Preakness Profile: River Thames
The Biz- May 17, 2025
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher aims to plug the only consequential gap in his resume by winning the Preakness Stakes with this runner, who just missed versus Derby winner Sovereignty in the Fountain of Youth.
6. RIVER THAMES (9-2)
Post Position: 6
Color/Sex: Bay colt
Age: 3
Sire–Dam–Damsire: Maclean’s Music – Proportionality – Discreet Cat
Owner: WinStar Farm et al.
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr.
Record: 4 starts: 2 wins, 1 place, 1 show
Earnings: $261,900
Typical Running Style: Stalk
Last Raced: April 8, 2025 – G1 Blue Grass – Third by ¾ lengths
Note: Bypassed the Derby to await the Preakness for a Hall of Fame trainer who has yet to win this race
Quote: “He’s run well in every start. The tough beat in the Fountain of Youth looks even stronger after Sovereignty’s performance in the Derby. He’s held his best form. He’s run well every time. We’re hoping maybe by bringing in a fresh horse, it will give us a little bit of an advantage.” – Todd Pletcher
River Thames (9-2) arrives at the Preakness fresh after skipping the Kentucky Derby, a strategic decision by Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who is still seeking his first win in this race. The bay colt has never run a bad one, finishing a close third in the Grade 1 Blue Grass after a near-miss in the Fountain of Youth, won by Kentucky Derby hero Sovereignty. With top jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard and a stalking style that suits Pimlico, River Thames is a serious contender looking to capitalize on fresher legs and consistent form.
BREEDING
River Thames is the first foal to race out of the winning Discreet Cat mare Proportionality, who earned $123,000 in a nondescript racing career. Proportionality was a sprinter who did not race beyond 6 ½ furlongs.
Maclean’s Music, who stands for $40,000 in Kentucky, raced only once in his career, winning a six-furlong maiden race at Santa Anita by over seven lengths while garnering a 114 Beyer Speed Figure.
A son of Distorted Humor, his offspring win at a 16% clip in dirt routes and are 5-for-22 (22%) in so-called marathons of 1 ¼ miles or farther. Maclean’s Music’s richest runner to date is the superb sprinter Jackie’s Warrior, who made nearly $3 million. He also is the sire of 2017 Preakness winner Cloud Computing, who narrowly defeated Classic Empire.
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