2023 Kentucky Derby Winner Mage received a major boost to his chances of winning the second leg of the Triple Crown on Friday when it was announced that First Mission was scratched from Saturday’s Preakness Stakes due to a left hind injury.
The removal of the Lexington Stakes winner, who oddsmakers considered the top threat to Mage in the Preakness, trims the field down to seven horses. The departure of the son of Street Sense, who was listed as the second betting choice at odds of 5–2 on the morning line, leaves the race with the smallest amount of entrants since 1986 when Snow Chief beat a field of seven.
In a release shared on Goldolphin.com, director of bloodstock Michael Banahan shared his disappointment: "We are obviously very disappointed, but the welfare of the horse is our utmost concern, and we are going to take the necessary steps to determine the best course of action to get him back on the track.”
