Mage installed as 8-5 favorite in 2023 Preakness Stakes

Mage with Javier Castellano riding wins the 2023 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs (Photo by Horsephotos.com)

Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mage will meet seven rivals, all new shooters, in the 148th Preakness (G1) on Saturday.

Trained and co-owned by Gustavo Delgado, the lightly-raced sophomore has been installed as the 8-5 favorite for the middle jewel of the Triple Crown. Hall of Fame rider Javier Castellano, who celebrated his first Derby win on May 6, is back aboard in search of a third Preakness victory.

Mage drew post 3, while Brad Cox's well-regarded First Mission, the 5-2 second choice, landed in the outside post 8. National Treasure, the 4-1 third choice on the rail, will try to give Bob Baffert a record-breaking eighth Preakness win. Blazing Sevens figures to attract support as a 6-1 chance for Chad Brown.

Perform, a Shug McGaughey pupil who was not nominated to the Triple Crown, was supplemented for $150,000.

Here is the field for Preakness 148:

Post Positions for the 2023 Preakness Stakes

Post	Horse	Jockey	ML Odds

1	National Treasure	John Velazquez	4-1
2	Chase the Chaos	Sheldon Russell	50-1
3	Mage	Javier Castellano	8-5
4	Coffeewithchris	Jaime Rodriguez	20-1
5	Red Route One	Joel Rosario	10-1
6	Perform	Feargal Lynch	15-1
7	Blazing Sevens	Irad Ortiz Jr.	6-1
8	First Mission	Luis Saez	5-2