Santa Anita Derby fourth-place finisher comes to Baltimore freshened since ealry April. Trainer Baffert's 7 Preakness wins are tied for most all-time. While he has not won since September at Del Mar, National Treasure has cashed checks in 3 Grade 1 stakes races.
Earned an automatic Preakness qualifier when winning the El Camino Real Derby at Pimlico's sister track Golden Gate Fields in February. Rombauer used that same path in winning the 2021 Preakness. Strong finisher on turf and synthetic surfaces, he was well beaten and not a threat in the San Felipe at Santa Anita in his only try on dirt.
Kentucky Derby winner overcame tight timeframe to go from unstarted to Jan. 28 to wearing the roses in just his fourth lifetime start. Florida Derby runner-up continues to rise. Grandson of Preakness winner Curlin and Kentucky Derby/Preakness winner Big Brown.
Maryland's lone local rep in this year's Preakness won the Miracle Wood and Heft Stakes this winter. Exits a 5th-place finish, beaten less than 3 lengths, by Preakness return rival Perform in the Federico Tesio. Jockey Rodriguez tied the Laurel single-day record by riding 7 winners on March 17.
Earned an automatic Preakness qualifier by winning Oaklawn's April 22 Bath House Row Stakes with his rallying style. Veteran of the entire Arkansas Derby trail was runner-up in the Southwest and Rebel before a disappointing sixth in Oaklawn's main event. Trainer Asmussen won the Preakness with Curlin (2007) and Rachel Alexandra (2009) and was second last year with Epicenter.
Won Laurel's Federico Tesio Stakes for an automatic berth into the Preakness, but owner had to pay $150,000 supplemental fee to compete since Perform was not nominated to the Triple Crown. Started career 0-5, but has won back-to-back races for McGaughey, who seeks his first Preakness win. He had 1989 runner-up Easy Goer and 2013 Kentucky Derby winner Orb among his 3 Preakness bids.
Grade 1 Champagne winner at age 2 most recently finished a distant third in the Grade 1 Blue Grass behind Tapit Trice & Verifying. Trainer Brown is a 2-time Preakness winner (2017, 2022). Brown finished third in last year's Derby with Zandon and second in 2018 with Good Magic, sire of Blazing Sevens.
Winner of Keeneland's Lexington Stakes is a late-bloomer who did not debut until February 18 and was not part of the Derby field. Son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, who lost the photo by a head in the Preakness to Curlin. He's 2-for-2 since stretching out to route distances and the Preakness will be his farthest attempt by a full furlong.
Santa Anita Derby fourth-place finisher comes to Baltimore freshened since ealry April. Trainer Baffert's 7 Preakness wins are tied for most all-time. While he has not won since September at Del Mar, National Treasure has cashed checks in 3 Grade 1 stakes races.
Earned an automatic Preakness qualifier when winning the El Camino Real Derby at Pimlico's sister track Golden Gate Fields in February. Rombauer used that same path in winning the 2021 Preakness. Strong finisher on turf and synthetic surfaces, he was well beaten and not a threat in the San Felipe at Santa Anita in his only try on dirt.
Kentucky Derby winner overcame tight timeframe to go from unstarted to Jan. 28 to wearing the roses in just his fourth lifetime start. Florida Derby runner-up continues to rise. Grandson of Preakness winner Curlin and Kentucky Derby/Preakness winner Big Brown.
Maryland's lone local rep in this year's Preakness won the Miracle Wood and Heft Stakes this winter. Exits a 5th-place finish, beaten less than 3 lengths, by Preakness return rival Perform in the Federico Tesio. Jockey Rodriguez tied the Laurel single-day record by riding 7 winners on March 17.
Earned an automatic Preakness qualifier by winning Oaklawn's April 22 Bath House Row Stakes with his rallying style. Veteran of the entire Arkansas Derby trail was runner-up in the Southwest and Rebel before a disappointing sixth in Oaklawn's main event. Trainer Asmussen won the Preakness with Curlin (2007) and Rachel Alexandra (2009) and was second last year with Epicenter.
