Preakness: Mage gets post 3, National Treasure should go for lead from rail
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BALTIMORE - If there was any doubt who might be going to the lead in Saturday’s $1.65 million Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, it seemed to be removed when National Treasure drew the rail for the second jewel of the Triple Crown.
Add in the fact National Treasure will be getting blinkers added and has John Velazquez to ride, “it symbolizes to me what’s going to happen, yeah,” said Jimmy Barnes, longtime assistant to Bob Baffert, trainer of National Treasure.
National Treasure, who looks to give Baffert a record eighth Preakness victory, was installed as the third choice for the Preakness behind Kentucky Derby winner Mage and Grade 3 Lexington Stakes winner First Mission. The Preakness drew a field of eight, the smallest since 2018 when Justify, the Kentucky Derby winner trained by Baffert, captured the Preakness en route to winning the Triple Crown.
Mage drew post 3 for the Preakness and was made the 8-5 morning-line favorite by Pimlico oddsmaker Keith Feustle. Daily Racing Form’s David Aragona lists Mage as the even-money choice.
First Mission, who drew post 8, is the 5-2 second choice on the morning-line of both Feustle and Aragona. National Treasure is 4-1 on Feustle’s line, 5-1 on the line of Aragona.
Mage took advantage of a hot pace to rally from 16th and win the Kentucky Derby at odds of 15-1. Though the pace scenario is likely to be slower in the Preakness, the connections of Mage just want him to run his same race.
“Our horse has to get a decent pace and make his run and hope for the best,” said Gustavo Delgado Jr., son of and assistant to Gustavo Delgado Sr.
Mage is the only one of the 18 horses who ran in the Kentucky Derby to come back in the Preakness, marking the first time that has happened since the current spacing of the Triple Crown - two weeks from the Derby to the Preakness, then three weeks to the Belmont Stakes - became the schedule in 1969.
Ramiro Restrepo, part owner of Mage, noted that Delgado won two Triple Crowns in Venezuela with similar spacing so “I have full confidence in Gustavo,” he said.
National Treasure has just one win from five starts, but did run third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and third in the Sham Stakes earlier this year. He missed the San Felipe in March due to a bruised foot before running fourth in the Santa Anita Derby.
He ran in the Santa Anita Derby for trainer Tim Yakteen, but he was returned to Baffert after that race.
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“Coming to Baltimore I always come in with a high confidence level because we really run at a high percentage here,” Barnes said. “It is what it is, as long as we have him ready for the day, he’ll get the job done.”
Outside of National Treasure, in post order with rider and Aragona’s odds, are: Chase the Chaos (Sheldon Russell, 20-1), Mage (Javier Castellano, even), Coffeewithchris (Jaime Rodriguez, 20-1), Red Route One (Joel Rosario, 12-1, Perform (Feargal Lynch, 15-1), Blazing Sevens (Irad Ortiz Jr, 8-1), and First Mission (Luis Saez, 5-2).
Perform was supplemented to the Preakness for a fee of $150,000, which goes to the purse.
The Preakness will go as race 13 on a 14-race card that begins at 10:30 a.m.
148th Preakness, Pimlico Race Course
May 20, $1.65 million, 1 3/16 miles
1. National Treasure, Bob Baffert, John Velazquez, 4-1
2. Chase the Chaos, Ed Moger Jr., Sheldon Russell, 50-1
3. Mage, Gustavo Delgado, Javier Castellano, 8-5
4. Coffeewithchris, John Salzman Jr., Jaime Rodriguez, 20-1
5. Red Route One, Steve Asmussen, Joel Rosario, 10-1
6. Perform, Shug McGaughey, Feargal Lynch, 15-1
7. Blazing Sevens, Chad Brown, Irad Ortiz Jr., 6-1
8. First Mission, Brad Cox, Luis Saez, 5-2
Blinkers on: National Treasure
Supplemental entry: Perform
Track odds
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