The biggest storyline for the race is going to be whether Mage can repeat his impressive performance from Churchill Downs.

The two-week turnaround is a difficult one to navigate. That's what makes it so difficult for horses to capture multiple legs of the Triple Crown. The short rest, combined with differing race lengths and fresh horses being inserted into every field, makes it a big ask.

Despite all of those things being in play in Baltimore, Mage has managed to be the pre-draw favorite.

It's an example of what one great performance can do. Mage was 15-1 to win the Derby when he broke from the post under the Twin Spires; now he's the favorite.

That is earned, but there's plenty of reason to believe Mage will have a difficult time getting his second win in two weeks.

For one, there are several contenders who aren't coming off the Derby. Second choice First Mission hasn't raced since April 15 when he won the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland.

He's a dangerous competitor having posted a 103 Equibase speed figure. The fact that he's lightly raced means there's some potential for him to have an even better performance at the Preakness.

Blazing Sevens is another notable contender who skipped out on the Derby with an eye toward the Preakness. Trainer Chad Brown has employed that strategy for two recent Preakness winners: Cloud Computing in 2017 and Early Voting last year.

"It's always been decided on an individual horse basis. With those two horses, it worked. This horse seemed to fit the category a bit," Brown said, per Blood Horse.

He's another contender who could benefit from fresh legs. He hasn't raced since April 8, when he was outrun by two Derby entrants in Verifying and Tapit Trice at the Blue Grass Stakes in Keeneland.

Post position could play an important factor. The smaller field and shorter track can make it beneficial to break from the inside, giving those colts the inside track and the potential to get out and set the pace.

It's rarely a tactic that works in the Derby but has worked in previous runs of the Preakness.

That could work against Mage, who has made a habit of lurking behind the early pace before making a late run to surpass the field.

Pre-Draw Predictions

1. First Mission

3. National Treasure

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