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As of the most recent odds going into the 2023 Preakness Stakes, there is one horse who stacks up as the overwhelming favourite. That horse is Mage – the horse that won the Kentucky Derby. Of course, winning the first leg of the Triple Crown is no small feat, and punters are clearly shooting for Mage to win the Preakness Stakes too. We know this as the odds have shortened since the ante-post markets first went live.
And now that we have officially arrived on the day of the race, the odds have dropped to 4/5. This puts Mage significantly ahead of even the closest contenders such as National Treasure and Blazing Sevens. These horses have Preakness Stakes odds of 5/2 and 7/1, respectively. So you can see that the distance between Mage and the others is pretty large. But at the end of the day, these odds simply give us an idea of the likelihood of a Mage victory.
However, whether Mage has what it takes to win the Preakness Stakes is a discussion that takes us beyond the odds. Let’s have a closer look at Mage and whether these odds are worth the squeeze right now.
Mage Priced at 4/5 but Will He Score the Double?
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Talk of Mage managing to ‘do the double’ in the 2023 Triple Crown is circulating among punters all over the world. But as is the case with all sports discussions, there are differences in opinions on this subject. Therefore, the best way to reach a conclusion is to simply look at the facts, as I’ve done below.
Scorching Run in Kentucky
We all know that Mage took the win in the Kentucky Derby. However, what some punters might not know is that Mage put in one of the quickest times we’ve seen in recent years. Adding to that, Mage took down some seriously strong horses to grab the win. He did this by coming out of the blocks quickly, yet not many punters would have expected him to maintain his prolific speed down the finishing straight.
If he can produce a similar run in the Preakness Stakes tonight, it would take a brave punter to bet against him.
Javier Castellano Is the Confirmed Jockey
Although it’s obviously important concerning how a horse is running, who the jockey is is also super important. And as has been confirmed for a while now, it will be Javier Castellano in the saddle tonight. This is the dream partnership that led to the win in Kentucky, and the two have teamed up once more for the Preakness Stakes.
Weaker Competitors Compared to Kentucky Derby
The last thing I’d like to highlight ahead of the Preakness Stakes is that the lineup is much weaker than the Kentucky Derby. Mage had to beat numerous horses that had been formidable during the 2023 season, and he did so in style. Therefore, when you consider that the Preakness Stakes only has 6 horses from him to beat, all signs certainly point to a Mage win tonight.
This isn’t to say that it will be a walk in the park. But I’d certainly say that Mage is the likely winner.
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