The 2023 Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course will mark the 148th Run for the Black-Eyed Susans. The 2023 Preakness Stakes field will be made up of seven 2023 Preakness Stakes horses after First Mission was scratched with a left hind ailment on Friday. Kentucky Derby winner Mage is the only horse returning from the first leg of the Triple Crown and is the 8-5 favorite in the 2023 Preakness Stakes odds after posting a career-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure at Churchill Downs. Will a more meandering pace have an impact and will the fresh legs of 2023 Preakness Stakes contenders like National Treasure (4-1) and Blazing Sevens (6-1) be a factor?
The 2023 Preakness Stakes post time is 7:01 p.m. ET on Saturday. Before locking in any 2023 Preakness Stakes picks, be sure to see the horse racing predictions from SportsLine’s Jody Demling, given his dominant Preakness track record.
A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling has called the Preakness winner nine times in the last 18 years, and nailed his 2022 Preakness exacta. Demling also enters the 2023 Preakness Stakes having nailed the winner of the Belmont Stakes four of the last five years, including an exacta in 2022 with Mo Donegal and Nest. He also called Flightline’s win at the Breeders’ Cup Classic last November.
Additionally, he has hit 10 of the last 15 Derby-Oaks doubles at Churchill Downs. That means he held a ticket with the winners of both races all but five times in the last 15 tries. Anyone who has followed him on these races is way up.
Now, with the 2023 Preakness Stakes approaching, Demling is sharing his picks and predictions over at SportsLine. Go here to see them.
Top 2023 Preakness Stakes predictions
One of Demling’s surprising 2023 Preakness Stakes picks: Demling is high on Blazing Sevens, even though he’s a longshot at 6-1. He’s a target for anyone looking for a huge payday. In a race where six of the seven runners didn’t participate in the Kentucky Derby, Blazing Sevens’ resume might not stand out, but trainer Chad Brown’s does when you consider the circumstances.
Blazing Sevens had enough points to qualify for the Kentucky Derby but Brown made the decision to hold him out and prep him for Pimlico Race Course. That’s a strategy that Brown has deployed before, winning the 2017 Preakness Stakes with Cloud Computing and the 2022 Preakness Stakes with Early Voting after skipping the first leg of the Triple Crown. Like Mage, Blazing Sevens was sired by Good Magic, so 9.5 furlongs shouldn’t be an issue. See who else to back here.
How to make 2023 Preakness Stakes picks, bets
Demling’s top pick is an overlooked horse who is “a star in the making.” He’s also locked in a shocking prediction for Mage, who’s coming off a monumental Kentucky Derby victory. Head to SportsLine to see Demling’s entire projected leaderboard.
Who wins the Preakness Stakes 2023? Where does Mage finish? And which overlooked horse is a must-back? Check out the latest 2023 Preakness Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling’s picks for the 2023 Preakness Stakes, all from the expert who nailed 10 Derby-Oaks doubles and nine of the last 18 Preakness winners.