The 149th Preakness Stakes will run this Saturday, and eight horses are set to challenge for the winner's circle. One of those horses is Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan, and he will face stiff competition as he tries to secure the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Despite his win at Churchill Downs a couple weeks ago, Mystik Dan wasn't initially the favorite to win the Preakness Stakes. That distinction belonged to Muth, trained by Bob Baffert, but the horse was scratched earlier this week due to an elevated temperature.
Now, Mystik Dan is the favorite at 5/2 odds, but there are still a few more contenders in the field. Another Baffert-trained horse, Imagination, is in the mix with 6-1 odds after finishing second at the Santa Anita Derby.
Trainer Ken McPeek remains confident in Mystik Dan ahead of the second straight massive race in just three weeks.
"He's a real quiet horse. I've used the terminology that he's an old soul. Nothing much phases him at all, which makes our job really easy," McPeek told reporters this week. "He's been in the paddock at Oaklawn before and it's a similar paddock to Oaklawn. We're not a complicated outfit, we keep it simple."
Baffert is no stranger to the winner's circle at Pimlico. National Treasure, another horse trained by the prolific trainer, won the 2023 Preakness Stakes at 4-1 odds. In fact, Baffert has won the Preakness Stakes more than any other trainer in the race's storied history.
"I just look forward to it," Baffert told reporters this week. "I handle it like any other race. It's a big race. It's an important race. It's a historic race, and it's an exciting race to win. I get the same excitement. Any of the all the Triple Crown races, the classics, are very exciting."
Let's take a closer look at how you can watch the race and all the info you'll need for race day in Baltimore.
John Velazquez, center right, atop National Treasure, looks back as the pack of horses leaves the gate during the148th running of the Preakness Stakes horse race at Pimlico Race Course, Saturday, May 20, 2023, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)APnce his would-be seventh Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, was disqualified in 2022.
But in an exclusive conversation with The Athletic, Baffert, who waffled between anger and exasperation for much of his suspension, no longer sounds like a man up for a fight. He sounds, instead, like he’s ready to put the gloves down and find a reconciliation. “While I had to sit out the 150th Kentucky Derby, I am committed to having an amicable resolution with Churchill Downs in order to have the opportunity to compete again for the Triple Crown,’’ he said.
The catch, of course, is it’s not really up to him. The decision to allow Baffert to race again in Louisville, as the courts have determined, is Churchill’s to make. Baffert is well aware of that, and when asked how a peace treaty might be brokered, the trainer deferred to the track. “I just look forward to hopefully being able to race there next year,’’ he said.
The second leg of the Triple Crown race is here, and the path to the finish line may be just a little bit clearer for Mystik Dan.
Muth, the favorite for the 149th running of the Preakness Stakes, was scratched from the field on May 15. That thins the field a little bit for the Kentucky Derby winner as he searches for a Triple Crown.
The 150th Run for the Roses was a highly entertaining and tightly contested race, with Mystik Dan pulling out the win by a nose in a photo finish. Sierra Leone placed, while Forever Young finished in third.
USA TODAY Sports will provide live coverage and more of the 149th Preakness Stakes below. (All times are Eastern.)
Preakness Stakes start time
Post time for the 2024 Preakness Stakes is 6:50 p.m. ET.
Preakness Stakes TV coverage
The Preakness Stakes will be broadcast live on NBC, with coverage starting at 4:30 p.m. ET. Coverage of the early races begins at 1:30 p.m. ET o
The 149th Preakness Stakes will run this Saturday, and eight horses are set to challenge for the winner's circle. One of those horses is Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan, and he will face stiff competition as he tries to secure the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Despite his win at Churchill Downs a couple weeks ago, Mystik Dan wasn't initially the favorite to win the Preakness Stakes. That distinction belonged to Muth, trained by Bob Baffert, but the horse was scratched earlier this week due to an elevated temperature.
Now, Mystik Dan is the favorite at 5/2 odds, but there are still a few more contenders in the field. Another Baffert-trained horse, Imagination, is in the mix with 6-1 odds after finishing second at the Santa Anita Derby.
Trainer Ken McPeek remains confident in Mystik Dan ahead of the second straight massive race in just three weeks.
"He's a real quiet horse. I've used the terminology that he's an old soul. Nothing much phases him at all, which makes our job really easy," McPeek told reporters this week. "He's been in the paddock at Oaklawn before and it's a similar paddock to Oaklawn. We're not a complicated outfit, we keep it simple."
Baffert is no stranger to the winner's circle at Pimlico. National Treasure, another horse trained by the prolific trainer, won the 2023 Preakness Stakes at 4-1 odds. In fact, Baffert has won the Preakness Stakes more than any other trainer in the race's storied history.
"I just look forward to it," Baffert told reporters this week. "I handle it like any other race. It's a big race. It's an important race. It's a historic race, and it's an exciting race to win. I get the same excitement. Any of the all the Triple Crown races, the classics, are very exciting."
Let's take a closer look at how you can watch the race and all the info you'll need for race day in Baltimore.
John Velazquez, center right, atop National Treasure, looks back as the pack of horses leaves the gate during the148th running of the Preakness Stakes horse race at Pimlico Race Course, Saturday, May 20, 2023, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)APnce his would-be seventh Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, was disqualified in 2022.
But in an exclusive conversation with The Athletic, Baffert, who waffled between anger and exasperation for much of his suspension, no longer sounds like a man up for a fight. He sounds, instead, like he’s ready to put the gloves down and find a reconciliation. “While I had to sit out the 150th Kentucky Derby, I am committed to having an amicable resolution with Churchill Downs in order to have the opportunity to compete again for the Triple Crown,’’ he said.
The catch, of course, is it’s not really up to him. The decision to allow Baffert to race again in Louisville, as the courts have determined, is Churchill’s to make. Baffert is well aware of that, and when asked how a peace treaty might be brokered, the trainer deferred to the track. “I just look forward to hopefully being able to race there next year,’’ he said.
The second leg of the Triple Crown race is here, and the path to the finish line may be just a little bit clearer for Mystik Dan.
Muth, the favorite for the 149th running of the Preakness Stakes, was scratched from the field on May 15. That thins the field a little bit for the Kentucky Derby winner as he searches for a Triple Crown.
The 150th Run for the Roses was a highly entertaining and tightly contested race, with Mystik Dan pulling out the win by a nose in a photo finish. Sierra Leone placed, while Forever Young finished in third.
USA TODAY Sports will provide live coverage and more of the 149th Preakness Stakes below. (All times are Eastern.)
Preakness Stakes start time
Post time for the 2024 Preakness Stakes is 6:50 p.m. ET.
Preakness Stakes TV coverage
The Preakness Stakes will be broadcast live on NBC, with coverage starting at 4:30 p.m. ET. Coverage of the early races begins at 1:30 p.m. ET o