Justify draws No. 7 post for 2018 Preakness Stakes

By NBC SportsMay 16, 2018, 5:44 PM EST
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Justify will look to keep his Triple Crown dream alive from the No. 7 post as the 2018 Preakness Stakes draw was announced on Wednesday.

Justify, trained by Bob Baffert, enters this weekend’s race at Pimlico as the favorite with 1-2 odds. Good Magic, which finished second at the Kentucky Derby, will take the No. 5 post with 3-1 odds.

Preakness Stakes: What Time, Where to Watch and More

American Pharoah won from the No. 1 post in his quest for the Triple Crown in 2015.

Here’s the rest of the draw for the 143rd Preakness Stakes:

No. 1 – Quip
No. 2 – Lone Sailor
No. 3 – Sporting Chance
No. 4 – Diamond King
No. 5 – Good Magic
No. 6 – Tenfold
No. 7 – Justify
No. 8 – Bravazo

Preakness Stakes Schedule
What: 143rd Preakness Stakes
When: May 19th, 2018
Post Time: 6:48 p.m. ET
Where to Watch: NBC, NBC Sports App

Click for the full Preakness Stakes race weekend schedule.

Santa Anita cancels racing after heavy rain inundates track

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Associated PressJan 17, 2019, 10:46 PM EST
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ARCADIA, Calif. — Santa Anita has canceled its eight-race card because of wet weather after 3+ inches of rain dropped on the Southern California racetrack in three days.

Officials at the track in Arcadia say heavy overnight rains and more rain throughout the day Thursday made it necessary to cancel. They say the track will make every effort to reschedule the races in the immediate future.

Track superintendent Andy LaRocco says an additional 2 inches of rain was forecast for Thursday.

Live racing will resume on Friday with eight races.

Kentucky Derby purse up to $3 million

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Associated PressJan 10, 2019, 3:33 PM EST
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kentucky Derby’s purse will be raised to $3 million this May, an increase of $1 million and the first boost in 14 years.

Churchill Downs said Thursday the winner of the 145th running will receive $1.86 million. The runner-up will earn $600,000, with third place worth $300,000, fourth place $150,000 and fifth place $90,000.

The Derby purse had been $2 million since 2005 and $1 million from 1996-2004.

Track President Kevin Flanery attributes the increase to more bettors using historical racing machines – the electronic form of parimutuel betting – at a recently opened facility near the track.

The second and third legs of the Triple Crown offer total purses of $1.5 million in the Preakness and Belmont stakes.

The purse for the Kentucky Oaks for 3-year-old fillies on May 3 was raised by $250,000 to $1.25 million. It had been worth $1 million since 2011 and was worth $500,000 from 1996-2010.

Churchill Downs also increased purses for some races on the Derby Day undercard on May 4.