River Thames, a dominant winner in his first two starts this winter at Gulfstream Park, steps up in Saturday’s 150th Preakness Stakes. Coglianese Photo/Ryan Thompson.
New York-bred River Thames takes his turn in the 2025 Triple Crown when he takes on eight others in the 150th running of the $2 million Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course.
Owned by WinStar Farm, CHC Inc., Pantofel Stable and Wachtel Stable and trained by Todd Pletcher, River Thames drew post six in the field of nine for the second jewel of the Triple Crown. Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride the son of Maclean’s Music, who is pegged as the 9-2 third choice behind 8-5 morning-line favorite and Kentucky Derby runner-up Journalism and 4-1 second choice and Arkansas Derby winner Sandman.
River Thames comes into the 1 3/16-mile Preakness with two wins in four starts and placings in the Grade 2 Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park and Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Race Course. The Fountain of Youth loss came by just a neck to eventual Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty.
River Thames earned sufficient points to land a spot in the starting gate for the May 3 Kentucky Derby but his connections opted to wait, giving the colt six weeks between starts.
“He has proven that he has held good company,” Pletcher said. “We’ve been able to give him a little space here, after his first three races were all pretty close together. So hopefully that little extra time from [the Blue Grass] to the Preakness and being fresh, gives him a chance to make a move forward.”
Pletcher breezed River Thames three times between the Blue Grass and Preakness, including a half-mile tightener in :48.25 last weekend on the Belmont Park training track.
“We are happy with his condition,” Pletcher said after the work. “He has bounced out of the Blue Grass well. He has been training consistently here. He has put on a few pounds, so we are happy with the way he is coming into it.”
Bred by CTR Stables LLC and foaled at Stonegate Stables in Fort Edward, River Thames sold to CHC, Siena Farm and WinStar’s Maverick Racing for $200,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. He’s the first foal out of the winning Discreet Cat mare Proportionality, a half-sister to stakes winner Miss Interpret from the family of Grade 1 winners Paulassilverlining and Dads Caps.
The Preakness, broadcast by NBC, goes as the 13th of 14 races Saturday with post time set for 7:01 p.m. ET.
• Waterville Lake Stable’s homebred Loon Cry, a finalist for champion New York-bred turf female honors in 2024, makes her first start since early November in Friday’s $100,000 The Very One Stakes sprinting on the turf. Trained by Christophe Clement and foaled at Stonewall Farm in Granite Springs, the 5-year-old daughter of More Than Ready won one of her two stakes on the Maryland circuit last year when she took the 6-furlong Sensible Lady at Laurel Park. She’s the 9-5 favorite on the morning line for jockey Flavien Prat, not including potential main track only runners if the race is moved off the grass. Post time for The Very One, which goes at 5 furlongs on the turf, is 4:38 p.m.