Won Laurel's Federico Tesio Stakes for an automatic berth into the Preakness, but owner had to pay $150,000 supplemental fee to compete since Perform was not nominated to the Triple Crown. Started career 0-5, but has won back-to-back races for McGaughey, who seeks his first Preakness win. He had 1989 runner-up Easy Goer and 2013 Kentucky Derby winner Orb among his 3 Preakness bids.
Grade 1 Champagne winner at age 2 most recently finished a distant third in the Grade 1 Blue Grass behind Tapit Trice & Verifying. Trainer Brown is a 2-time Preakness winner (2017, 2022). Brown finished third in last year's Derby with Zandon and second in 2018 with Good Magic, sire of Blazing Sevens.
Winner of Keeneland's Lexington Stakes is a late-bloomer who did not debut until February 18 and was not part of the Derby field. Son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, who lost the photo by a head in the Preakness to Curlin. He's 2-for-2 since stretching out to route distances and the Preakness will be his farthest attempt by a full furlong.
Santa Anita Derby fourth-place finisher comes to Baltimore freshened since ealry April. Trainer Baffert's 7 Preakness wins are tied for most all-time. While he has not won since September at Del Mar, National Treasure has cashed checks in 3 Grade 1 stakes races.
Earned an automatic Preakness qualifier when winning the El Camino Real Derby at Pimlico's sister track Golden Gate Fields in February. Rombauer used that same path in winning the 2021 Preakness. Strong finisher on turf and synthetic surfaces, he was well beaten and not a threat in the San Felipe at Santa Anita in his only try on dirt.
Kentucky Derby winner overcame tight timeframe to go from unstarted to Jan. 28 to wearing the roses in just his fourth lifetime start. Florida Derby runner-up continues to rise. Grandson of Preakness winner Curlin and Kentucky Derby/Preakness winner Big Brown.
Maryland's lone local rep in this year's Preakness won the Miracle Wood and Heft Stakes this winter. Exits a 5th-place finish, beaten less than 3 lengths, by Preakness return rival Perform in the Federico Tesio. Jockey Rodriguez tied the Laurel single-day record by riding 7 winners on March 17.
Earned an automatic Preakness qualifier by winning Oaklawn's April 22 Bath House Row Stakes with his rallying style. Veteran of the entire Arkansas Derby trail was runner-up in the Southwest and Rebel before a disappointing sixth in Oaklawn's main event. Trainer Asmussen won the Preakness with Curlin (2007) and Rachel Alexandra (2009) and was second last year with Epicenter.
Won Laurel's Federico Tesio Stakes for an automatic berth into the Preakness, but owner had to pay $150,000 supplemental fee to compete since Perform was not nominated to the Triple Crown. Started career 0-5, but has won back-to-back races for McGaughey, who seeks his first Preakness win. He had 1989 runner-up Easy Goer and 2013 Kentucky Derby winner Orb among his 3 Preakness bids.
Grade 1 Champagne winner at age 2 most recently finished a distant third in the Grade 1 Blue Grass behind Tapit Trice & Verifying. Trainer Brown is a 2-time Preakness winner (2017, 2022). Brown finished third in last year's Derby with Zandon and second in 2018 with Good Magic, sire of Blazing Sevens.
Winner of Keeneland's Lexington Stakes is a late-bloomer who did not debut until February 18 and was not part of the Derby field. Son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, who lost the photo by a head in the Preakness to Curlin. He's 2-for-2 since stretching out to route distances and the Preakness will be his farthest attempt by a full furlong.
Santa Anita Derby fourth-place finisher comes to Baltimore freshened since ealry April. Trainer Baffert's 7 Preakness wins are tied for most all-time. While he has not won since September at Del Mar, National Treasure has cashed checks in 3 Grade 1 stakes races.
Earned an automatic Preakness qualifier when winning the El Camino Real Derby at Pimlico's sister track Golden Gate Fields in February. Rombauer used that same path in winning the 2021 Preakness. Strong finisher on turf and synthetic surfaces, he was well beaten and not a threat in the San Felipe at Santa Anita in his only try on dirt.
