Betting Guide
How to Bet on the 2024 Preakness Stakes
By TVG Staff
Updated May 17, 2024
The 149th running of the Preakness Stakes is coming up at historic Pimlico Race Course on Saturday, May 18th. The 1 3/16-mile dirt race on the third Saturday in May is named after the horse who won the Dinner Party Stakes on the first day Pimlico was ever open. Now the second jewel of the American Triple Crown and the flagship event at the Baltimore track, the race is open to leading three-year-old colts, geldings, and fillies.
Preakness Stakes Field
The Preakness Stakes field began to take shape after Mystik Dan held by a nose over Sierra Leone and Forever Young in an exciting rendition of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 4.
The final, official field was drawn on Monday, May 13 by Pimlico Race Course racing officials. The morning-line Preakness Stakes odds were also released during the draw ceremony. The original field featured nine horses: three from the Kentucky Derby including Mystik Dan, as well as six new faces. However, the field has shrunk to eight after Muth spiked a fever Wednesday morning and had to be scratched.
This is the field for the 2024 Preakness Stakes including post positions, jockey, trainers, and morning-line odds for each horse. Morning-line odds reflect the updated prices published by Pimlico after Muth scratched.
| Post | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | ML |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mugatu | Jeff Engler | Joe Bravo | 20-1 |
| 2 | Uncle Heavy | Robert Reid, Jr. | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 20-1 |
| 3 | Catching Freedom | Brad Cox | Flavien Prat | 7-2 |
| 4 | Muth | Bob Baffert | Juan Hernandez | SCR |
| 5 | Mystik Dan | Kenny McPeek | Brian Hernandez, Jr. | 8-5 |
| 6 | Seize the Grey | D. Wayne Lukas | Jaime Torres | 12-1 |
| 7 | Just Steel | D. Wayne Lukas | Joel Rosario | 12-1 |
| 8 | Tuscan Gold | Chad Brown | Tyler Gaffalione | 9-2 |
| 9 | Imagination | Bob Baffert | Frankie Dettori | 3-1 |
Our quick guide can help you get the most out of Maryland’s biggest event. The 2023 Preakness was a thriller, with National Treasure bouncing back from his Santa Anita Derby disappointment to post a game frontrunning score in Baltimore. If the 2024 edition is anywhere near as exciting, it will be a great day for bettors and fans alike!
What Sort of Bets Can I Place on the Preakness?
With all the various combinations of wagers, you have many choices for how to bet on the second leg of the Triple Crown. Those choices include straight bets as well as exotics. It pays to consider them all and then select based on your bankroll, your risk tolerance, and your opinions on horses in the race.
Straight Bet Options
Most horseplayers, experienced and novices alike, tend to keep things simple by wagering on the nose with a Preakness Stakes win bet. As long as you are confident in your horse, and you are getting odds as good as your assessment of their actual win chances, this is an excellent bet to make. After all, your fortunes will be tied in your one strong opinion: that your pick will be the winning horse of the Preakness Stakes.
If you want to go for a little insurance instead, you can opt for a smaller payout by betting your runner to place or show. Place bets mean your runner needs to finish in the first two, while show betting covers the first three.
Preakness Exotic Wagers
If you want to take a chance on a big payoff in the Preakness, you can place exotic wagers, predicting the top few horses in the finishing order. An exacta bet means picking the first two, or you can place trifectas (first three) and even superfectas (first four).
Tons of Preakness Stakes bets are available if you’re in the mood for exotic bets. Our team at TVG can help you get started with a risk-free wager for new customers.
Why Bet on the Preakness?
There is no obligation to bet on horse racing to enjoy it, but betting and thoroughbred racing have been linked since the sport began. Many believe that placing a wager on the Preakness makes the race much more enjoyable.
Most of us won’t be able to be at Pimlico Race Course on May 18th to see this Triple Crown race play out, and most of us are not lucky enough to own a horse fast enough to make it to the Preakness. When enjoying the race from a distance, the best way to feel fully invested in the race is to place a bet and cheer on your horse to win.
Betting on this historic horse race event can be done from thousands of miles away, so no matter where you are, you can play your part in the 149th Preakness Stakes with a little help from TVG.
Who Are the Leading Contenders?
The final group of nine Preakness Stakes contenders features an exciting mix of horses from the Kentucky Derby as well as new faces in the Triple Crown series. Mystik Dan leads the contingent from the Run for the Roses, though Catching Freedom and Just Steel come for another bite at the apple, too. The new faces are led by a pair of horses who hit the board in 100-point preps, Tuscan Gold and Imagination.
Preakness Stakes Betting Favorites
With the scratch of morning-line favorite Muth, the likely betting favorite will be Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan. He proved in the Kentucky Derby that he has the maturity to handle a big field, and that he has Classic-quality stamina. Pace may be the biggest factor for him, however. He is a midpack type so he won’t need a massive collapse, but the faster the pace in front of him, the better he can do.
Another horse likely to be among the betting favorites is Catching Freedom. As big a question as pace is for Mystik Dan, it may even be a bigger one for Catching Freedom, as he is likely to be the furthest back of any of the closers. But, he doesn’t have to drop a football field back from the field to run a good race, and in fact, he has fired and made up ground in every single start of his career.
Promising New Faces in the Preakness Stakes
In recent years, horses who did not run in the Kentucky Derby have a strong record in the Preakness: the last time a horse who ran in the Kentucky Derby won the Preakness was 2019 when War of Will won. The favorite, Muth, will be one of the new shooters. Here are some of the other horses who did not run in the Kentucky Derby who could be interesting in the Preakness.
