Report: Baffert may run National Treasure in Preakness

National Treasure has returned to the barn of Bob Baffert and is possible for the Preakness on May 20.

The 3-year-old son of Quality Road most recently finished fourth behind Practical Move in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), his only start for trainer Tim Yakteen.

Tom Ryan of SF Racing confirmed to Bob Ehalt of BloodHorse that National Treasure is possible for the Preakness. "It's our intention to try and move in that direction as long as the horse is taking us there," Ryan said. "He was transferred back to Bob and worked last weekend and did everything we asked of him. It was one in a series of works that will hopefully get him (to the Preakness)."

National Treasure worked four furlongs in 48.0 seconds on Saturday at Santa Anita. It was his first work since the Santa Anita Derby.

National Treasure broke his maiden on debut last September at Del Mar before hitting the board in the American Pharoah (G1), Breeders' Cup Juvenile, and Sham (G3). All of those starts came for Baffert.

Baffert last entered a horse in the Triple Crown almost two years ago, when Medina Spirit ran third behind Rombauer in the 2021 Preakness. Baffert was unable to run horses in any of the Triple Crown races last year due to a 90-day suspension from the state of Kentucky that overlapped the entire 2022 Triple Crown series. That suspension followed Medina Spirit's positive drug test after the 2021 Kentucky Derby.

In addition, Baffert was given a two-year suspension from racetracks owned by Churchill Downs, Inc. That suspension barred him from entering horses at their tracks until the end of the 2023 spring meet at Churchill Downs.  However, it does not affect his eligibility at other tracks. Thus, Baffert is eligible to run horses in the Preakness or Belmont in 2023.

Baffert leads all trainers with 16 wins in Triple Crown races, including seven victories in the Preakness. That ties him with R. Wyndam Walden as the all-time leading trainer by Preakness wins.