ANVIK, Alaska — Defending champion Lance Mackey is maintaining his lead in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race with one-third of the race to go.

Mackey reached Eagle Island at 8:33 a.m. Saturday after a 60-mile ride from Grayling.

That means he has covered 701 miles, with 421 left to go.

Sebastian Schnuelle, winner of last month's 1,000-mile Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race between Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and Fairbanks, was in second place. He left Grayling at 3:05 a.m. Saturday. Aaron Burmeister followed two minutes later.

Mackey maintained the lead despite a mistake Friday that he said could have cost him the race.

After leaving the Shageluk checkpoint, he dozed off and took a wrong turn. He was forced to backtrack, a mistake that cost him two hours.