Preakness Stakes 2024 Betting Field, Odds, Prediction, Pick. Place a bet on this horse racing event now at YouWager.lv.
Mystik Dan’s quest for the Triple Crown got a little simpler in the lead-up to the Preakness Stakes.
Muth, a morning line favorite, was pulled due to illness earlier this week. That left Mystik Dan as the favorite to win at Pimlico Race Course on Saturday.
Mystik Dan’s surprising Kentucky Derby victory propelled him into the horse racing spotlight. Given how thin the field appears to be right now, he has a legitimate shot at winning the Preakness.
We might see a horse racing rendition of “Rocky” this weekend at the 2024 Preakness Stakes (G1). When trainer Kenny McPeek revealed that Mystik Dan, winner of the 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1), would compete in the second leg of the Triple Crown, he set up a rematch with Muth, who defeated Mystik Dan in the 2024 Arkansas Derby (G1).
As we all know, Rocky lost his first battle with Apollo Creed but came back to defeat the heavyweight champion in “Rocky II”. On Saturday evening, all eyes will be on the Pimlico Race Track to see if life imitates art in horse racing.
Preakness Stakes 2024 Betting Field and Odds
Here is the Preakness Stakes 2024 Betting Field and the odds for each horse:
| Position | Horse | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mugatu | 20-1 |
| 2 | Uncle Heavy | 20-1 |
| 3 | Catching Freedom | 6-1 |
| 4 | * Muth | 8-5 |
| 5 | Mystik Dan | 5-2 |
| 6 | Seize The Gray | 15-1 |
| 7 | Just Steel | 15-1 |
| 8 | Tuscan Gold | 8-1 |
| 9 | Imagination | 6-1 |
- Muth is not participating in the race as the horse was scratched on Wednesday.
Preakness Stakes 2024 Betting Prediction
Now, we have the Preakness Stakes 2024 Betting prediction.
Muth’s absence has put Mystik Dan in a far stronger position to win at Pimlico.
Muth has been one of the country’s best three-year-old horses, and if Bob Baffert hadn’t been prohibited from Churchill Downs, he would have been a contender for the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago.
Mystik Dan’s biggest obstacle right now is catching Freedom, who finished fourth in the Derby.
The only Derby horses scheduled to compete in the Preakness are Mystik Dan, Catching Freedom, and longshot Just Steel.
The Derby winner finished behind Catching Freedom and Just Steel in at least one race leading up to the first Saturday in May, but Mystik Dan outperformed the other two on race day.
Mystik Dan’s racing career includes three victories, two top-three finishes, and two fifth-place finishes. Anyone betting on him to win the Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes may be concerned about the variations in his performances.
Catching Freedom is expected to be in contention for the entire Preakness. He has never finished outside the top four in a race.
Imagination, the only Baffert-trained horse in the race, has the ability to upset Triple Crown talk.
Beginning with Post No. 9, the horse has finished first or second in every race of his career, most recently finishing second in the Santa Anita Derby in April.
If Mystik Dan, Catching Freedom, and Imagination run their best races, one should win the Preakness.
A long-shot winner is always possible, but the smaller field at Pimlico makes it less likely.
Post Positions
The post positions were determined Monday evening, revealing that the two heavyweights will battle side by side in the ring, with Muth (8-5) in the 4-post and Mystik Dan (5-2) in the 5-post. Mugatu and Uncle Heavy, two 20-1 long shots who appear to be negligible, took the first two posts.
The three-post went to Catching Freedom (6-1), who finished fourth in the “Run for the Roses” two weeks ago. The sixth and seventh spots went to D. Wayne Lukas stablemates Seize the Grey (15-1) and Just Steel (15-1). Tuscan Gold (8-1) is in ninth position, while the final horse, Imagination (6-1), has drawn the far outside 9th post.
Styles of Racing
When judging a horse race based on pace, it is helpful to categorize the horses into four groups. Pacesetters establish an early lead and race from there. Stalkers remain close to the leaders, saving ground and energy for a final push. Midpack runners, the most adaptive of the four, adjust their speed to stay close to the stalkers and initiate their push earlier. The fourth and last style is a deep close. This fascinating look will not appear at this year’s Preakness.
Pacesetters
Bob Baffert, the slightly tarnished trainer, trains Muth and Imagination, who appear to be the only two pace horses. The fact that the two pacesetters come from the same stable is noteworthy because they are unlikely to engage in a possibly fatal speed duel, as Fierceness and Sierra Leone did in the Kentucky Derby. One of the two stablemates will take the lead, with the other stalking.
Stalkers
There are three major stalkers in this field. Mystik Dan will allow Muth to grab an early lead, and he should be able to pass the slower runners behind him, saving ground along the rail. When Imagination approaches the front, only Steel and Tuscan Gold are likely to accompany her.
Mid-pack runners
Mugatu, Uncle Heavy, and Catching Freedom are the first three inside horses, and all are considered mid-pack runners. They will most certainly see Muth and Mystik Dan fly right past them while attempting to conserve energy and stay within shouting distance of the stalkers. Seize the Grey will most likely run a similar race, cutting in from the outside as Imagination sprints to the front. These athletes appear to be in trouble as the race’s general pace is slow.
Pace Scenario
Saturday’s forecast in Baltimore, Maryland (home of Pimlico Race Course) predicts a 50% chance of showers and a high temperature of around 78 degrees. With the rest of the week’s forecast best described as “uncertain,” it would be good to have a backup plan in place in case of a setback. The following scenario assumes that adverse weather has no negative impact on the racetrack.
When the gates open, Muth races to the front, gaining an early advantage. Imagination joins Mystik Dan in an attempt to stay close to Muth, the front-runner. Steel and Tuscan Gold tuck nicely into the first curve, resting comfortably a few lengths behind.
This is Muth’s fantasy, Mystik Dan’s nightmare. Without another horse vying for the lead, Muth should be able to maintain enough pace and energy to finish dominantly. Imagination, the one horse who could challenge him early on, will not do so because of the stable link.
Brian Hernandez, Mystik Dan’s rider, will have to decide whether to grab the lead or to lay back. If he presses Muth, he exposes himself to a late charge by one of the stalkers. If he sits back and allows Muth to dictate the pace, Juan J. Hernandez (no relation to Brian) and Muth will almost probably win easily.
According to Equibase’s GPS tracking, Mystik Dan had the shortest run of any horse in the Kentucky Derby. Unfortunately, Muth, the speed merchant, will be inside Mystik Dan on Saturday, so he will not have that privilege. I suspect he will have to confront Muth sooner than he would like. This should open the door to either Imagination or Just Steel.
With an early 15-1 line, I like the chances of No. 7 Just Steel. He has a strong lineage (son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify) and a good starting position. Only the 6-post has more victories (16), and trainer D. Wayne Lukas has won the Preakness six times. Saturday will also see a rematch between Just Steel and Muth from the Arkansas Derby, where Muth finished two lengths ahead of Just Steel.
A disappointing 17th-place result in the Derby has considerably lowered his chances. I expect him to run a race similar to the Arkansas Derby, hoping that the slight increase in distance (the Preakness is 1/16 of a mile longer than the Arkansas Derby) will allow Just Steel to pull off the upset.
Preakness Stakes 2024 Betting Prediction:
1. Imagination
2. Catching Freedom
3. Mystik Dan
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