Kentucky Derby Winner Tops Preakness Markets
Second Leg of Triple Crown in Maryland

Kentucky Derby winner Mage is all the rage ahead of the Preakness Stakes, which is the second leg of the Triple Crown.
However, one of the favorites for Preakness Stakes betting markets is Forte, who was scratched from the Kentucky Derby last Saturday.
It’s always an interesting race, and with the Triple Crown still up for grabs, all eyes are on Mage.
The Pressure Goes On
There was no pressure on Mage to win the 2023 Kentucky Derby as a 15-1 chance. He wasn’t fancied with horse racing champion odds, but now he’s a 3-1 chance for the Preakness Stakes.
It’s customary for the Derby winner to be favored for the Preakness Stakes, but we’re not sure if we would have put him at the top of the market.
The race fell in his lap, and although he was strong to the line, the Preakness Stakes is a completely different race, and Mage could struggle to replicate that effort.
In terms of the Triple Crown, we just can’t see him winning it. It takes a real champion to win all three races and we don’t think Mage is at that level.
The biggest talking point was the scratching of Forte, and trainer Todd Pletcher believes he would have run well.
“I think that he would have performed well yesterday,” Pletcher said. “Right now, everyone is doing everything they can to make sure that the horses are going out there in the safest possible condition.
“Still, we had two fatal breakdowns (in earlier races) yesterday. It’s something that as a trainer keeps you up at night.”
Forte is on the same line of betting as Mage at 3-1. That’s a fair price, but considering Forte was a huge drifter with Kentucky Derby markets, he might be underpriced as well.
There is one big danger to the two favorites, and his name is Two Phil.
Philly Heading to Baltimore
We thought the run of Two Phil’s was excellent, and given the extra distance of the Preakness Stakes, that’s right up his alley.
The Larry Rivelli-trained runner did a lot of work near the front of the field and he battled on gamely for second, so we believe it was the best run of the race.
It’s good to see him pull up well as a trip to Baltimore beckons.
“Phil is good today,” Rivelli said. “The plan as of now is to consider the Preakness.”
His odds to win the Preakness Stakes are 5-1, which is worth snapping up. There are a lot of runners competing in the race who didn’t run in the Kentucky Derby, but we believe he’ll be better for the run.
Confidence Game was Game
Another top effort came from Confidence Game, who endured the hot tempo to finish third.
He was keen during the run but still managed to hold off most of the field, but trainer Keith Desormeaux takes the blame.
“Fast pace but he hung in there the best he could,” Desormeaux “I take the blame for putting too much speed in him during his works. He was a bit too keen.”
He’s a 12-1 chance to win the Preakness Stakes, so we think the sportsbook has missed him. He should enjoy the longer trip and we believe Derby form is best for the Preakness Stakes.
His odds are likely to firm between now and the second leg of the Triple Crown, so it could pay to jump on.
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