BALTIMORE (AP) — Bob Baffert’s National Treasure crossed the finish line first in the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, ending Mage’s Triple Crown bid in the trainer’s return from a suspension — and just hours after another of his 3-year-old horses was euthanized on the track.
Baffert headed to the winner’s circle on the same day that his colt Havnameltdown went down with a fatal left leg injury in an undercard race. Baffert said he and his team were in shock.
It was another dark moment for a sport already reeling from the deaths of seven horses at Churchill Downs in a 10-day span leading up to theHavnameltdown.
Derby winner Mage finished third in the Preakness. His defeat means there will not be a Triple Crown winner for a fifth consecutive year.
Trainer Bob Baffert, back at Pimlico for the first time since 2020 after controversy and suspension, wins his record-breaking 8th #Preakness.
— Shawn Stepner (@StepnerWMAR) May 20, 2023
This after one of his horses was injured and euthanized earlier in the day.
