An emotional day — and an emotional two years — for Bob Baffert ended in pure joy at the Preakness Stakes.
Banned from last year's race due to Medina Spirit's failed drug test after the 2021 Kentucky Derby, Baffert returned to Pimlico Race Course on Saturday and came out a champion as National Treasure claimed victory over six competitors, including Kentucky Derby winner Mage.
National Treasure took the early lead and then narrowly held off a charging Blazing Sevens down the stretch to earn the thrilling win in 1 minute, 55:12 seconds.
Mage finished third. The horse stalked the leaders but then fell behind in the stretch, losing a chance at becoming the first Triple Crown winner since 2018.
MORE: Full list of Triple Crown winners
Baffert, whose horses have authored each of the last two Triple Crowns, secured his eighth Preakness victory. It came on a day his horse Havnameltdown was euthanized after suffering an injury in an undercard race. Jockey Luis Saez was thrown from the horse and taken to a local hospital after complaining of leg pain.
Baffert was visibly emotional after National Treasure's bittersweet victory, and while opinions on his controversial track record are mixed at best, the race made one thing clear: He's back.
The victory also marked the first Preakness win for jockey John Velazquez, who has three Kentucky Derby wins to his name.
MORE: Why Bob Baffert wasn't allowed at 2023 Kentucky Derby
The Sporting News tracked live updates and results from the 2023 Preakness Stakes on Saturday. Check out what you might have missed from the race at Pimlico.
Preakness Stakes finish order
| Order | Horse | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Treasure | 5-2 |
| 2 | Blazing Sevens | 9-2 |
| 3 | Mage | 7-5 |
| 4 | Red Route One | 8-1 |
| 5 | Chase the Chaos | 10-1 |
| 6 | Perform | 8-1 |
| 7 | Coffeewithchriss | 10-1 |
Preakness Stakes live results, highlights from 2023 race
(All times Eastern)
7:08 p.m. — NATIONAL TREASURE WINS! He just barely held off a charging Blazing Sevens as the pair separated from Mage in the stretch run. There will be no Triple Crown winner this year, and what a win this was for National Treature.
7:07 p.m. — Mage has moved to third . . . will we see another late surge to the front?
7:07 p.m. — National Treasure holds the early lead.
7:05 p.m. — The horses are loading. Mage is into the starting gate. Here we go!
7:02 p.m. — Nothing is timed perfectly. The horses are still making their way over. Once they're in, though, it's on.
6:58 p.m. — We're just a few minutes out from the race as the seven horses make their way over to the start. Will this be the first time since 2018 that the Kentucky Derby winner goes ahead and wins the Preakness?
6:53 p.m. — Odell Beckham Jr. delivers the "Riders up" call, and plenty of other Ravens are on hand for the race.
6:47 p.m. — Mike Tirico is picking Red Route One, but Mage is the popular pick from the rest of the panel.
6:37 p.m. — The last two Triple Crown winners belonged to Bob Baffert. A Triple Crown run by Mage would represent something much different, considering his ownership structure and ties to Venezuela through trainer Gustavo Delgado.
6:14 p.m. — New Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. says he'll be making the "Riders up" call before the Preakness.
5:42 p.m. — Steve Kornacki is back on the horse racing beat:
5:33 p.m. — We're now less than 90 minutes from post time as the main event starts to come into focus. Despite some early concern about rain, it's 76 degrees and partly cloudy in Baltimore.
5:20 p.m. — Straight No Chaser dominates the Maryland Sprint field as the favorite.
4:56 p.m. — Cal Ripken Jr. sighting at Pimlico!
4:43 p.m. — Beer Can Man (tremendous name) wins the Jim McKay Turf Sprint after a neck-and-neck stretch run.
4:23 p.m. — Mage is the favorite at 8-5 odds as he tries to move one step closer to the Triple Crown, but National Treasure (4-1) and Blazing Stevens (6-1) aren't far behind. Their odds dropped after First Mission withdrew this week.
4:08 p.m. — One of Bob Baffert's horses, Havenameltdown, was euthanized Saturday after suffering an injury during an undercard race. Jockey Luis Saez was thrown from the horse and taken to a hospital with a potential leg injury. A sad wrinkle leading up to the Preakness just two weeks after the Kentucky Derby was marred by several horse deaths.
10:30 a.m. — Kentucky Derby winner and Preakness favorite Mage had a bit of a scare leading up to the race. Ramiro Restrepo, one of the horse's owners, revealed Saturday morning that the 3-year-old suffered a superficial cut above one of his eyes Thursday but has been cleared to race at Pimlico.
2023 Preakness Stakes post time
- Date: Saturday, May 20
- Post time: 7:01 p.m. ET
- TV coverage: NBC, NBCSports.com, Peacock, Fubo
Post time for the 2023 Preakness Stakes is listed as 7:01 p.m. ET. The 1 3/16-mile race will be run at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.
The Preakness will be the 13th race on Pimlico's Saturday race card. CNBC and NBC are carrying some of the early races.
Fans can watch online via Peacock or Fubo, which offers a free trial.
Preakness Stakes post positions
Here is the full list of starting post position and early odds for each horse to win. First Mission, 5-2 on the morning odds, was scratched Friday.
| Post position | Horse | Odds |
| 1 | National Treasure | 4-1 |
| 2 | Chase the Chaos | 50-1 |
| 3 | Mage | 8-5 |
| 4 | Coffeewithchris | 20-1 |
| 5 | Red Route One | 10-1 |
| 6 | Perform | 15-1 |
| 7 | Blazing Sevens | 6-1 |