The Preakness Stakes is one of the highlights on the American flat racing calendar. A field of three-year-old thoroughbreds gallop over 9.5 furlongs to determine who will return home with a share of the $1.5 million purse. Naturally, it’s an incredibly competitive race, and this year’s Preakness Stakes was no different.
We’ll look at exactly how the race played out, as well as what could be next for the horses who performed well.
The Run Up
The build-up to the stakes is an exciting time for bettors. Trying to unravel which horse has the best chance of success is a puzzle like no other. Particularly with two and three-year-old races, the horses are an unknown quantity.
Of course, any horse can act out of character; after all, they’re animals. However, horses with only a handful of races are still developing and learning, leading to sometimes unexpected results. If you’re looking to bet on a horse that’s only seen the track a few times, then using one of the free horse racing bets that’s available is a good tactic.
Going on form alone, the bookmakers had made Gustavo Delgardo trained horse, Mage, the favourite. He went off at the incredibly short price of 7/5, which made sense.
Mage had taken the crown in the Kentucky Derby, winning by a length over Two Phil’s. Before this, the chestnut colt had been in contention for the Fountain of Youth Stakes but was beaten by the line. The only other experience Mage had on the track was a win in his first maiden race, again at Gulfstream Park.
Going off this form, Mage was the stand-out candidate for taking the Preakness Stakes. Often, horses win the Preakness after performing well in the Kentucky Derby, as trainers are still desperate to take the Triple Crown title.
However, it turned out to be another surprising day for racing. Mage wouldn’t be first past the post, paving the way for a significantly less fancied horse.
Bob Baffert Has a Day of Highs and Lows
Despite Mage’s form looking perfect for the job, National Treasure would be the horse to win yet another Preakness Stakes for trainer Bob Baffert. The colt rallied hard to win, showing guts, determination, and hopefully, the beginning of a great career for the young horse.
It’s always heartwarming to see a promising youngster thunder past the finish line to cheers from an adoring crowd. However, the day was tainted with sadness for everyone connected to the horse.
Earlier in the day, Bob Baffert tragically lost a promising young horse who suffered a fatal injury on the track. When it came time to be interviewed, the trainer was understandably shaken by the day’s events.
On the one hand, National Treasure had handed him the win in the Preakness Stakes, taking his total to eight wins, the most any trainer has ever managed. On the other hand, everybody in racing is there because of a love of horses, and it is heartbreaking to see them pass away.
While some have called for Baffert to have his license removed again, in this instance, his conscience was clean. The injury was a genuine freak accident; the horse misstepped and fell badly around a corner.
A Record-Breaking Day
As mentioned, Bob Baffert finally broke R. Wyndham Walden’s record of seven wins in the Preakness Stakes. This record had been in place since the late 19th century, so it was no small feat.
Additionally, John Velazquez, the rider of National Treasure, would win his first-ever Preakness Stakes. It was an incredible day for the jockey as the Preakness was a race in which the win had eluded him for some time.