The one hundred and fiftieth working of the Kentucky Derby delivered a end for the ages, as Mystik Dan edged out Sierra Leone and Endlessly Younger by a nostril in a photograph end. Sierra Leone positioned, whereas Endlessly Younger completed in third.
Can Mystik Dan seize the second leg of the Triple Crown later in the present day on the 149th Preakness Stakes?
The trail to engaging in that purpose grew to become a bit of simpler this week as Muth, an early favourite within the area, was scratched on Wednesday. The Bob Baffert-trained Muth was scratched after spiking a temperature of 103 levels shortly after arriving at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.
“We’re sick about this,” Baffert mentioned. “The horse had been doing rather well. However now we have to do what’s proper by the horse.”
Which will make the trail a bit of simpler for Mystik Dan, however coach Kenny McPeek is aware of it simply provides to the stress of the second. “Oh, my goodness,” McPeek mentioned earlier this week. “I suppose it places added stress on us, however he’s prepared.”
The Area
With Muth scratched, Mystic Dan enters the Preakness Stakes in the present day as the favourite. However for McPeek, he believes that the horse, who he describes as an previous soul, is prepared.
Which makes his job straightforward.
“He’s an actual quiet horse. I’ve used the terminology that he’s an previous soul. Nothing a lot phases him in any respect, which makes our job very easy,” McPeek advised reporters this week. “He’s been within the paddock at Oaklawn earlier than and it’s an identical paddock to Oaklawn. We’re not a sophisticated outfit, we hold it easy.”
Nonetheless, the tight end at Churchill Downs a couple of weeks in the past may pose an issue for Mystik Dan, because the horse was pushed to the restrict to win that photograph end. As for who might problem Mystik Dan later in the present day, Catching Freedom and Creativeness had been each listed at 6-1, simply behind Mystik Dan at 5-2.
Creativeness is one other Baffert-trained horse, who final raced within the Santa Anita Derby, the place he completed second by a neck. “Creativeness is filling into his body,” described Baffert. He’s bred to go the [1 3/16-mile] distance. He’s a fantastically balanced horse.”
As for Catching Freedom, the Brad Cox-trained horse is coming off a fourth-place end within the Kentucky Derby. “It’s simply not as frequent to run these horses again in two weeks as perhaps it was once,” mentioned Cox this week. “It principally comes all the way down to how the horse is doing, and we’re proud of the way in which he’s coaching. Based mostly off who we hear is working, he stacks up with that group of horses — backside line.”
Methods to Watch
Listed below are the most important particulars.
When: Saturday, Could 18, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET
The place: Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, Maryland
TV Community: NBC/CNBC
Streaming: Peacock
NBC Sports activities may have protection of the 149th Preakness Stakes all through the day on Saturday, Could 18. Protection will start at 1:30 p.m. ET on CNBC and run on that community till 4:30 p.m. ET. Protection will then shift to NBC at 4:30 p.m. ET, and is anticipated to run till 7:30 p.m. ET.
Submit time for the Preakness is ready for 7:01 p.m. ET.
Followers may stream all the protection via Peacock.
Odds
Listed below are the present publish positions following Monday’s draw, together with the most recent odds:
2024 Preakness Stakes
| Submit | Horse | Odds | Jockey | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Submit | Horse | Odds | Jockey | Coach |
| 1 | Mugatu | 20-1 | Joe Bravo | Jeff Engler |
| 2 | Uncle Heavy | 20-1 | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | Robert Reid, Jr. |
| 3 | Catching Freedom | 6-1 | Flavien Prat | Brad Cox |
| 4 | Muth | SCRATCH | Juan Hernandez | Bob Baffert |
| 5 | Mystik Dan | 5-2 | Brian Hernandez, Jr. | Kenny McPeek |
| 6 | Seize the Gray | 15-1 | Jaime Torres | D. Wayne Lukas |
| 7 | Simply Metal | 15-1 | Joel Rosario | D. Wayne Lukas |
| 8 | Tuscan Gold | 8-1 | Tyler Gaffalione | Chad Brown |
| 9 | Creativeness | 6-1 | Frankie Dettori | Bob Baffert |
