Two weeks ago at Churchill Downs, 23 horses at one time or another attempted to gain a spot in the 20-horse Kentucky Derby starting gate.
The 148th Preakness Stakes, to be run Saturday at Pimlico Racecourse, won’t have such a traffic jam. Sadly.
The lone runner from the Run for the Roses to tackle the second leg of the Triple Crown in 2023 will be Derby winner Mage. Ridden by Javier Castellano, Mage will face 7 foes.
Horse racing has many problems. Fixing the Triple Crown needs to be at the top of the list and addressed.
How can 23 horses be ready to run in the first leg of the Triple Crown and only one return for the second jewel?
Talk about a tarnished gem.
Mage’s rivals in the Preakness will be: (with jockey) First Mission (Luis Saez), Blazing Sevens (Irad Ortiz Jr.), National Treasure (John Velazquez), Perform (Feargal Lynch), Chase the Chaos (Sheldon Russell), Red Route One (Joel Rosario), and Coffeewithchris (Jaime Rodriguez).
With Perform being supplemented to the race for $150,000, the purse for the Preakness will be $1.65 million. The race is contested over 1 3/16 miles.
The field in post position order with the morning line:
1) National Treasure, 4-1
2) Chase the Chaos, 50-1
3) Mage, 8-5
4) Coffeewithchris, 20-1
5) Red Route One, 10-1
6) Perform, 15-1
7) Blazing Sevens, 6-1
8) First Mission, 5-2
If you want to see a great Preakness memory, watch below, as Secretariat takes the second jewel of the Triple Crown 50 years ago in record time. The mark stands today.
The post positions have been set for the 148th running of the Preakness Stakes!#Preakness148 pic.twitter.com/3xmWjJZR1g
— Preakness Stakes (@PreaknessStakes) May 15, 2023
