There will be no Triple Crown winner this year (the Kentucky Derby winner, Mage, finished third), but National Treasure ran a strong race and provided a thrilling battle to the wire against Blazing Sevens, prevailing at the end by a head.

National Treasure was sired by Quality Road and sold as a yearling fo $500,000. The Preakness is his first G1 Stakes win and his first win since he broke his maiden. Interestingly, both Blazing Sevens and Mage were sired by Good Magic.

National Treasure gave rider Johnny Valezquez his first Preakness win — and the 8th Preakness win for trainer Bob Baffert – he was banned from last year’s Preakness, but allowed to have his horses compete this year. The win on National Treasure was marred when Havnameltdown suffered a catestrophic breakdown in the Chick Lang Stakes on the Preakness undercard and had to be euthanized on the track.

The Triple Crown season has been fraught with issues this year. Seven horses died at Churchill Downs before the Derby, two in races on the Derby undercard. No discernable pattern has been identified in the deaths so far, but for horse racing enthusiasts, it makes you question whether this is a problem with track surfaces, drugs, breeding, or just bad luck.

I will admit that I rarely watch races live any more, prefering to wait until I know that all horses returned safely. This year I chose not to post a replay of the Ainsley Grand National as a horse died as the result of a fall. We need to do better for our equine partners.