3 minute read

The 148th running of the Gr 1 and second leg of the Triple Crown will have one of the smallest fields ever.

Mage, the only possible triple crown contender as he's the only one of the Kentucky Derby runners to come to Pimlico, remains the favourite.  Second favourite First Mission has been scratched owing to issues with his left hind, so apart from diminishing the field it removes a potential source of pace.

Mage, who will be ridden by Javier Castellano and has more Venezuelan connections with trainers Delgado padre e hijo, is on 8/11.  He's by Good Magic as is Blazing Sevens who comes from Chad Brown's yard and will have Irad Ortiz in the irons and he's on 10/1 so a good quinella prospect.  He was third in the Blue Grass.

National Treasure Is most pickers second pick – by Quality Road  and comes from Bob Baffert's California yard.  He's on 5/1 and was fourth in the Santa Anita Derby.

There's always a chance that Mage hasn't fully bounced back from his Derby run and has to run a bit further here, but that looks a bit like splitting hairs.  We were told by the ancestral seat of wisdom that always go for the top horse in a top race – they haven't got there by magic.