Mage the Rage with Preakness Stakes 2023 Entries

The Preakness Stakes 2023 entries are confirmed and it’s Kentucky Derby winner Mage who is all the rage.

Preakness Stakes odds have Mage at +125 to win, which is a fair price for the Derby winner, who still has the Triple Crown in his sights.

There are eight runners on the field, so it’s a small but exciting field.

Favorite Attracts Attention

When Preakness Stakes 2023 entries came out, there were some interesting runners. However, many of them have fallen away, leaving Mage as the standout.

The 3-year-old son of Good Magic had only one maiden win coming into the Derby, but he showed excellent toughness when holding off the field to win.

However, he finished second behind Forte in the Florida Derby, which shows how strong Forte’s form was before being late-scratched for the first leg.

Mage looks to further frank that form on Saturday as the favorite, and assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado Jr. is happy with his progression.

“It’s been a great feeling that we are very humble about,” said Delgado Jr., the trainer’s son and assistant. “It’s all about the horse. He deserves the credit. He’s a really good horse who is just getting better.”

The Preakness Stakes schedule could play into the hands of Mage, who is battle-hardened and ready to fire.

New Kid on the Block

First Mission is the new kid on the block, having skipped the Kentucky Derby to run in the Preakness Stakes.

The 3-year-old colt by Street Sense, who is raced by Godolphin, comes off consecutive wins, and he has been best-backed to beat Mage.

He’s currently a +250 chance and one of the better Preakness Stakes 2023 entries. His win in the Grade III Lexington was classy, especially putting a margin on the likes of Arabian Lion and Disarm.

Godolphin knows how to win the big races, and the Brad Cox-trained runner has been preparing well.

“It seems like good timing. He’s also a horse—we’ve done a lot with him in a short period of time,” Cox said.

“I told somebody yesterday, this is the next step for him, but I do think he is a big horse with a big future. This is part of the process of letting him develop. Hopefully, we can dream a little bit and he could be a horse to take us to a Jim Dandy (G2), a Travers (G1), or even a (Breeders’ Cup) Classic (G1), who knows.”

It could pay to watch late betting moves for the second favorite.

Baffert Enters National Treasure

Bob Baffert couldn’t enter National Treasure in the Derby due to his ban, but he’s a live chance in the Preakness Stakes.

He won on debut at Del Mar and he hasn’t won since, but he has gone close behind some smart types.

The colt finished second behind Cave Rock in the American Pharoah, third behind Forte in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, and third behind Reincarnate in the Sham Stakes.

We weren’t too discouraged with his fourth in the Santa Anita Derby, which has been an OK form guide through the Kentucky Derby.

Bookmakers have National Treasure at +450, so he’s worth an each-way wager.

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