The eyes of horse racing fans all over have turned to the Northeast circuit. Pimlico Race Course in neighboring Baltimore is set to host the 2023 Preakness Stakes on Saturday, May 20.
There are several ways Las Vegas horse racing fans can get in on the action. You can make a trip across the border to watch live at Pimlico, or you can watch and bet through an advance deposit wagering platform, such as FanDuel Racing.
Whatever method you choose to enjoy the Preakness, here’s what you need to know.
Kentucky Derby winner Mage an 8/5 favorite
Medge was far from a popular choice 14 days ago in the Kentucky Derby. He came off of a second-place finish in the Texas Derby and was sent off at odds of 15-1.
However, veteran jockey Javier Castellano chose a come-from-behind ride that saw Medge surge forward entering the stretch. Medge rallied past Two Phil’s in the final furlong to give Castellano his first-ever Kentucky Derby victory.
14 days later, Medge is set for the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown. He’ll face seven rivals on Saturday afternoon, none of which competed in the Kentucky Derby starting gate.
A win would make him a contender to become horse racing’s 14th Triple Crown winner and just the third horse to sweep the prestigious series since 1978. The last horse to win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes was Justify, who accomplished the feat in 2018.
Can anyone disrupted Mage inside the Preakness?
The 5/2 second choice at the morning line is First Quest. He’s trained by Brad Cox and is coming off a win in last month’s Lexington Stakes at Keeneland. The race’s third-place finisher, Disarm, ran a respectable fourth in the Kentucky Derby.
Trainer Bob Baffert missed the Kentucky Derby as part of his two-year ban from the race. However, he’s in the Preakness with National Flash, who notably finished third in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. His last race was a fourth-place finish in the Santa Anita Derby.
Additionally, on two separate occasions, horses trained by Chad Brown have skipped the Kentucky Derby and gone on to win the Preakness. Brown will attempt to achieve that for the third time on Saturday with Blazing Sevens. He won the prestigious Champagne Stakes as a 2-year-old but remained winless in three subsequent starts.
Read more about Preakness 7 days at Pimlico
The post time for Saturday’s Preakness Stakes is 7:01 PM Eastern. It is the 13th of 14 races on the program, which begins at 10:35 AM and includes eight other stakes events.
Friday’s schedule is also packed with six stakes races and is headlined by the Preakness’s sister race, the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes. This event is limited to 3-year-old fillies, and this year’s edition is topped by Faiza, an undefeated Baffert trainee.
