Riot Games introduces Hwei, League of Legends' first true human male mage. Hwei possesses nine spells and one ultimate, categorized into disaster (offensive), serenity (utility), and torment (crowd control). Each spell requires two button presses to activate, and Hwei's damaging abilities mark enemy champions, creating explosions that deal magic damage. Hwei's abilities include devastating fire, severing bolt, molten fissure, fleeting current, pool of reflection, stirring lights, grim visage, gaze of the abyss, crushing maw, and spiraling despair.
Riot Games has revealed the new League of Legends champion, Hwei, who is a mage designed for the mid lane position. Hwei has 10 different abilities, divided into three sets: Disaster (damage-dealing), Serenity (buffing), and Torment (crowd control). His ultimate ability, Spiraling Despair, launches an orb that attaches to an enemy champion, dealing damage and slowing nearby enemies before exploding. Hwei is expected to be released in a few weeks with patch 13.24.
Geaux Rocket Ride, a 12-1 longshot, pulled off an upset victory in the Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park, defeating Kentucky Derby winner Mage by 1 3/4 lengths. The win marked jockey Mike Smith's record fourth Haskell victory. Trainer Bob Baffert, who had won the Haskell nine times previously, finished out of the top 2 for the first time in over 20 years. The race drew a crowd of 35,286, the largest since 2018.
National Treasure, trained by Bob Baffert, won the 148th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, holding off a hard-charging Blazing Sevens down the final stretch. Kentucky Derby champion and third-place finisher Mage took third place. Baffert wins his record eighth The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans and Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez completes the career Triple Crown with his first Preakness win in 13 attempts. The race was overshadowed by the death of Havnameltdown, another Baffert-trained horse, who broke his ankle and was euthanized.
National Treasure, trained by Bob Baffert, won the 148th running of the Preakness Stakes, the second jewel in the Triple Crown, with jockey John R. Velazquez earning his first victory in the race. Mage, attempting to become the first horse since Justify in 2018 to win both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, finished third, ending his Triple Crown bid. The smallest field in the Preakness Stakes since 1986 saw seven participants, with First Mission being scratched due to an issue with his left hind ankle.
Trainer Chad Brown will attempt to win back-to-back Preakness Stakes with Blazing Stevens in the 2023 Preakness Stakes field. Blazing Stevens is well-rested, having bypassed the Kentucky Derby despite qualifying. Blazing Stevens is 6-1, giving him the third-lowest 2023 Preakness Stakes odds. The favorite, Mage (8-5), and the Baffert-trained National Treasure (4-1) have shorter odds than Blazing Sevens. Elite horse racing handicapper Jody Demling is high on Blazing Sevens, despite the fact that he's outside the top two favorites at 6-1. Demling has also locked in his 2023 Kentucky Derby picks for Mage, the Kentucky Derby winner and 2023 Preakness Stakes favorite.
Mage is the favorite to win the 2023 Preakness Stakes and become the first horse since Justify in 2018 to win both the Preakness and Kentucky Derby in the same year. First Mission was scratched due to an injury, while National Treasure, trained by Bob Baffert, has a chance to break the record for most Preakness wins. The race will take place at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore and will be televised on NBC.
Bob Baffert will return to the Preakness Stakes after serving a suspension from the sport. His horse, National Treasure, is among the favorites for the race, but faces tough competition from Mage, the race favorite. The Preakness Stakes will take place on Saturday at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland.
The 2023 Preakness Stakes will feature National Treasure, a horse trained by Bob Baffert, who has won the race a record seven times. Kentucky Derby winner Mage is the favorite, with Blazing Sevens and Red Route One also in the mix. First Mission was scratched on Friday. Elite horse racing handicapper Jody Demling is high on Blazing Sevens, despite his longshot odds. Demling has also locked in his picks for Mage, who is ridden by a two-time winner of the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, jockey Javier Castellano.
Perform has been added to the 2023 Preakness Stakes field as a 15-1 longshot, while Kentucky Derby winner Mage is the 8-5 favorite. SportsLine writer Gene Menez, who has a history of successful handicapping, is fading Mage and backing two other horses in his picks for the race. Menez advises against backing the favorite due to a rest disadvantage and potential pace problem. He has constructed his wagers and shared his top picks exclusively on SportsLine.
Mage, the Kentucky Derby winner, will compete in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on Saturday. The race will be televised on CNBC and NBC, and can be streamed on Peacock, the NBC Sports website, and app. The post time is approximately 7:01 p.m. ET, and the race is 1 3/16 miles on the dirt track. Mage is looking to become the first Kentucky Derby winner to also win the Preakness since Justify did it in 2018 on his way to winning the Triple Crown.
Mage, the Kentucky Derby winner and Preakness favorite, is the only Derby horse in what is considered a weak field. First Mission, considered to be his biggest challenger, was scratched on Friday morning with a left hind ankle injury. The Preakness horses are listed in order of post position, with National Treasure and Mage being the top contenders. Bob Baffert will add blinkers to National Treasure to try to get him back on track after a promising 2-year-old season.
The 148th Preakness Stakes will feature a field of eight horses, with Mage, the Kentucky Derby winner, as the favorite. Bob Baffert's National Treasure is also expected to contend, while longshot Chase the Chaos is not likely to make an impact. Coffeewithchris has home-field advantage but may struggle with endurance, while Red Route One and Perform are both peaking and could surprise. Blazing Sevens has top connections but may not want the distance.
With the scratch of First Mission, National Treasure becomes the most likely value bet in the Preakness Stakes, as Mage is expected to be odds-on. While Mage is still the most likely winner, National Treasure's front-end threat is now even stronger with one less competitor. Betting on 1, 5, 6, 7 in verticals may also make sense if Mage's tank is empty.
Expert Gene Menez has unveiled his picks and bets for the 2023 Preakness Stakes, with Mage, the Kentucky Derby winner, being faded due to the shorter amount of rest between races. Menez's top pick is a horse who's "sitting on a big race," and he is also high on another horse who "has a big chance" to come through for his backers at Pimlico. Mage is the 8-5 favorite in the 2023 Preakness Stakes odds, with National Treasure, Blazing Sevens, and Red Route One rounding out the top four in the seven-horse field.
