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The field for the 150th running of the Preakness Stakes on Saturday is top-heavy.
Journalism is going to go off as a decisive favorite in the second leg of the Triple Crown, which takes some of the fun out of the handicapping.
The good news is that the Black-Eyed Susan, the Preakness’ answer to the Kentucky Oaks, projects to be wide open thanks to a couple of vulnerable favorites at the top of the board.
Overall, this isn’t the most spellbinding field, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be a lot of fun to bet on.
2025 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes odds
| Post | Horse | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liam in the Dust | 6-1 |
| 2 | Princess Aliyah | 15-1 |
| 3 | Margie’s Intention | 3-1 |
| 4 | Runnin N Gunnin | 5-2 |
| 5 | Kinzie Queen | 10-1 |
| 6 | Paris Lilly | 8-1 |
| 7 | Reply | 8-1 |
| 8 | Amarth | 4-1 |
| 9 | Moon Cache | 20-1 |
No. 4 Runnin N Gunnin was installed as a 5-2 favorite on the morning line, but there are plenty of holes you can poke in this horse at this price.
Her last time out, Runnin N Gunnin was soundly beaten by two Kentucky Derby horses, Quietside and Simply Joking, in the Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn.
Finishing third in that race isn’t a knock in a vacuum, but it becomes concerning when you see how far back she finished. Runnin N Gunnin won her only other two starts in 2025, but those came at smaller tracks.
If the favorite is vulnerable, that means that the contenders behind her will be as well. No. 3 Margie’s Intention is the second choice at 3-1, but like Runnin N Gunnin has a lot of things going against her at this kind of price.
Most notably, Margie’s Intention has only raced in Louisiana, against Louisiana-bred horses in her five career starts.
With the two favorites looking very gettable, we’ll take a shot on a couple of long shots and try to add some serious upside to our ticket on Friday.
2025 Black-Eyed Susan best bets
Top Pick: No. 6 Paris Lilly (8-1)
The most important thing to remember about handicapping this race is that there doesn’t seem to be a standout horse. It’s easy to make arguments against the two favorites, which means you could start your ticket in this range with a contender like Paris Lilly.
This will represent a significant step up in competition for Paris Lilly, but the field isn’t unconquerable, and she is improving at the right time.
Another step forward, and she will be a contender on Friday.
Price to monitor: No. 7 Reply (8-1)
This is a tricky one, because there’s a chance you’ll see this price plummet on Friday.
Owned by Mike Repole and trained by Brittany Russell, there is little doubt that Reply will end up being one of the trendiest bets on Friday, and could go off as one of the top choices.
Should the price hold close to this number, I’ll be throwing Reply in with Paris Lilly and my favorite long shot.
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Long shot to use: No. 9 Moon Cache(20-1)
The biggest long shot on the board, Moon Cache has every chance of adding some juice to your exotics in this field.
She finished third behind Complexity Jane and Reply in the Weber City Miss Stakes, so another bit of improvement could see her close the gap on Reply, who will be a very popular pick to win on Friday.
In this field, it makes a lot of sense to have some exposure to this horse at this price.