National Treasure will attempt to be the 19th horse to sweep the Preakness-Belmont double without a Derby victory. The son of Quality Road went gate-to-wire while providing Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez with his first win in the middle jewel of the Triple Crown. He staved off a late stretch rally from Grade 1 winner Blazing Sevens to win by a head and register a 98 Beyer for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.
Third to Forte in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, National Treasure entered the Preakness off a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 8 – his lone off-the-board placing in six starts. The last horse to win both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes without running in the Kentucky Derby was Pillory [1922].
National Treasure raced with blinkers on in the Preakness, previously sporting them in his maiden triumph and the Breeders’ Cup.