National Treasure, who entered with 4-1 odds, won the 2023 Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland.
NBC Sports @NBCSportsNATIONAL TREASURE WINS THE PREAKNESS STAKES! <a href="">#Preakness148</a> <a href="">
Blazing Sevens finished second, while Kentucky Derby winner Mage placed third.
National Treasure earned a wire-to-wire win, taking an early lead at the first turn with Mage in third place. Coffeewithchris held firm in second place for a while, but Blazing Sevens eventually took over.
After Mage initially fell behind, his jockey Javier Castellano made a move on the outside to climb back to third place. However, the gap was just too wide with the top two horses out in front.
National Treasure and Blazing Sevens were neck and neck for the final stretch as Mage tried to make a late push. But it was a two-horse race, and National Treasure earned the win by a nose.
The win gives trainer Bob Baffert his record eighth win at the Preakness and extended his record with 17 wins in Triple Crown races. It comes after one of his horses had to be euthanized earlier on Saturday after suffering an injury during a race on the undercard.
The third and final Triple Crown race of the year, the Belmont Stakes, will be held June 10 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.
