Hours before Kentucky Derby champion Mystik Dan attempts to win the Triple Crown again in a row when he faces up against seven other horses in the Preakness Stakes, rain was falling at Pimlico Race Course on Saturday.
Since Justify in 2018, he would be the first person to win the Derby and the Preakness simultaneously. That would prepare the audience for a unique and historic event in the Belmont Stakes next month, where a Triple Crown would be at stake.
The primary contenders for Mystik Dan are the Bob Baffert-trained Imagination, Brad Cox’s Catching Freedom, and Chad Brown’s Tuscan Gold. The Preakness may be held on a sloppy track due to the likelihood of afternoon rainfall.
When does Preakness 2024 kick off?
The game starts at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC, and it can be streamed on Peacock. The post time is at 6:50 p.m. ET.
The event was scheduled to start soon after 7 p.m. EDT, and Baffert was supposed to saddle two horses. However, morning line favorite Muth was scratched during the week due to a fever. On Saturday, Mystik Dan was the 3-1 favorite, followed by Tuscan Gold and Catching Freedom, who were all 7-2, and Imagination, who was 9-2.
Mystik Dan’s trainer, Kenny McPeek, stated last week that “Catching Freedom trained really well going into the Derby.”
“What a lovely horse he is. Additionally, Bob wouldn’t send a horse unless it was a good one, and Chad has a horse who just finished third in the Louisiana Derby behind Victor Catching Freedom. Indeed, it isn’t a given.
McPeek’s decision to send Mystik Dan to Baltimore on a two-week rest following the colt’s grueling victory by a nose in the Kentucky Derby was far from certain. However, he is one of three horses—up from one last year and two in 2022—from that event that will compete in the Preakness.
The middle jewel’s reputation has come under scrutiny due to trainers’ reluctance to enter horses in the Derby-Preakness double, which was originally the standard for horses competing in the Triple Crown. This has led to worries that the middle jewel has become the unwelcome stepchild of the series. There is discussion about separating the races in order to accommodate thoroughbreds that run less frequently now than they did in the past.
The deteriorating Pimlico Race Course will host its final Preakness this year; early in the next year, destruction is scheduled to start. The 150th running of the race will still happen at the track in 2025 while redevelopment is ongoing. In 2026, it will move to Laurel Park, and in 2027, it will return to a reconstructed Pimlico.
Where and when are the Belmont Stakes held?
Due to renovations at Belmont Park in New York City, the Triple Crown’s final leg will take place for the first time on June 8 at the Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York.
Given that construction is anticipated to continue until 2025, there’s a strong possibility that Saratoga may host the Belmont twice in a row.
