Race Course. The past two did, though, with Mage showing third in 2023 and Mystik Dan finishing second by 2.25 lengths to Seize the Grey in 2024.

Without Sovereignty in the field, the Kentucky Derby betting favorite reassumed that position for the Preakness Stakes. At 3-1, Journalism finished second at the Kentucky Derby by 1.5 lengths.

The morning-line odds for the Preakness Stakes had Journalism at even shorter odds at 8-5. So far, bettors like Journalism even better, with the colt at 6-5 to win in live wagering on Friday night.

The morning-line odds had five colts at 10-1 or better. Friday night’s live betting had six, including a trio of entrants with four or fewer career races – River Thames, Clever Again and Goal Oriented – that have never finished out of the money. Goal Oriented has raced only twice, won both and is trained by eight-time Preakness Stakes winner Bob Baffert.

Not included in those odds is Gosger, who has two wins and a second in three career races.

The nine-horse field includes two other Kentucky Derby runners – seventh-place finisher Sandman and 16th-place finisher American Promise.

Post time for the 150th Preakness Stakes is 6:01 p.m. CDT Saturday.

This will be the last Preakness Stakes at this version of Old Hilltop. Next year’s Preakness Stakes will be contested about 25 miles away at Laurel Park while the dilapidated facilities at Pimlico Race Course are replaced.

NBC’s televised coverage will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday.

The field for the Preakness Stakes, with post position, morning-line odds and live-betting odds (as of Friday night), includes:

Post Position 1: Goal Oriented 6-1 / 7-1

The colt raced for the first time on April 6 and ran away in the stretch to win a maiden special weight outing by 3.25 lengths at Santa Anita. Goal Oriented’s only other race came at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby Day card, and he won that one wire-to-wire. Trainer: Bob Baffert, who saddled Preakness Stakes winners Silver Charm in 1997, Real Quiet in 1998, Point Given in 2001, War Emblem in 2002, Lookin at Lucky in 2010, American Pharoah in 2015, Justify in 2018 and National Treasure in 2023. Jockey: Flavien Pratt, who rode Preakness Stakes winner Rombauer in 2021. Record: 2-2-0-0. Earnings: $111,960. Pedigree: Bizzy Caroline by Not This Time.

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Post Position 2: Journalism 8-5 / 6-5

The betting favorite at the Kentucky Derby, Journalism came home second by 1.5 lengths to Sovereignty in the Run for the Roses. The California colt had arrived at Churchill Downs on a four-race winning streak, including two this year – the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 1 and Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 5. Trainer: Michael W. McCarthy, who saddled Preakness Stakes winner Rombauer in 2021. Jockey: Umberto Rispoli. Record: 6-4-1-1. Earnings: $1,638,880. Pedigree: Mopotism by Curlin, the winner of the 2007 Preakness Stakes.

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Post Position 3: American Promise 15-1 / 9-1

A 21-1 long shot at the Kentucky Derby, American Promise was never a factor in the Run for the Roses with a 16th-place finish on May 3. The son of Triple Crown winner Justify took six races as a 2-year-old to break his maiden. As a 3-year-old, American Promise ran seventh at the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes and fifth at the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes before getting his second win at the Virginia Derby on March 15. Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas, who saddled Preakness Stakes winners Codex in 1980, Tank’s Prospect in 1985, Tabasco Cat in 1994, Timber Country in 1995, Charismatic in 1999, Oxbow in 2013 and Seize the Grey in 20024. Jockey: Nik Juarez. Record: 9-2-1-1. Earnings: $444,874. Pedigree: Tapella by Justify, the winner of the 2018 Preakness Stakes.

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Post Position 4: Heart of Honor 12-1 / 22-1

The British-bred colt will be making his United States debut in the Preakness Stakes. Heart of Honor’s past five races have come in Dubai, and he arrives at Pimlico off three straight runner-up finishes – by 1.5 lengths in the UAE 2,000 Guineas, a head in the Al Bastakiya and by a nose in the UAE Derby. In the latter race, Heart of Honor finished second to Admire Daytona, which finished 19th in the Kentucky Derby. Trainer: Jamie Osborne. Jockey: Saffie Osborne. Record: 6-2-4-0. Earnings: $340,919. Pedigree: Ruby Love by Honor A.P.

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Post Position 5: Pay Billy 20-1 / 11-1

The colt needed four races to post his first victory as a 2-year-old but has three victories and a second-place finish by a nose as a 3-year-old heading into his first graded-stakes race. In his past two races, Pay Billy has pulled away to a 3.5-length victory in the Private Terms Stakes on March 22 and a 1.5-length victory in the Federico Tesio Stakes on April 19 at Laurel Park. Trainer: Michael Gorham. Jockey: Raul Mena. Record: 8-4-1-1. Earnings: $234,475. Pedigree: Harlington’s Rose by Improbable.

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Post Position 6: River Thames 9-2 / 10-1

Unraced as a 2-year-old, the colt won his first two times out at Gulfstream Park before advancing to graded-stakes competition. River Thames lost by a neck to Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes on March 1. At the Grade 1 Bluegrass Stakes on April 8, River Thames placed third, three-quarters of a length behind East Avenue, which lost to Burnham Square by a nose. Trainer: Todd Pletcher. Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr. Record: 4-2-1-1. Earnings: $261,900. Pedigree: Proportionality by Maclean’s Music.

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Post Position 7: Sandman 4-1 / 5-1

The colt entered the Kentucky Derby as the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby winner on March 29 and went off in the Run for the Roses with the second-shortest odds. But even though Sandman ran past six horses in the stretch, that netted only a seventh-place finish on May 3. At the Arkansas Derby, Sandman opened up to a 2.5-length victory after a second-place showing at the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes on Jan. 25 and a third-place run at the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes on Feb. 23. Trainer: Mark E. Casse, who saddled Preakness Stakes winner War of Will in 2019. Jockey: John Velazquez, who rode Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure in 2023. Record: 9-3-1-2. Earnings: $1,254,595. Pedigree: Distorted Music by Tapit.

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Post Position 8: Clever Again 5-1 / 5-1

The lightly raced son of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah lost by a head at Keeneland in his only race as a 2-year-old. As a 3-year-old, Clever Again has two wire-to-wire wins at Oaklawn Park, most recently taking the Hot Springs Stakes on March 30 by 4 lengths. Trainer: Steve Asmussen, who saddled Preakness Stakes winners Curlin in 2007 and Rachel Alexandra in 2009. Jockey: Jose Ortiz, who rode Preakness Stakes winner Early Voting in 2022. Record: 3-2-1-0. Earnings: $198,400. Pedigree: Flattering by American Pharoah, the winner of the 2015 Preakness Stakes.

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Post Position 9: Gosger 20-1 / 19-1

A second-place run in the colt’s only 2-year-old outing was followed by a victory by 1.5 lengths over the favorite at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 15. Stepping up in competition, Gosger won the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes the last time out on April 12, beating two horses with shorter odds with a burst to the wire. Trainer: Brendan Walsh. Jockey: Luis Saez. Record: 3-2-1-0. Earnings: $292,200. Pedigree: Gloria by Nyquist.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.