Baffert's National Treasure wins
BALTIMORE >> Bob Baffert choked back tears and his voice cracked while trying to juggle the feelings of one of his horses winning the Preakness Stakes and another being euthanized on the same track.
“This business is twists and turns, the ups and downs,” he said. “To win this — losing that horse today really hurt . ... It's been a very emotional day.”
National Treasure won the Preakness on Saturday in Baffert's return to the Triple Crown trail following a suspension, but it came hours after another 3-year-old colt, Havnameltdown, was put down because of a left leg injury in an undercard race. The victory ended Mage's bid for the Triple Crown in a conflicting scene similar to that of two weeks earlier when he won the Kentucky Derby in the aftermath of seven horses dying in 10 days at Churchill Downs.
National Treasure, the 5-2 second choice, held off hard-charging Blazing Sevens down the stretch to win the 1 3/16-mile, $1.65 million race by a head in 1:55.12.
“He fought the whole way,” jockey John Velazquez said. “He put up a really good fight . ... That's what champions do.”
National Treasure paid $7.80 to win, $4 to place and $2.60 to show. Blazing Sevens paid $5 to place and $2.80 to show.
Mage finished third after going off as the 7-5 favorite, paying $2.40 to show. His defeat, caused by a pace much slower than the Derby, means there will not be a Triple Crown winner for a fifth consecutive year.
“I followed every single step of the way, the winner,” Mage jockey Javier Castellano said. “But those horses, with pace, no speed in the race, hard to catch.”
Much like Castellano won the Derby in his 16th try, Velazquez broke an 0-for-12 drought in the Preakness.
“It's been a while,” Velazquez said. “The success that I had in other races, not having won this one — it was definitely missing, so special to have it.”