Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan continues his pursuit of the Triple Crown when he starts Saturday’s 149th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico from post 5. He’s one of nine entrants in the $2 million race that was drawn at a ceremony Monday evening in Baltimore. The field also includes Arkansas Derby winner Muth, who defeated Mystik Dan in their previous matchup at Oaklawn. Muth will begin in post 4 and is the 8-5 morning line favorite as determined by Maryland Jockey Club oddsmaker Brian Nadeau. Mystik Dan is second choice at 5-2 odds.
Horseplayers on the 1/ST BET and Xpressbet platforms can enjoy up to a $10 money-back special on the Preakness as well as selected stakes throughout Friday and Saturday if your win bet finishes second or third. It’s also part of the $50,000 Exacta-Thon promotion over Friday and Saturday at Pimlico.
Three alumni of the Kentucky Derby make up the Preakness field. Joining Mystik Dan in the rematch will be Derby late-running, fourth-place finisher Catching Freedom (post 3, 6-1 odds) and Derby 17th-place finisher Just Steel (post 7, 15-1 odds); the latter was runner-up in the Arkansas Derby while splitting the expected Preakness favorites. Mystik Dan won the Derby by a diminishing nose over a distance 1/16th of a mile farther than the Preakness. Among the new faces to the Triple Crown trail include Tuscan Gold (post 8, 8-1 odds), whose trainer Chad Brown won this race in 2017 and 2022 with new shooters and was runner-up last year in similar style.
Pace forecasts for the Preakness are cloudy. Muth and Bob Baffert stablemate Imagination are the only two of three runners in the field to have won a race wire-to-wire in their careers (once each, joined by Seize the Grey). Which Baffert runner will be sent to the front and which will press the pace? That Muth drew post 4 and has no speed to his inside almost insures he’ll just be sent along from the start. Expect Imagination to track from post 9. Just Steel pressed the Kentucky Derby pace before backing up, but has made the lead only twice in 12 starts. Seize the Grey could show speed from post 6, but both Lukas charges are drawn between the Baffert speeds.
Preakness weekend gets off to a fast start Friday with the 100th running of the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes for 3-year-old fillies as well as the tradition-rich Pimlico Special for older horses. A forecast for a sunny Friday gives way to potentially wet conditions Saturday, which would be just fine with Mystik Dan based on past form.
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Pimlico // Race 13 // 7:01 pm ET // $2 million Preakness Stakes 149 // 1-3/16 miles
1-Mugatu (Joe Bravo // Jeff Engler) 20-1
2-Uncle Heavy (Irad Ortzi Jr. // Butch Reid) 20-1
3-Catching Freedom (Flavien Prat // Brad Cox) 6-1
4-Muth (Juan Hernandez // Bob Baffert) 8-5
5-Mystik Dan (Brian Hernandez Jr. // Kenny McPeek) 5-2
6-Seize the Grey (Jaime Torres // D. Wayne Lukas) 15-1
7-Just Steel (Joel Rosario // D. Wayne Lukas) 15-1
8-Tuscan Gold (Tyler Gaffalione // Chad Brown) 8-1
9-Imagination (Frankie Dettori // Bob Baffert) 6-1
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Full Schedule: Pimlico | Saturday, May 18, 2024
Race 1 | 10:30 am ET | maiden | start of pick 5
Race 2 | 11:05 am ET | allowance | start of pick 4
Race 3 |11:41 am ET | allowance | start of pick 5
Race 4 | 12:16 pm ET | Skipat Stakes | start of pick 4
Race 5 | 12:51 pm ET | maiden | start of pick 5
Race 6 | 1:28 pm ET | Chick Lang Stakes | start of all-stakes pick 4
Race 7 | 2:08 pm ET | Gallorette Stakes | start of all-stakes pick 5
Race 8 | 2:48 pm ET | Maryland Sprint Stakes | start of pick 6
Race 9 | 3:30 pm ET | James W. Murphy Stakes | start of all-stakes pick 5
Race 10 | 4:10 pm ET | Sir Barton Stakes | start of all-stakes pick 4
Race 11 | 4:53 pm ET | Jim McKay Turf Sprint Stakes | start of late pick 4
Race 12 | 5:52 pm ET | Dinner Party Stakes
Race 13 | 7:01 pm ET | Preakness Stakes 149
Race 14 | 7:43 pm ET | allowance
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