HALETHORPE, Md. (AP) — Kentucky Derby champion Mage has been named the 8-5 morning line favorite for the Preakness Stakes following the post position draw on Monday. Mage is the only horse in the field of eight to have run in the Derby, marking a unique occasion as this is the first Preakness since 1969 to feature just one Derby contender.
Co-owner Ramiro Restrepo shared insights into their strategy, stating, “Everyone has their own agendas for the rest of the year and the schedule, what races they want to run in. All we can really control is our house. The horse is doing great, which is the most important thing. That gave us the green light to run, and whoever they line up in there is who we’ve got to race. That’s all we can focus on.”
Aiming for Triple Crown Glory
Drawing post No. 3 for the 1 3/16-mile race with a purse of $1.65 million, Mage will compete against seven fresh horses in his quest for a potential Triple Crown, a title last claimed by Justify in 2018. Assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado Jr. expressed his confidence, stating, “We’re good. I’m pretty content with it. I was more concerned at the Derby with a 20-horse field. Eight horses now, I think every horse is going to have a decent shot, and hopefully the best wins. That’s what horse racing is about.”
Mage previously clinched the Derby at odds of 15-1, amidst heightened safety concerns following seven fatalities at Churchill Downs in the preceding days, including the Derby contender Wild on Ice. The Preakness field also features National Treasure, who could not participate in the Derby due to trainer Bob Baffert’s two-year suspension from Churchill Downs. Baffert, who has won the Preakness a record-tying seven times, last had a horse in the race with Medina Spirit, who failed a postrace drug test in 2021.
National Treasure drew the inside No. 1 post and is currently the third choice on the morning line at 4-1, while First Mission, trained by Brad Cox, drew the outside No. 8 post and is the second choice at 5-2. Despite the competition, Mage remains the horse to beat, as noted by John Salzman Jr., co-owner and trainer of long shot Coffeewithchris, who stated, “It’s going to be hard. He does come usually from back far. But at Pimlico, it’s tough with the sharper turns, and the lack of speed here in this race seems to be a little in our favor.”
Delgado mentioned that Mage’s participation in the Preakness might not have happened without the Derby win, but both he and Restrepo are focused solely on their horse. “I haven’t paid too much attention to who’s running, who’s not, and that happens when you win,” Delgado remarked. “You worry about the horse and keeping him happy because you know you’ll probably be the favorite, so you focus on your horse. You have to beat them all.”
With Jockey Javier Castellano set to ride Mage again after his first Derby victory in 16 attempts, Restrepo expressed confidence in letting Castellano handle on-track dynamics: “I don’t ride the horse. I can’t ride a pony, so I’m going to allow our Hall of Famer to make that call and make those decisions.”
Among the other contenders, Chase the Chaos occupies the No. 2 post as the longest shot at odds of 50-1. The remaining horses are Coffeewithchris at No. 4, Red Route One at No. 5 with odds of 10-1, Perform at No. 6 (15-1), and Blazing Sevens at No. 7 (6-1).
Source : https://www.usnews.com/news/sports/articles/2023-05-15/kentucky-derby-winner-mage-set-as-8-5-morning-line-favorite-for-preakness