National Treasure Wins 2023 Preakness Stakes, Mage 3rd to End Triple Crown Bid
Bob Baffert-trained National Treasure won the 148th running of the Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, capturing the second jewel in the Triple Crown after having not competed in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs earlier this month.
Saturday's race marked jockey John R. Velazquez's first victory in the Preakness Stakes.
Velazquez, a two-time winner of the Eclipse Award as outstanding jockey, had previously won five Triple Crown races, including three victories in the Kentucky Derby (2011, 2017, 2020) and two in the Belmont Stakes (2007, 2012).
The Gustavo Delgado-trained Mage, who finished third, entered the Preakness Stakes with 7-5 odds to capture the title, attempting to write his name in the history books as the first horse since Justify in 2018 to win both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
Justify, trained by Baffert, also won the 2018 Belmont Stakes to become just the 13th horse to claim the Triple Crown.
Order of Finish ($1.5 million Purse)
- National Treasure ($900,000)
- Blazing Sevens ($300,000)
- Mage ($165,000)
- Red Route One ($90,000)
- Chase the Chaos ($45,000)
- Perform
- Coffeewithchris
- First Mission (SCR)
Payouts
Win: National Treasure: $7.80 (win), $4.00 (place), $2.60 (show)
Place: Blazing Sevens: N/A (win), $5.00 (place), $2.80 (show)
Show: Mage: N/A (win), N/A (place), $2.40 (show)
Recap
National Treasure entered Saturday's race as a major contender to capture the middle jewel of the Triple Crown racing out of the No. 1 post despite not competing in the Kentucky Derby.
National Treasure entered the Preakness Stakes having competed in five career races, posting one first-place finish, one second-place finish and one third-place finish.
In two starts this year, the colt finished third in the Sham Stakes at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, in January and most recently finished fourth in the RunHappy Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita Park in April.
The Preakness Stakes marked the first time in two years that a Baffert-trained horse ran in a Triple Crown race. The Hall of Fame trainer had been serving a two-year suspension after Medina Spirit failed a post-race drug test and was stripped of his 2021 Kentucky Derby title.
Entering Saturday's race, Baffert-trained horses had won the Preakness Stakes seven times, the most recent by Justify in 2018.
Mage, the winner of this year's Kentucky Derby, has put together an impressive 2023 racing season. In addition to winning the Run For the Roses, he also won the Maiden Special Weight at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Florida, in January.
But with Saturday's third-place finish, we will go a fifth straight year without seeing a Triple Crown winner.
The Chad C. Brown-trained Blazing Sevens was also considered a contender to win the Preakness Stakes.
However, the colt has had a rough 2023 with an eighth place finish in the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park in March and a third-place finish in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Race Track in Lexington, Kentucky, in April.
Additionally, First Mission, trained by Brad H. Cox, was a contender to win the Preakness Stakes.
In three races this year, he finished first in the Maiden Special Weight at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana, in March and first in the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes at Keeneland Race Track in April.
However, First Mission ended up being scratched from Saturday's race after veterinarians found an issue with the colt's left hind ankle, leaving the race with seven participants to mark the smallest field in the Preakness Stakes since 1986.
Chase the Chaos, trained by Ed Moger Jr., entered the Preakness Stakes as a long shot to win after posting just one first-place finish in 2023, which came in the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields in Albany, California, in February.
Since the El Camino Real Derby, Chase the Chaos finished seventh in the San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Park in March and eighth in the California Derby at Golden Gate Fields in April, which is why he entered the Preakness Stakes with such long odds to win.
Coffeewithchris was also considered a long shot to claim the middle jewel of the Triple Crown racing out of the No. 4 post.
The John E. Salzman Jr.-trained colt entered the Preakness Stakes with four starts in 2023, posting one first-place finish and two second-place finishes.
Since winning the Miracle Wood Stakes at Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland, in February, Coffeewithchris finished second in the Private Terms Stakes at Laurel Park in March and fifth place in the Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel Park in April.
The Steven M. Asmussen-trained Red Route One wasn't as large of a long shot as Coffeewithchris to win the Preakness Stakes out of the No. 5 post with the colt having ran in four races this year, posting one first-place finish and two second-place finishes.
Red Route One most recently won the Bath House Row Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in April. Prior to that, he finished sixth in the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park in April and second in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park in February.
Perform, trained by Claude R. McGaughey III, entered Saturday's race as a contender to win after coming off back-to-back victories in the Maiden Special Weight at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Florida, in March and the Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel Park in April.
With the Preakness Stakes now complete, all eyes will shift toward the Belmont Stakes coming up next month.