Kentucky Derby winner overcame tight timeframe to go from unstarted to Jan. 28 to wearing the roses in just his fourth lifetime start. Florida Derby runner-up continues to rise. Grandson of Preakness winner Curlin and Kentucky Derby/Preakness winner Big Brown.
Maryland's lone local rep in this year's Preakness won the Miracle Wood and Heft Stakes this winter. Exits a 5th-place finish, beaten less than 3 lengths, by Preakness return rival Perform in the Federico Tesio. Jockey Rodriguez tied the Laurel single-day record by riding 7 winners on March 17.
Earned an automatic Preakness qualifier by winning Oaklawn's April 22 Bath House Row Stakes with his rallying style. Veteran of the entire Arkansas Derby trail was runner-up in the Southwest and Rebel before a disappointing sixth in Oaklawn's main event. Trainer Asmussen won the Preakness with Curlin (2007) and Rachel Alexandra (2009) and was second last year with Epicenter.
Won Laurel's Federico Tesio Stakes for an automatic berth into the Preakness, but owner had to pay $150,000 supplemental fee to compete since Perform was not nominated to the Triple Crown. Started career 0-5, but has won back-to-back races for McGaughey, who seeks his first Preakness win. He had 1989 runner-up Easy Goer and 2013 Kentucky Derby winner Orb among his 3 Preakness bids.
Grade 1 Champagne winner at age 2 most recently finished a distant third in the Grade 1 Blue Grass behind Tapit Trice & Verifying. Trainer Brown is a 2-time Preakness winner (2017, 2022). Brown finished third in last year's Derby with Zandon and second in 2018 with Good Magic, sire of Blazing Sevens.
Winner of Keeneland's Lexington Stakes is a late-bloomer who did not debut until February 18 and was not part of the Derby field. Son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, who lost the photo by a head in the Preakness to Curlin. He's 2-for-2 since stretching out to route distances and the Preakness will be his farthest attempt by a full furlong.
MAGE
NATIONAL TREASURE
RED ROUTE ONE
MAGE
PERFORM
NATIONAL TREASURE
BLAZING SEVENS
MAGE
PERFORM
NATIONAL TREASURE
MAGE
DISARM
PERFORM
MAGE
NATIONAL TREASURE
NATIONAL TREASURE
MAGE
PERFORM
NATIONAL TREASURE
MAGE
BLAZING SEVENS
MAGE
NATIONAL TREASURE
PERFORM
MAGE
NATIONAL TREASURE
BLAZING SEVENS
NATIONAL TREASURE
MAGE
PERFORM
MAGE
BLAZING SEVENS
NATIONAL TREASURE
MAGE
NATIONAL TREASURE
PERFORM
MAGE
NATIONAL TREASURE
BLAZING SEVENS
NATIONAL TREASURE
MAGE
RED ROUTE ONE
BLAZING SEVENS
NATIONAL TREASURE
MAGE
PERFORM
BLAZING SEVENS
RED ROUTE ONE
MAGE
NATIONAL TREASURE
The 1/ST BET 'Machine' analyzes millions of data points over more than 50 important handicapping factors for each race to create an exclusive handicapping outcome driven by big data.
SCENE SETTER: The fillies’ version of the Preakness headlines the Friday proceedings and will be run for the 99th time in its storied history. It’s been won by contemporary superstars like Serena’s Song, Silverbulletday and Royal Delta, as well as legends like Davona Dale, My Juliet and Nellie Morse. West coast leader FAIZA brings her perfect 5-for-5 record from Santa Anita. This promises to be one of the most anticipated Black-Eyed Susan renewals in years.
NOTES:
The 1/ST BET 'Machine' analyzes millions of data points over more than 50 important handicapping factors for each race to create an exclusive handicapping outcome driven by big data.
SCENE SETTER: Three straight Preakness winners were horses who did not compete in the Kentucky Derby, beginning with Swiss Skydiver (2020, October edition during pandemic), Rombauer (2021) and Early Voting (2022). It’s an era reminiscent of the start to the 1980s when Codex (1980), Aloma’s Ruler (1982) and Deputed Testamony (1983) all had Preakness success in a 4-year span. That rash of new shooters was followed by 17 straight Derby alumni winning at Old Hilltop. Derby vets have won by a 3-1 margin over the last 40 years. Among this year’s new shooters, trainer Chad Brown tries to go back-to-back with Blazing Sevens. Brad Cox has First Mission among the favorites.
