Kentucky Derby Winner Mage Draws Post 3 in Preakness

After racing in the shadows of champion 2-year-old male Forte  throughout the Triple Crown prep races, Mage  made the most of the opportunity presented when Forte was scratched on the morning of the Kentucky Derby (G1). 

Rallying from 16th under Javier Castellano, Mage posted a 15-1 upset May 6 in the opening leg of the Triple Crown for trainer Gustavo Delgado and the ownership group of OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing, and CMNWLTH. Now, Mage will be the one in the spotlight May 20 when he heads a field of eight 3-year-olds in the Preakness Stakes (G1) and seeks to continue his quest to become the sport's 14th Triple Crown winner.

The son of Good Magic   bred in Kentucky by Grandview Equine landed post 3 May 15 at the draw for the 148th Preakness at Pimlico Race Course and was established as the 8-5 favorite on the morning line.

"It's been a great feeling that we are very humble about," said Gustavo Delgado Jr., the trainer's son and assistant. "It's all about the horse. He deserves the credit. He's a really good horse who is just getting better."

Though the Preakness will be just the fifth career start for Mage, the colt has come a long way in a relatively short time. He won his Jan. 28 debut at Gulfstream Park, and after finishing fourth behind Forte in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2), he was a closer second to that rival in the Florida Derby (G1).

 "Just because of the fact that he has only four starts, and usually (horses) tend to get better with races, especially after the third, fourth (starts), I think he has good momentum," said Delgado. "That gives us confidence. But every day is crucial."

Mage will be the only Preakness starter to have raced in the Kentucky Derby after the decision by Winchell Thoroughbreds and trainer Steve Asmussen to skip the classic with Disarm  and point him toward the Jim Dandy (G2) and Travers (G1) stakes.

"Disarm is doing great but it would have been his fourth race in 56 days. It's not 1988. We don't do that stuff anymore," said David Fiske, racing manager for Winchell Thoroughbreds, which will send out the Asmussen-trained Red Route One  in the Preakness.

Unlike the fast pace in the Kentucky Derby (six furlongs in 1:10.11), the Preakness has a dearth of frontrunners, creating the possibility of a dawdling pace for Mage to close into. Maryland-based longshot Coffeewithchris  (20-1, post 4) is the lone starter who has consistently displayed an affinity for being on the lead.

Delgado said it is not the fractions that worry him in the 1 3/16-mile Preakness, but rather the kind of rhythm Mage has as he enters the backstretch.

"As long as he is in a good rhythm and relaxing in the first part of the race, then he can make his move," he said. "That's what I want to see. A horse that can relax in the race."

Trainers Bob Baffert, Brad Cox, and Chad Brown will each send out newcomers to the Triple Crown series.

In National Treasure , Baffert, the all-time leader in Triple Crown wins with 16, will be sending out his first starter in the series since Medina Spirit in the 2021 Preakness. It was Medina Spirit who failed a post-race drug test after his victory in the Kentucky Derby that led to regulatory and track suspensions that prevented the Hall of Famer from again competing in the series until now. 

Baffert has a record-matching seven Preakness wins.

National Treasure, a son of Quality Road  , is coming off a fourth in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). He drew the rail for the Preakness and is the third choice on the morning line at 4-1. He's likely to show more speed than usual from the rail, especially after being re-equipped with blinkers. National Treasure is owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan.

Cox, who had four starters in the Derby, will be represented by Godolphin's First Mission , winner of the Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland in his last start and the 5-2 second choice for Saturday's race.

"We're in a good spot. He's had a couple of solid, solid works the last few weeks. He's going to have to step up and run a solid race next week. If he does, I think he'll be in the mix. He's a good colt. We think a lot of him, and we'll see what happens," Cox said about the homebred son of Street Sense  .

Brown will try for a third Preakness win with Rodeo Creek Racing's Blazing Sevens . The grade 1 winner at age 2 will be following the same path as Brown's two Preakness winners (Cloud Computing   in 2017 and Early Voting   in 2022) as he skipped the Run for the Roses and will run in the Preakness on six weeks' rest.

"We had a few things working against us in the Derby but I don't see many things going against us in the Preakness," Brown said about the son of Good Magic.

Red Route One, a homebred son of Gun Runner  , falls into the category of those hoping for a quick pace. The grade 2-placed runner has trailed by double digits at the first call of his last four starts.

"There's nothing we can do about the pace," Fiske said. "When you look at the race on paper, there's no speed, but a lot of times people say that and then someone goes out and sets a fast pace. We'll see how it works out."

The entire field, from the rail out:

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)