By Joe Quillen
The field for the 149th Preakness Stakes has been set, and Muth was installed as the 8/5 morning line favorite for the middle leg of the 2024 Triple Crown. A field of nine was entered to go a mile and three-sixteenths and will go as 13th of 14 races on this monster card.
After contemplating whether or not to run this Saturday, Ken McPeek and the connections of Mystik Dan (5/2 ML) have chosen to run at Pimlico on Saturday. He will see familiar faces in Catching Freedom (6/1 ML) and Just Steel (15/1) wheel back two weeks after their Kentucky Derby runs.
The new shooters from the rail outward in the race are Mugatu who did not get into the Kentucky Derby as a second horse did not scratch from the main field of the race.
Philly’s local horse Uncle Heavy has been training well and will have Irad Ortiz aboard.
Seize the Grey will have the same two weeks between races as he ran on the Kentucky Derby undercard defeating a field of 12 in the Pat Day Mile.
Tuscan Gold last ran in the Louisiana Derby and should be fresh for this race. He has already run at today’s distance, so that might be a major handicapping angle here.
Imagination is the “other Baffert horse” here. He just missed in the Santa Anita Derby six weeks ago.
WEDNESDAY MORNING UPDATE
Preakness favorite Muth has been scratched from this race. According to the Daily Racing Form, he spiked a 103-degree fever after arriving in Baltimore after his flight from California.
Keep an eye on Pimlico over the next couple of days as the morning lines may be adjusted with the scratch of the morning line favorite.
149th Preakness | Saturday 5/18 | 1 3/16 miles | 7:01 pm ET post time
Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds | ||
1 | Mugatu | Joe Bravo | Jeff Engler | 20/1 | |
2 | Uncle Heavy | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Butch Reid | 20/1 | |
3 | Catching Freedom | Flavien Prat | Brad Cox | 6/1 | |
SCRATCHED | |||||
5 | Mystik Dan | Brian Hernandez Jr | Ken 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 Gafflione | Chad Brown | 8/1 | |
9 | Imagination | Frankie Dettori | Bob Baffert | 6/1 |