Preakness 150 Betting Blueprint – Wegs Benedict’s Data-Driven Picks & Late Pick-5 Ticket

Brandon Weger
May 17
4 min read

Wegs Benedict’s 2025 “Run for the Black-Eyed Susans” Master Plan

The ground at Old Hilltop is trembling before a single hoof has struck it. In the infield, Black-Eyed Susans sway like a thousand silent bettors, waiting for the roar. By sundown, nine colts will rip through 1 3⁄16 miles of dirt in the 150th Preakness Stakes—and every ticket you hold will feel like a live wire in your palm. Stick with me, Crew: we’re about to turn raw adrenaline into calculated chaos and paint that weather vane our colors one last time.

Bet Big. Stay Wild. – but do it with data-driven swagger. Below is the full late-card attack map for Saturday’s 150th Preakness Stakes program (Races 9-13, first post 10:30 a.m. ET). I fuse my own edge metrics with notes with our guy Stewie Potatoes’ “Spud-Shot” Board to give your slip recipes at every bankroll tier. Stick around to the end: that’s where the Wildcard Crew Parlay Lab drops the budget-savvy bomb you’ll want to punch before they break from the gate.

Quick-Fire Oddsboard (Edge Meter 🔥)

Post	Horse	Trainer / Jockey	ML Odds	Edge Meter*
2	Journalism	M. McCarthy / Umberto Rispoli	8-5	⭐⭐⭐⭐½
7	Sandman	M. Casse / John Velazquez	4-1	⭐⭐⭐
6	River Thames	T. Pletcher / Irad Ortiz Jr.	9-2	⭐⭐⭐
8	Clever Again	S. Asmussen / Jose Ortiz	5-1	⭐⭐½
1	Goal Oriented	B. Baffert / Flavien Prat	6-1	⭐⭐
Others	Heart of Honor (12-1), American Promise (15-1), Gosger (20-1), Pay Billy (20-1)

*Edge Meter = Wegs’ blended model of pace setup, pedigree, form cycle & value. Journalism tops the board after a monster Derby runner-up and projects to sit the dream pocket trip. (New York Post)

Race-by-Race Slip Station (Late Pick-5 Sequence)

Race 9 – Jim McKay Turf Sprint (5f, Turf)

Straight Win: #2 No Nay Hudson (Ward/Alvarado) – loves the cut-back setup.
Exacta Box (Aggro): 2-4-5 (Det. Kingdom & Boat’s a Rockin).
Trifecta Slicer (Value): 2 / 4,5 / 4,5,6,9.

Why? Ward’s colt owns the best early cadence; rail draw (PP 2) plus firm going screams gate-to-wire.

Race 10 – Sir Barton Stakes (1 1/16 m, Dirt)

Win/Place Anchor: #6 Invictus (Cox/Prat) – 97 Brisnet fig last out, classy allowance win.
Exacta Saver: 6 with #1 Crudo (Pletcher/Velazquez).
Daily Double Gateway into Race 11: 6 → 5,7.

Race 11 – James W. Murphy (1 m, Turf)

Key: #7 Reagan’s Wit – tactical speed plus inside switching lane; projects low-pressure pace.
Exacta Box: 5-7 (Soleil Volant) – motion-motion angle hits at 28 % on Pimlico lawn.
Tri Splash: 7 / 5,3 / ALL for a bullets-spray overlay.

Race 12 – Dinner Party (G3, 1 1/8 m, Turf)

Win Shot: #6 Balnikhov (IRE) – defending champ, D’Amato bombs in on 29-day freshening.
Price Pop: #9 Irish Aces – explosive late split times; 10-1 ML.
Superflex (4 × 5): 4,6 / 4,6,9,10 / 4,6,9,10,13 / 1,4,5,6,9,10,13.

Race 13 – Preakness Stakes (G1, 1 3/16 m, Dirt)

Wegs Win Ticket: #2 Journalism – plays cat-and-mouse behind Goal Oriented, pounces by the eighth pole.
Exacta Hedge: 2 / 7,6,8.
$1 Tri Key: 2 / 7,6,8 / 1,3,4,6,7,8.
$0.10 Super for Glory: 2 / 7,6,8 / 7,6,8,1,4 / ALL (cost $12.60).

Sneaky Board Bomber: #1 Goal Oriented (Baffert) projects to cling for a slice at juicy 6-1.

Wildcard Crew Parlay Lab – The Late Pick-5 Blueprint

Ticket	Structure	Cost (.50 base)	Bankroll Tier
Slim Edge (Saver)	2,4,5 / 6 / 7 / 4,6 / 2	$12	Lunch-money shot
Balanced Crew	2,4,5 / 1,6 / 5,7 / 4,6,9,10 / 2,8	$64	Standard
Wildcard FOMO	2,4,5,6,9 / 1,6 / 5,7 / 4,6,9,10,13 / 1,2,6,7,8	$250	“All-Gas” whale

Exit Ramp: If scratches wreck leg 1, pivot to a Race 10-14 Pick-4 using the same grid – or press the Saver ticket twice to keep leverage.

Narrative Edges & Pace Map

No Derby Winner = Wider Spread: With Sovereignty skipping, the Preakness pace loses one potential speed element. Expect Goal Oriented to lead but feel pressure from Clever Again; Journalism stalks. (New York Post)
Rest & Recovery: River Thames owns the longest rest (six weeks) and figures to finish strongest of the “new shooters.” (Yahoo Sports)
Baffert vs. Lukas Storyline: If Goal Oriented scores, Baffert notches a record ninth Preakness; Lukas fires his own shot with 15-1 American Promise at age 89 – never count The Coach out. (ESPN.com, Paulick Report)
Track Bias Watch: Forecast shows mid-80s and possible pop-up storms; moisture could tilt the main track toward inside speed late. Keep an eye on earlier dirt splits before finalizing multis.

Final Whistle & Responsible Edge

The Black-Eyed Susans will flow, the infield will rock, and the Wildcard Crew will sweat every furlong. Whether you punch the Slim Edge or spray the Wildcard FOMO, stick to units, honor your stop-loss, and cash tickets—not ego. If betting ever stops being fun, call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit responsibleplay.org.

Now go paint that Weather Vane, Crew—see you in the winner’s circle.

Wegs out.