Preakness 2023: Entries, Contenders, Odds and Lineup Analysis

The 2023 edition of the Triple Crown is set to continue with its second leg when an eight-horse field competes in the 148th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

Crab cakes and Black-Eyed Susans will be flying on Saturday as Mage tries to write his name in the history books and capture the second jewel of the Triple Crown. Coming off an impressive win at the Kentucky Derby, the Gustavo Delgado-trained colt is one of the top contenders to win the race.

It's a nice change from last year when Rich Strike elected not to make the two-week turnaround after winning the Derby. It eliminated the chase for the elusive Triple Crown, but it did pave the way for a showdown between Early Voting and Epicenter at the Preakness.

Here's a look at the complete field and the latest odds, along with analysis of the entrants for the event.

Entries, Post Positions and Odds

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Blazing Sevens

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)

8. First Mission (5-2)

Odds via Preakness Stakes

Lineup Analysis and Preview

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First Mission prepares for the Preakness.

The Preakness is the shortest of the Triple Crown races and typically has a smaller field, so there is a bit of an advantage in breaking from the inside.

National Treasure figures to be a threat from the No. 1 post. The Bob Baffert colt had some strong showings as a two-year-old, including a second-place finish in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes before finishing third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile behind Forte who was the Derby favorite before withdrawing.

He'll break beside Chase the Chaos, who is the biggest long shot in the field. He started the year with a win in the El Camino Real Derby, but seventh- and eighth-place finishes in the San Felipe Stakes and California Derby, respectively, combined with a late-breaking style make him a true outsider.

Mage will break from the No. 3 spot. He has proved he's a high-quality horse with his win at the Kentucky Derby, where he made an impressive move on the field after starting well off the pace in the opening stages.

The biggest question is whether that running style can carry over to the shorter distance at Pimlico. It also doesn't help that he's the only entry who ran at Churchill Downs two weeks ago and he'll be facing a field of fresher, talented horses.

Coffeewithchris is the local pick. The Maryland-bred colt is a son of Ride On Curlin, who finished runner-up in the 2014 Preakness. That bloodline could be enough to make him a contender, but he will have to elevate his form to a higher level than we've seen previously.

Those looking for double-digit odds might be more inclined to take a look at Red Route One. The Steve Asmussen charge has the benefit of a trainer who has won this race twice (2007 and 2009) as well back-to-back second-place finishes in the last two years.

The colt has relied on being a closer to this point in his career, though. That could be an issue as there aren't a lot of true pace-setters in the lineup. He needs others to set a fast early pace so he can outlast them to the finish line.

Perform is a relative unknown at this point. He'll be racing in a graded stakes race for the first time at Pimlico.

Blazing Sevens is looking to take advantage of a fairly shallow field on Saturday. His most notable finish was a third-place run at the Blue Grass Stakes where he finished some way behind Tapit Trice and Verifying, but that's impressive enough to have single-digit odds in this race.

Mage's biggest competition may come from the outside. Brad Cox-trained First Mission will break from the No. 8 gate. Much like the Derby winner, he was unraced as a two-year-old but has shown real promise as a three-year-old.

A win at the Lexington Stakes and the potential to run different styles of races makes First Mission a dangerous element in the Preakness.