One race down, just two remain.
The 149th Kentucky Derby provided the goods, and it was Mage that pulled off an electric victory at Churchill Downs in Louisville. The No.8 horse charged down the pack with a furlong left and edged out Two Phil’s and Angel of Empire to collect 1st place.
Mage owned the eighth-best odds before the race, but it was Ohio sportsbooks promos supporting Two Phil’s and Angel of Empire as they were two of the top three betting favorites at the derby.
And now, Mage is two wins shy of making history.
What is the Triple Crown?
The Triple Crown is an American horse racing championship dedicated to three-year-old Thoroughbreds. In a single season, participants must win the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes to win the Crown. All three races are set just weeks apart from one another.
The stakes are huge, with a purse of $3 million – the most lucrative of the three Triple Crown races – split between the top five horses, and the winner takes a massive $1.86 million. However, due to its history, winning the Crown and being placed on a list of legendary jockeys/horses/trainers surpass the monetary rewards.
Jockeys, trainers, and horses have an opportunity to win the Triple Crown every year, and it begins with the Kentucky Derby, followed by the Preakness Stakes, and ends with the Belmont Stakes. Belmont is the third and final race and the longest race at 1 ½ miles. The Kentucky Derby is the second longest at 1 ¼ miles, and the Preakness Stakes is the shortest at 1 3/16 miles.
Past Winners of the Triple Crown
Winning three consecutive races is one of the most difficult challenges in professional horse racing. Its difficulty is displayed on the records, as a mere 13 horses have won the Triple Crown in over 100 years.
Sir Barton was the first to win the prestigious Triple Crown title in 1919, while the most recent winner was Justify in 2018.
Here’s a list of the 13 Triple Crown winners:
- Sir Barton (1919)
- Gallant Fox (1930)
- Omaha (1935)
- War Admiral (1937)
- Whirlaway (1941)
- Count Fleet (1943)
- Assault (1946)
- Citation (1948)
- Secretariat (1973)
- Seattle Slew (1977)
- Affirmed (1978)
- American Pharoah (2015)
- Justify (2018)
Preakness Stakes 2023
Mage has secured a Kentucky Derby win and will return for the next leg of the Triple Crown on Saturday, May 20, at the Pimlico Racecourse, Baltimore. Due to his Churchill Downs victory, he’s now the only horse eligible to win the Triple Crown and must secure first place at the Preakness Stakes.
Belmont Stakes 2023
The Triple Crown will wrap up its festivities with the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 10, at Belmont Park, New York. It will be just over a month following Mage’s Kentucky Derby win when this race takes place. Again, Mage is the lone horse that can obtain the Triple Crown title and must win the Preakness and Belmont Stakes to lift the coveted award.
What do we know about Mage?
Mage has been the talk of the town since his first-place finish at the 2023 Kentucky Derby.
The horse started the race at 15/1 odds and delivered a huge upset at Churchill Downs to defy the bookmaker’s lines.
Mage joined the elite company of his relatives with the Kentucky Derby 2023 success. He’s the grandson of Big Brown, who won the Derby and Preakness Stakes in 2008, and Curlin, who won the Preakness in 2007.
Big Brown is the sire of Puca, Mage’s dam. While Good Magic – Mage’s sire and Curlin’s colt - took second place at the 2018 Kentucky Derby.
The lack of experience Mage owns is the biggest question mark around his ability to win the Crown. His Kentucky Derby win was his fourth-ever start.
A mere four months ago, on Jan.28, we saw Mage make his competitive debut, a race he won. All three of his starts were at Gulfstream Park.
However, despite the horse’s inexperience, he joined Justify (2018 Triple Crown winner) as one of only three horses to win a Derby after making just three previous starts. The other two were his Grandad Big Brown and Regret (2015).
