American Promise To Run In 2025 Preakness Stakes
Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas confirmed on Monday that American Promise will run in the Preakness Stakes on May 17.
Lukas believes American Promises’ 16th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby was mainly due to a bad trip and believes a rebound performance could be on tap at Pimlico.
“He got wiped out at the gate by the one-hole coming over.” said Lucas. “Actually, three of us took a beating on that. Then he made up good ground, and when he was ready to make a move, they shut him down again.”
The 89-year-old trainer will be seeking his record-tying eighth trip to the winner’s circle in the "The Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown". Lukas is tied with R. Wyndham Walden (7) for second most all-time, one behind Bob Baffert’s record of eight. His 48 starts (7-1-5) are the most in Preakness history.
Will bettors witness the son of Justify who set the course record winning the Virginia Derby (G3) by 7 ¾ lengths in March, or the inconsistent colt who only has two victories in 10 career starts?
Let’s take a deeper look!
American Promise
POST NUMBER: TBD
JOCKEY: Nik Juarez / TRAINER: D. Wayne Lukas
RECORD: 10 starts: 2-1-1
TOP EQUIBASE SPEED FIGURE: 104
RUNNING STYLE: Stalker (prefers to press the pace)
CAREER EARNINGS: $444,874
American Promise Breeding
Sire: 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, who was a perfect 6-for-6 in his racing career, suggests a colt in American Promise who should have no issue showcasing the tactical speed that typically wins the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Dam: Tapella, a daughter of Tapit, displayed solid stamina in a racing career that compiled five in-the-money finishes in eight career races. Meanwhile, Tapit has sired Belmont Stakes winners Tonalist (2014), Creator (2016), Tapwrit (2017), Essential Quality (2021), and 2022 Horse of the Year, Flightline.
American Promise Jockey / Owner Derby Achievements
Jockey Nik Juarez, who guided Actress to her Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) victory in 2017, will be making his Preakness debut aboard American Promise.
Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas is 7-for-48 lifetime in the Preakness Stakes: Winning with Codex (1980), Tank’s Prospect (1985), Tabasco Cat (1994), Timber Country (1995), Charismatic (1999), Oxbow (2013), and Seize the Grey (2024).
American Promise dominates the Virginia Derby! 🌹🏇🏽 pic.twitter.com/P7l4bLvQXs
— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) March 15, 2025
American Promise Race History
American Promise has a career record of two wins, two runner-ups, and one third-place finish in 10 career starts.
After racing at Saratoga and Churchill Downs, the son of Justify finally broke his maiden in his sixth career start at Oaklawn Park in December, beating Derby rival Publisher by 1 and ½ lengths.
Lukas’ Derby entrant was unable to sustain the momentum of his first career win with consecutive disappointing finishes in the Southwest Stakes (finished 7th) and the Risen Star Stakes (5th).
In March, American Promise posted an eye-popping 7 ¾ lengths victory in the Virginia Derby (G3) that set the Colonial Downs track record of 1:46.41 at 1 ⅛ miles.
After being bumped badly by Citizen Bull at the start of the Kentucky Derby, American Promise was never able to recover, beating only Admore Daytona, Flying Mohawk and Render Judgment to the finish line, earning a career-low 52 Equibase Speed figure.
Kentucky bluegrass just hits different 🌱
— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) April 28, 2025
feat. American Promise pic.twitter.com/O2JNmrz6H8
American Promise Preakness Outlook
Lukas decided to skip the Lexington Stakes, opting instead for track tracking, and many are now questioning the move by the Hall of Fame trainer after American Promise’s disappointing Derby performance. Keep an eye on his morning workouts over the next several weeks leading up to the big race. In the Preakness Future Pool, which ended just prior to the start of the Kentucky Derby, American Promise closed at longshot odds of 15-1.
More Preakness Stakes News
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Baeza & Sandman To Skip Preakness, Will Race in Belmont Stakes
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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-1be8bb0e9ea1ab9f8bfbf612aa95e4bb.jpeg "Frank Taddeo")
Frank Taddeo is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Besides contributing NFL fantasy analysis with a Vegas slant, Frank Taddeo primarily performs as On SI’s Senior Fantasy Analyst, providing his significant experience and resources in the sports world.