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Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Preakness best bets: How to bet Saturday's Preakness Stakes

By John Dudley | Last updated 5/19/23

Since the second jewel of the Triple Crown takes place two weeks after the first, it’s common to see the connections for some Kentucky Derby horses decide against running in the Preakness. Those who are eyeing the Belmont may prefer to come in fresh, but that conservative approach has been taken to an extreme this year, as the only familiar name in the field is the Derby winner.

The general weakness of this 148th Preakness was already established, and now the second betting choice, the lightly raced but dangerous First Mission, has been scratched. Barring any other developments, just six new shooters will be loaded into the gates at Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course on Saturday. While it has become an uninspiring race to wager on, the strongest consideration should be given to the following:

The formidable favorite: No. 3 Mage (8-5 on the morning line)

After sitting behind a blistering pace, Mage overtook Two Phil’s in the stretch to capture the Run for the Roses. His tendency to break slowly worked to his advantage in that race, but this one is much less crowded and a sixteenth of a mile shorter. He will again be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, who has won the Preakness twice previously.

OddsChecker prediction: Don't miss this horse's value at Pimlico

2023 Preakness prediction and best bet for Saturday's second leg of the Triple Crown. We need a winner for the Preakness. Luckily for us, Krabs is here to give us his best bet. All eyes will be on Mage, but it's another horse that has Krabs' attention.

The appealing alternative: No. 1 National Treasure (4-1)

Although he hasn’t won since his debut last September, National Treasure has hit the board in each of his four subsequent races. His inside post likely means that jockey John Velazquez takes him to the front, but the pace will be more moderate than the Derby’s. Adding blinkers and being on the lead should increase his chances of delivering the upset.

The live longshot: No. 5 Red Route One (10-1)

No Preakness horse has more experience than Red Route One, who has already raced nine times. A classic deep closer, he’s expected to be nowhere near the lead early and then passing tired horses late. Jockey Joel Rosario employed that strategy to perfection in the Bath House Row Stakes, rallying from eighth place to win by a head.

Wagering wisdom

This space correctly identified Disarm as a “board-hitting bomb” in the Derby, but you needed to have the correct three finishers in front of him to enjoy the five-figure superfecta payout. Unfortunately, this edition of the Preakness offers limited value and virtually no shot at a big score. Beyond the horses listed above, No. 6 Perform looms as a threat and the appropriately positioned No. 7 Blazing Sevens may be worth including on the bottom of tris and supers.

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