Saturday's Preakness Stakes, second jewel of the Triple Crown, drew only three of the 19 Kentucky Derby starters, but the race nonetheless has plenty of interesting facets.

Sovereignty won’t attempt to reign over the Triple Crown. In what is a sign of the times and a new, modern approach to horse racing, the 2025 Kentucky Derby winner is skipping the Preakness Stakes, instead focusing on the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga next month.

Sovereignty, ridden by Junior Alvarado, left, crosses the finish line to win the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby horse race followed by Journalism, ridden by Umberto Rispoli, at Churchill Downs Saturday, May 3, 2025, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) AP