Kentucky Derby Winner Mage to Run in Preakness After 'Magnificent Week of Training'

After winning the Kentucky Derby last weekend, Mage will continue his pursuit of horse racing's Triple Crown by entering the Preakness Stakes.

According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), co-owner Ramiro Restrepo announced Mage's Preakness entry Friday, saying: "He's had a magnificent week of training. [Trainer] Gustavo Delgado [Jr.] was just really pleased and over the moon of how he's come back. He's shown all the positive signs. So, it's on to Baltimore and crab cakes, here we come."

The Delgado-trained horse made a late charge to overtake Two Phil's and win the 149th Run for the Roses, giving jockey Javier Castellano his first career Kentucky Derby win in the process.

When Kentucky Derby favorite Forte was scratched the morning of the race due to a bruised foot, an already wide-open field became even more unpredictable, allowing Mage to win as a 15-1 shot.

After not racing at all as a 2-year-old, Mage finished fourth in the Fountain of Youth Stakes and second to Forte in the Florida Derby leading up to the Kentucky Derby.

Rich Strike, who won last year's Kentucky Derby as an 80-1 long shot, did not run in the Preakness, meaning there was no opportunity for a Triple Crown winner in 2022.

Mage's entry into the Preakness adds some excitement to the spring horse racing slate, as he will look to become the first Triple Crown winner since Justify in 2018.

There had been a long gap between Triple Crown winners with Affirmed winning in 1978 and another not emerging until American Pharoah in 2015. If Mage can pull off the feat, it will mark the third Triple Crown winner in the past nine years.

The 148th running of the Preakness Stakes is scheduled for May 20 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

Restrepo said the plan for Mage is for him to train again Saturday morning before traveling to Baltimore and getting another training session in on Monday.