Recent off profitable the Kentucky Derby, Mage entered the 148th working of the Preakness Stakes hoping to safe the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown.

Mage, nevertheless, can be denied because it was Nationwide Treasure who got here away the winner of the Preakness.

Nationwide Treasure and Mage each obtained off to an honest begin, and Nationwide Treasure took the lead into the primary flip, adopted by Coffeewithchris and Blazing Sevens, with Mage in fourth. Crimson Route One moved into third on the half-mile marker, adopted by Blazing Sevens and Mage.

Down the stretch it was neck-and-neck between Nationwide Treasure and Blazing Sevens, as Mage tried onerous to shut the hole. Ultimately it was Nationwide Treasure inching forward of Blazing Sevens, denying Mage a shot on the Triple Crown. The victory was the primary on the Preakness for John Velazquez, who was beforehand 0-for-12 on the Preakness.

This marks the eighth Preakness win for Corridor of Fame coach Bob Baffert. Baffert was making his return following a two-year suspension for doping.

Right here’s a have a look at the end:

As famous by NBC’s Steve Kornacki forward of the Preakness, Mage was the primary “undisputed” Kentucky Derby to race on the Preakness in 5 years:

Mage was additionally simply the third horse to win the Kentucky Derby with out racing as a two-year-old, becoming a member of Justify in 2018 and Apollo again in 1882.

The Preakness Purse

The purse for the 148th Preakness Stakes matches the entire purse from a 12 months in the past, at $1.5 million. The highest 5 finishers will break up that purse, with the majority of the $1.5 million going to the winner.

Right here is how the purse is distributed:

1st Place: $900,000
2nd Place: $300,000
third Place: $165,000
4th Place: $90,000
fifth Place: $45,000

The overall purse of $1.5 million is a sizeable quantity, however in need of the file for the Preakness Stakes. That was set again in 2019, with a complete purse of $1.65 million.

What had been the percentages?

The percentages for the 2023 Preakness opened with Mage as the favourite, adopted by First Mission after which Blazing Sevens. However when First Mission scratched attributable to damage, Mage solidified its place as the favourite.

Right here had been the percentages on the finish of the day Friday:

Over the course of the day Saturday, Nationwide Treasure closed in on Mage atop the board. The Bob Baffert-trained horse moved from 3-1 to 5-2, as Mage moved from 9-5 to 2-1. Right here had been the percentages as of mid-day Saturday, listed by submit place:

1-Nationwide Treasure 5-2
2-Chase the Chaos 7-1
3-Mage 2-1
4-Coffeewithchris 8-1
5-Crimson Route One 6-1
6-Carry out 7-1
7-Blazing Sevens 4-1

Proper earlier than the beginning Mage was nonetheless listed as the favourite at 8-5, adopted by Nationwide Treasure at 5-2 and Blazing Sevens at 9-2.

Tragedy strikes previous to the Preakness

Sadly, there was a tragic scene at Pimlico within the hours earlier than the Preakness Stakes. In the course of the working of the Chick Lang Stakes, Havnameltdown took a nasty step popping out of a flip and stumbled, throwing jockey Luis Saez to the bottom. Havnameltdown suffered a damaged left entrance fetlock damage that was deemed non-operable, and the choice was made to euthanize the horse on the observe.

Because the week of the Kentucky Derby, 9 horses have now died together with Havnameltdown. Following the eight deaths within the week of the Kentucky Derby Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Horseracing Fee, and the congressionally mandated Horseracing Integrity and Security Authority (HISA), have launched probes which are nonetheless ongoing.

“HISA officers will evaluate knowledge on observe situations and upkeep and every horse’s veterinary and coaching data, in addition to closing necropsy stories, when out there,” the Fee mentioned in a press release to ESPN. “As well as, HISA officers will evaluate the info assortment and evaluate processes utilized by the KHRC and Churchill Downs in the middle of their investigations.”

Up subsequent, the Belmont Stakes

Horse racing’s Triple Crown concludes in three weeks with the a hundred and fifty fifth working of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.

And horse racing followers should wait at the least one other 12 months for a Triple Crown.