Mage holds all the aces in Preakness Stakes

Leg two of the US Triple Crown, the 148th Preakness Stakes, takes place on Saturday with the sport under a cloud.

The season's first Classic, the Kentucky Derby, was arguably more notable for its highly contentious build-up. A spate of seven deaths in the preceding week, including two horses trained by Saffie Joseph Jnr, led to stewards taking the unusual step of scratching his Lord Miles from the big race. He was one of five horses removed from the line-up, including ante-post favourite Forte whose connections questioned the vet's decision to remove him due to a bruised foot.

Mage emerged victorious from all the consternation and on paper he faces a considerably easier task at Pimlico after his main threat, Godolphin's First Mission, was scratched on Friday. It means just six opponents – the smallest Preakness field since 1986 – remain. None of his rivals lined up at Churchill Downs, and the biggest concern for backers of Mage will be whether he can back up under Javier Castellano just 15 days after that length success and become the first winning favourite since Justify in 2018.

Gustavo Delgado Jnr, son of Mage's trainer, told American outlet Horse Racing Nation: “I know [Coffeewithchris] has got some speed. National Treasure, blinkers on, makes sense. [Mage] likes the post, the 3, and it’s pretty much about how he breaks and getting a good rhythm and making his run. We just want him to be relaxed the first half of the race and then have a fair shot to make his move.”

The bookmakers see National Treasure as his principal danger. The Quality Road colt has returned to Bob Baffert's yard after a spell with Tim Yakteen, during which he finished a staying-on fourth in the Santa Anita Derby.

Blazing Sevens was third in the Blue Grass Stakes to Tapit Trice last time and represents heavy hitters Irad Ortiz and Chad Brown, while Perform has won his last two starts and is improving. - Racingpost.com

Preakness runners, odds, and post positions
1 National Treasure 6-1 - Always hard to ignore a Bob Baffert horse but comes into this having not won since debut.

2 Chase The Chaos 100-1 - A tough ask having been well beaten in a weaker race.

3 Mage 6-5 - The right favourite and the one they have to beat with confidence from Kentucky.

4 Coffeewithchris 66-1 - Will require a colossal improvement on form shown already.

5 Red Route One 25-1 - Steve Asmussen knows what he's doing and has been trending the right way in increasingly tougher races. Could place.

6 Perform 25-1 - A big drifter in the market already but showed a liking for similar trip at Laurel Park.

7 Blazing Sevens 20-1 - Has been targeted at this race and has top rider Irad Ortiz in the saddle.

8 First Mission - SCRATCHED.