Kentucky Derby winner Mage set as 8-5 favorite for Preakness

HALETHORPE, Md. — Kentucky Derby winner Mage was installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite for the Preakness at the post position draw Monday.

He’s the only horse in the field of eight set to take part in the second race of the Triple Crown two weeks after running in the Derby. It’s the first Preakness since 1969 with just one Derby horse.

Mage will face seven fresh horses in an attempt to keep open the possibility of the first Triple Crown winner since Justify in 2018. He drew the No. 3 post for the 1 3/16-mile, $1.65 million race.

Mage won the Derby at odds of 15-1 as one of 18 horses in the race. Five were scratched for various reasons the week of, including favorite Forte hours before when Kentucky officials had questions about a bruised foot.

The Preakness field includes National Treasure, who was not eligible for the Derby because trainer Bob Baffert is serving a two-year suspension from Churchill Downs. Medina Spirit, who failed a postrace drug test in 2021 to prompt the suspension, was Baffert’s last horse in the Preakness, which he has won a record-tying seven times.

Gustavo Delgado, Mage’s trainer from Venezuela, won his first U.S. Triple Crown race. Jockey Javier Castellano is set to ride the colt again after winning the Derby for the first time in his 16th try.

Gustavo Delgado Jr., his father’s assistant, said Mage has shown “all the right signs” to make it possible to go to the Preakness.

“Everything after the race has been the way we want it to pursue this race,” he said. “So far, so good.”