2024 Preakness Odds, Betting Lines, Predictions: Preakness Odds Favoring Mystik Dan
2024 Preakness Odds, Betting Lines, Predictions: Preakness Odds Favoring Mystik Dan
The 149th Preakness will be headlined by the return of the Kentucky Derby victor Mystik Dan - but will he have enough in the tank to get through the ever-so-tricky middle jewel of the Triple Crown?
For the latest 2024 Preakness odds, click here
The Preakness Stakes is usually one of the best races of the year, and this time around could feature the same kind of excitement of years' past. Let's discuss the field of eight in this year's Preakness.
| Post Position | Horse | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mugatu | 20-1 |
| 2 | Uncle Heavy | 20-1 |
| 3 | Catching Freedom | 6-1 |
| 4 | Muth | SCRATCHED |
| 5 | Mystik Dan | 5-2 |
| 6 | Seize the Grey | 15-1 |
| 7 | Just Steel | 15-1 |
| 8 | Tuscan Gold | 8-1 |
| 9 | Imagination | 6-1 |
2024 PREAKNESS PREVIEW - MAIN CONTENDERS
MYSTIK DAN
- Morning Line Odds: 5-2
- Trainer: Kenny McPeek
- Jockey: Brian Joseph Hernandez
The upset winner of the Derby makes his move into the Preakness Stakes with the weight of a Triple Crown chance on his shoulders. With the scratch of Muth on Wednesday morning, this opens up the race a bit and should make Mystik Dan the clear cut favorite. He will be sitting somewhere between even money and 2-1 when the gates open, and should not be used in combination with any other horse when it comes to horizontal wagers. You either have to think he's going to win, or you don't - much like Fierceness in the Derby a few weeks ago. Expect him to sit just behind the early speed and try to make his move yet again once they hit the top of the stretch. He's live to win it, but I won't be playing him at that low of a price.
Imagination
- Morning Line Odds: 6-1
- Trainer: Bob Baffert
- Jockey: Frankie Dettori
The most likely "speed" in the race. I'm guessing that with Muth out, Imagination will be the most likely candidate to go right to the lead and try to make all in the Preakness - a race that trainer Bob Baffert won last year with National Treasure. The Baffert tactic of just simply being the fastest horse in the field could come into play big time on Saturday, as Imagination, I think, is the fastest and freshest horse in the game. The knock against him is that he hasn't beaten a really strong horse yet - and lost to Stronghold in the Santa Anita Derby. It's win bet or nothing with this one - I don't see him finishing 2nd or 3rd.
For the latest 2024 Preakness odds, click here
Catching Freedom
- Morning Line Odds: 6-1
- Trainer: Brad Cox
- Jockey: Flavien Prat
Catching Freedom seemed to have more left at the end of the Kentucky Derby - where he ran a very solid 4th place finish. He was still well behind Mystik Dan, Sierra Leone, and Forever Young - but 4th is 4th in the biggest race in America, and you can't be too disappointed in that. His late running style could work in a race that's built for front-end speed, but I just don't know if he'll have as much time to run down the leaders as he did in Louisville two weeks ago. 6-1 would be fine odds for a win bet, but anything lower and I'm not trusting him.
Tuscan Gold
- Morning Line Odds: 8-1
- Trainer: Chad Brown
- Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
This son of Medaglia d'Oro could be able to improve off of his last start in the Louisiana Derby about 2 months ago. Finishing 3rd in that race wasn't enough to get him into the starting gates for the Kentucky Derby, but it still gave trainer Chad Brown enough confidence to run it back for one of the more prestigious races in the USA. Without running in the Kentucky Derby, or any of the late preps in April, I think he's fresh and should be ready to go.
For the latest 2024 Preakness odds, click here
PREAKNESS PICK - EARLY PREDICTION
Tuscan Gold (8-1)
My angle this Preakness Stakes is going to be all about FRESHNESS. Horses can absolutely run every couple of weeks, but anymore I just think that the highest of high classes of horses (like the ones we're going to see this weekend in Baltimore) need to be fresh and ready to go. The only horses that have beat Tuscan Gold in the past are Sierra Leone, Catching Freedom (who is in this race,) and Honor Marie. All deep closers. I feel like maybe in a longer race, you'll more than likely run him down - but in this race that favors forwardly placed speed, I like Tuscan Gold at a solid long shot price of at least 5-1 or higher. If we get 8-1 I'll be giddy. Good luck!