NOTES:
The only favorite to win the Preakness in the last 7 editions was 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, who held off Bravazo’s rally by a half-length.
The last 9 Preakness editions have had at least 1 horse in the trifecta who did not compete in the Kentucky Derby. In 2013, the top-5 finishers all were Derby alumni.
The past 2 Preakness editions combined have had just 1 horse go off at odds above 20-1.
Horses last raced at the Keeneland meet have finished in the Preakness top-3 in 5 of the last 8 years.
Post 6 has produced the most Preakness winners all-time with 17, most recently Rombauer in 2021. The rail has only 4 wins since 1950, but includes American Pharoah (2015) and War of Will (2019) in recent vintages.
Only 2 Preakness winners have done so by a double-digit margin. Smarty Jones (2004) won by 11-1/2 lengths more than a century after Survivor (1874) scored by 10.
The Preakness has averaged 10.7 starters over the past 25 years, ranging between a high of 13 and a low of 8.
16 of the last 26 Preakness winners were named Champion 3-Year-Old, as was last year’s runner-up Epicenter.
SCENE SETTER: The meteoric rise of MAGE from a January 28 debut to a May 6 Kentucky Derby winner was historic on many levels. He joined Justify (2018) as the only Derby winners since 1882 to not have raced as a 2-year-old. And he became just the fourth Derby winner since 1900 to win the roses in only his fourth lifetime start, joining Regret (1915), Big Brown (2008) and Justify (2018). Notably, Big Brown and Justify parlayed their Kentucky Derby scores into Preakness glory as well – Regret did not compete in the Preakness. The last horse to win the Derby at 15-1 or more odds and add a Preakness win was I’ll Have Another in 2012.
NOTES:
Kentucky Derby winner to win: Justify (2018)
Kentucky Derby runner-up to win: Exagerrator (2016)
Kentucky Derby show horse to win: Curlin (2007)
Kentucky Derby off the board finisher to win: War of Will (2019)
Kentucky Derby exacta to repeat 1-2 in Preakness: I’ll Have Another-Bodemeister (2012)
Kentucky Derby trifecta to repeat 1-2-3 in Preakness: Affirmed-Alydar-Believe It (1978)
Non-Kentucky Derby alum to win: Early Voting (2022, third straight)
Prepped last at Pimlico to win: Bee Bee Bee (1972)
Jockey to win back-to-back: Victor Espinoza 2014-’15 with California Chrome and American Pharoah
Jockey to win his debut: Flavien Prat (2021) with Rombauer
Trainer to win back-to-back: Bob Baffert (2001-‘02) with Point Given & War Emblem
Trainer to win his Debut: Michael McCarthy (2021) with Rombauer
Filly to win: Swiss Skydiver (2020), last of 5 fillies to have won this race
Gelding to win: Funny Cide (2003)
Wire-to-wire winner: Aloma’s Ruler (1982) from post position #7 (’18 Justify, ’15 American Pharoah, ’13 Oxbow, ’09 Rachel Alexandra, ’96 Louis Quatorze, led all but start call)
Winner to close from more than 10 lengths back: Exaggerator (2016) from 11 ½ lengths back after ¼ mile.
SCENE SETTER: Trainer Steve Asmussen has had the Preakness runner-up each of the past 2 years in Midnight Bourbon (2021) and Epicenter (2022). This will mark his seventh straight Preakness with at least one starter, the longest active streak in the race. Twice Asmussen has hoisted the Woodlawn Vase, 2007 with Curlin and 2009 with Rachel Alexandra. His chance this Saturday is Oaklawn stakes winner Red Route One. Bob Baffert returns to the Preakness after a 1-year absence and looks for a record-breaking eighth victory in this race. He’ll saddle National Treasure in search of his first Preakness win since Justify in 2018.
NOTES:
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