Preakness finish, explained: Journalism roars down stretch, edges out Gosger after official inquiry replay

Gilbert McGregor

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Preakness finish, explained: Journalism roars down stretch, edges out Gosger after official inquiry replay image

The 150th Preakness Stakes was a race for the ages, and Journalism prevailed in the end.

With this year's event being a milestone, it was only right that the race came down to the final moments. The result was an instant classic that will be remembered for some time and looked back upon as one of the best races in 2025 — and one of the best in the Preakness' storied history.

Here's more behind the epic finish that saw Journalism's late push pay off.

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Preakness finish, explained

Journalism's win was the product of a "remarkable recovery" to overtake Gosger in the race's final stretch.

The wonderment with which the broadcast outlined the proceedings best describes what transpired, as Journalism nearly checked into the rail and was squeezed into a group of horses before splitting them and emerging to make a final push for the win.

Following the race, Journalism's jockey, Umberto Rispoli, said that going through the horses rather than around was the best strategy.

He acknowledged that when they emerged from the jam, "I knew we were going to make it in time," while all members of Team Journalism lauded the horse's physical traits and mental toughness.

This photo illustrates just how incredible Journalism's push to win was:

More angles of the race also put Journalism's win into perspective:

MORE: Full results, finish order & highlights from Pimlico race

What is an inquiry?

As defined in the Saratoga Glossary of Common Horse Racing Terms, an inquiry is "A review of a race, race to check into a possible infraction of the rules. Also, a sign flashed by officials on the tote board on such occasions. If lodged by a jockey, it is called an objection."

Because it is an inquiry in this case, it would suggest that officials triggered the inquiry into Journalism's emergence from the jam of horses. Because no infractions were found, Journalism was deemed the winner.

Preakness Stakes finish order

OrderHorseOdds
1JournalismEVEN
2Gosger15-1
3Sandman5-1
4Goal Oriented8-1
5Heart of Honor20-1
6River Thames9-1
7Pay Billy11-1
8American Promise9-1
9Clever Again5-1

Gilbert McGregor

Gilbert McGregor first joined The Sporting News in 2018 as a content producer for Global editions of NBA.com. Before covering the game, McGregor played basketball collegiately at Wake Forest, graduating with a Communication degree in 2016. McGregor began covering the NBA during the 2017-18 season and has been on hand for a number of league events.