All you need to know, River Thames's past performances, jockey, trainer, Preakness Stakes odds and full analysis heading into the second leg of the Triple Crown.
For Todd Pletcher, the resume is a checklist of racing’s biggest prizes: Hall of Fame? ✅, Eclipse Awards? ✅, Kentucky Derby, Belmont, Breeders’ Cups galore? ✅✅✅. The only glaring gap? A Preakness Stakes win.
His best finish in the second jewel of the Triple Crown came 25 years ago, when Impeachment ran third. Now, he returns with River Thames, a lightly raced New York-bred trying to fill that final blank on Pletcher’s legendary list.
“I’d love to check that box,” Pletcher said. This will be his 11th starter in the race.
River Thames skipped the Kentucky Derby, despite qualifying on points, after a solid third-place finish in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1). That came after nearly stealing the Fountain of Youth (G2), where he was caught late by none other than Sovereignty, the eventual Derby winner.
In the Blue Grass, River Thames split horses late, coming up just short behind closer Burnham Square and pace-setter East Avenue—who both faded in the Derby. Not bad for just his fourth career start and his first try at 1 1/8 miles.
“He’s come a long way in a short time,” Pletcher said. “We were just a little unlucky not to get there. But it was a step forward.”
Bred in New York and purchased for $200,000 at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga, River Thames is aiming to become only the fourth NY-bred to win the Preakness—joining Funny Cide (2003), Margrave (1896), and Jacobus (1883).
He’s got the trainer, the jockey (Irad Ortiz Jr.), the pedigree, and the pace setup to make an impact. In just his fifth start, he’s still improving. A must-use in exotics and not a crazy win play.
Notes: River Thames breezed a sharp 4 furlongs in 48.25 seconds on May 10 at Belmont. His sire, MacLean’s Music, produced Cloud Computing, who won the Preakness as a first-crop runner. While some thought River Thames needed more time, he’s training forwardly and has the upside to peak at the right moment.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
