Lexington Stakes: Bullard can stretch out successfully at Keeneland
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The road to the Kentucky Derby draws to its official conclusion on Saturday, April 12 with the Lexington Stakes. The 1 1/16-mile dirt race has a purse of $400,000, and offers 20 Road to the Kentucky Derby points to the winner, drew a field of nine to compete.
Though it is virtually certain that none of the runners will run in the Kentucky Derby due to not having enough points from other preps, it should offer an exciting preview of new faces to contend in the Preakness, Belmont, or other major three-year-old dirt races over the next several months.
The morning-line favorite, Praetor, comes off of a tour-de-force allowance victory at Gulfstream Park, and stretches out to two turns for the first time in the Lexington. He has shown significant talent, but so have other foes including Grade 3 winner Bullard, impressive maiden winner Gosger, and the speedy Rolando.
If you enjoy betting horse races, there is no better meet than Keeneland, and the Lexington is one of the most exciting races of that classy spring meet! Keep reading to find out the best horses to bet in the 2025 Lexington, and the top online racebooks for betting the race online.
Betting the 2025 Lexington Stakes Online
The first step toward a profitable experience betting the Lexington Stakes happens before you even look at the list of the horses. In fact, it is signing up for the best place to bet horse racing online. There are many options for online racebooks, but choosing the right one now will not only help you maximize profits on this race, but as you play for months and years to come.
We are here to help make that decision easy. Our expert racebook reviews showcase only sites with market-leading odds, trusted deposits, and great user interfaces – the basics for a great betting experience. Each site also offers great horse racing bonuses like deposit bonuses, sign-up bonuses, and even rebates that pay you in cash or betting credit for every bet you make.
These bonuses can build your bankroll by hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Let us help you find the sites with the best incentives for the way you like to play, and then get ready to build your bankroll faster than ever!
The Best Online Racebooks
These are the best online sportsbooks for betting the 2025 Lexington Stakes:
| Rank | Racebook | Bonus | Review | Link to site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 |  | $250 Free Bet on Props + Head-to-Heads | VISIT RACEBOOK! | |
| #2 |  | 100% Sign Up Bonus - Up to $500 | VISIT RACEBOOK! | |
| #3 |  | 50% up to $1,000 + $25 Risk Free Bet + 7% Rebates | VISIT RACEBOOK! | |
| #4 |  | 50% sign-up bonus up to $1000 + 8% rebate | VISIT RACEBOOK! | |
| #5 |  | Up to 13% Weekly Loyalty Rewards | VISIT RACEBOOK! | |
| #6 |  | 50% sign-up bonus up to $250 | VISIT RACEBOOK! | |
| #7 |  | $100 Free Bet on Props + Head-to-Heads! | VISIT RACEBOOK! |
Lexington Stakes Handicapping
Now that you’re ready to bet horse racing online at the site that is best for your betting style, it is time to meet the top contenders for the 2025 Lexington Stakes!
2025 Lexington Stakes Horses
This is the field for the 2025 Lexington Stakes in post position order along with their jockeys, trainers, and morning-line odds.
- Hard as Life (Michelle Nihei / Sophie Doyle) - 30/1
- Bracket Buster (Victoria Oliver / Manuel Franco) - 20/1
- Bullard (Michael McCarthy / Umberto Rispoli) - 9/2
- Rolando (Fausto Gutierrez / John Velazquez) - 6/1
- Native Runner (Kenny McPeek / Jose Ortiz) - 15/1
- Gosger (Brendan Walsh / Irad Ortiz, Jr.) - 7/2
- Praetor (Chad Brown / Flavien Prat) - 2/1
- Hypnus (Kenny McPeek / Luis Saez) - 6/1
- Touchy (Wesley Ward / Joel Rosario) - 8/1
Keep in mind that the morning-line odds from the track can be a good index as to which horses are expected to take betting action, but they are no guarantee of a price if you play the races at the track.
Your best bet is to bet on horse racing at an online racebook. Not only do online racebooks give you the convenience of betting on the races anywhere from your computer, smartphone, or tablet, but they also offer fixed-odds wagering on major horse races. That way, you can bet the race and know exactly what you’ll be paid when your horse wins, instead of waiting for odds to settle at the start of the race. Also, you get bonuses online that the track never offers!
These are the odds at the top of the Lexington Stakes market:
Lexington Stakes Top Contenders
Bullard comes from the barn of Michael McCarthy, who also trains putative Kentucky Derby favorite Journalism. Bullard is the only graded-stakes winner in this field, something he achieved going seven furlongs at Del Mar last year. Though he tries two turns for the first time here, the Gun Runner on top should help him get there, and if he can sit a little closer to the pace on the stretch-out he can make a winning run late.
Gosger tries two turns for the first time in this spot, and that’s exactly where he should belong. He ran well in a six-furlong debut, rallying for second, and then battled on the pace and ran on to win his second start, going a mile on the main course at Gulfstream. Being a Nyquist half to class turf router Harvey’s Lil Goil he should thrive at two turns, and gets a nice jockey upgrade to Irad Ortiz, Jr. as well.
Praetor is the morning-line favorite, and will take action thanks to trainer Chad Brown and big-race rider Flavien Prat. He does need to take the next step up from a speed perspective, but he is still lightly-enough raced to improve. He can win from a pacesetting or stalking place, and his pedigree makes him interesting on the step up to a two-turn trip.
Lexington Stakes Exotics Horses
Native Runner appeals for exotics at a big price. The second-stringer from the Kenny McPeek barn, he needed to drop in for a tag to graduate, but won right back against winners. He broke his maiden closing from well off the pace, while he won last out in a stalking spot. He has serious class questions to answer and will need to not regress from a career best, but the price should be long enough to bet he holds form and invades the exotics.
Touchy was well beaten in his only two-turn try so far, but that came at Sunland, which is a quirky surface that some horses just don’t take to. Wesley Ward makes a habit of coming sharp to Keeneland, and this Nyquist son’s best effort to date was his maiden win over this very dirt surface. If that version of Touchy showed up at Keeneland this time, too, he can get a piece.
2025 Lexington Stakes Free Picks
You have your betting account ready, and you’ve met the leading contenders for the 2025 Lexington Stakes. Now, it’s just time to place your wagers online!
These are the best bets for Saturday’s 2025 Lexington Stakes:
- $20 to win - #3 Bullard
- $1 exacta key - #3 Bullard with #6 Gosger, #7 Praetor
- $0.50 trifecta key - #3 Bullard with #5 Native Runner, #6 Gosger, #7 Praetor
- $0.20 superfecta key - #3 Bullard with #5 Native Runner, #6 Gosger, #7 Praetor, #9 Touchy
Lexington Stakes Post Time
Post time for the 2025 Lexington Stakes is scheduled for 5:16 p.m. Eastern Daylight time, on Saturday, April 12.
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