An inside look at how the 148th Preakness Stakes will play out:
1. National Treasure (4-1)
Current Form: Raced wide, caught traffic and finished fourth in the Santa Anita Derby.
Is 0-for-2 this year after running third behind Forte in the 2022 BC Juvenile.
Worth a Wager: He’s baaack! Bob Baffert has won the middle jewel seven times.
Draws rail and Johnny V may inherit the lead in a race devoid of speed, but his one win was earned sprinting.
A tired third.
2. Chase the Chaos (50-1)
Current Form: Has three wins, the latest in February.
A win-and-your-in $100k at Golden Gate, enabling him to punch his ticket to the Preakness.
Offered little in the San Felipe and California Derby since.
Worth a Wager: Gotta believe the connections are just happy to be here.
Longest shot on the board should end up a chaos-free last of seven.
3. Mage (8-5)
Current Form: You know the story. Rallied from more than a dozen lengths back to win the Forte-free Kentucky Derby at a not-so-shocking 15-1.
Ran second to Forte in the Florida Derby previously.
Worth a Wager: Class edge in a not-so-elite field of eight. New Yorkers are happy for jockey Javier Castellano.
NYRA will be even happier if he can bring Mage to the Belmont with a Triple Crown on the line. We’re thinking otherwise.
Putting the Derby winner second.
4. Coffeewithchris (20-1)
Current Form: Maryland-bred has the most starts (12) of any horse in the field, but only three wins including a maiden breaker (via disqualification) over the Pimlico oval.
Ran a couple of lengths behind Perform at Laurel in his latest.
Worth a Wager: Chris is fast and has home-field advantage, but after a quick cup of coffee on the front end he should hit an endurance wall and land sixth.
5. Red Route One (10-1)
Current Form: Turf winner picked up his first dirt win in a $200k at Oaklawn.
Passed tired horses in the Arkansas Derby two starts back but was nowhere near the winner, Angel Of Empire.
Worth a Wager: Short field and most of them do their best running from off the pace.
Can he outkick the top contenders? We are thinking this is a replay of the Arkansas.
Up for fifth.
6. Perform (15-1)
Current Form: Has performed well lately, winning two in row after dropping his initial five.
Managed to win a $125k at Laurel after a stumbling start and avoiding traffic down the stretch.
Worth a Wager: Peaking and, like Mage, he’s sired by Good Magic.
Trainer Shug McGaughey: “Is he good enough? Who knows? But he’s a horse on the improve and wants to run that far.”
We agree. Got him as the winner after First Mission was scratched.
7. Blazing Sevens (6-1)
Current Form: Fizzled out in the Fountain of Youth but rebounded, to a degree, finishing well for third behind Tapit Trice in the Blue Grass.
Won the Grade 1 Champagne as a 2-year-old, but that was one turn.
Worth a Wager: Top connections. Has Chad Brown and Irad Ortiz Jr. in his corner, but not sure he wants this distance.
Tightens to 7/8ths or a mile this summer. Saturday? Fourth.