Trainer Chad Brown has an excellent recent record with bypassing the Kentucky Derby with an in-form horse and shining in the Preakness. He did that with Preakness winners Cloud Computing (2017) and Early Voting (2022), as well as with second-place finisher Blazing Sevens (2023). This year, Tuscan Gold takes that route. Had Tuscan Gold entered the Kentucky Derby he would have been last one out of the field on points, ahead of Mugatu (who did not get in) but behind Epic Ride (who did). So, it’s a slightly different case than these past horses of Brown’s who actually qualified. Even so, Tuscan Gold ran a close third behind Catching Freedom and Honor Marie in the Louisiana Derby, his stakes debut, and looks to be on the way up.
Imagination is another new face likely to take strong betting interest in the Preakness. The only one left from the Bob Baffert barn after the scratch of Muth on Wednesday, Imagination just missed behind Stronghold in the Santa Anita Derby, his final prep. He also showed grit to deny stablemate Wine Me Up in the San Felipe (G2), his stakes debut. He has some class to find to beat the likes of Mystik Dan or Catching Freedom, but the scratch of Muth means less competition up front, which can only help his case.
Preakness Stakes Longshots
It’s hard to call Seize the Grey a new shooter since he did run on Kentucky Derby day—but the D. Wayne Lukas charge ran in the Pat Day Mile, not the run for the roses. And, his breakout effort in the Pat Day suggests that his best form in the long run will come at shorter distances. The question is whether his pedigree or his race form will prevail in the Preakness. On paper, his pedigree is replete with stamina, though his race form shows a lot more aptitude over shorter distances than this.
Perhaps more likely to stay the trip is the other runner from the D. Wayne Lukas barn, Just Steel. Though he ran a disappointing 17th in the Kentucky Derby, he got burned out in a pace battle before fading. He gets a switch from the less experienced jockey Keith Asmussen to Joel Rosario in the irons. Rosario rode Just Steel for both of his career wins, and if he can work out a trip stalking the pace instead of getting burned up in a pace battle, he can run on for one of his customary underneath shares at a big price.
Another one to look at, especially if the possible rain falls on Preakness day, is Withers (G3) winner Uncle Heavy. He finished a well-beaten fifth in the Wood (G2) in his only start since the Withers, but he has plenty of excuses: he drew a parking-lot post that day, dealt with a wide trip, and was close to a horse who fell in the lane. With a better post draw and an upgrade to big-race jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., Uncle Heavy could be a much heavier hitter this time around.
The likely longest price among Preakness Stakes contenders is Mugatu, who has a lot to find in the second jewel of the Triple Crown. Mugatu did not draw into the Kentucky Derby off the also-eligible list, so his last start came when he ran fifth behind Sierra Leone in the Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland. He outran his 181-1 odds, to be sure, but was ultimately not a threat to Sierra Leone or even second-place Just a Touch that day. He probably won’t get as sharp a pace to close into this time as he did in the Blue Grass, making it a difficult ask for him to find the career best he would need.
Bet the 2024 Preakness Stakes Online with TVG
Our dedicated team of experts is always on-hand to offer an in-depth analysis of all the contenders in this year’s Preakness Stakes.
Keep an eye out on the latest Preakness Stakes odds to see where your horse stands and place your bets with us. TVG is your trusted one-stop destination for legal online Preakness picks and for betting the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and horse races all year long!
Disclaimer:TVG provides free information, odds, facts, and commentary about the Preakness Stakes and horse racing and betting, in general. Third-party marks may be referenced in a transformative, editorial, informational, nominative, critical, analytical, or comparative context. TVG may reference marks belonging to third parties pursuant to our right to engage in fair use, fair comment, statutory fair use, or trademark fair use doctrine. As such, TVG does not contribute to any dilution of any trade or service marks.
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If you don't win your first single-horse win bet. Bet the Preakness!By TVG Staff
Updated May 17, 2024
The 149th running of the Preakness Stakes is coming up at historic Pimlico Race Course on Saturday, May 18th. The 1 3/16-mile dirt race on the third Saturday in May is named after the horse who won the Dinner Party Stakes on the first day Pimlico was ever open. Now the second jewel of the American Triple Crown and the flagship event at the Baltimore track, the race is open to leading three-year-old colts, geldings, and fillies.
Preakness Stakes Field
The Preakness Stakes field began to take shape after Mystik Dan held by a nose over Sierra Leone and Forever Young in an exciting rendition of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 4.
The final, official field was drawn on Monday, May 13 by Pimlico Race Course racing officials. The morning-line Preakness Stakes odds were also released during the draw ceremony. The original field featured nine horses: three from the Kentucky Derby including Mystik Dan, as well as six new faces. However, the field has shrunk to eight after Muth spiked a fever Wednesday morning and had to be scratched.
This is the field for the 2024 Preakness Stakes including post positions, jockey, trainers, and morning-line odds for each horse. Morning-line odds reflect the updated prices published by Pimlico after Muth scratched.
| Post | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | ML |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mugatu | Jeff Engler | Joe Bravo | 20-1 |
| 2 | Uncle Heavy | Robert Reid, Jr. | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 20-1 |
| 3 | Catching Freedom | Brad Cox | Flavien Prat | 7-2 |
| 4 | Muth | Bob Baffert | Juan Hernandez | SCR |
| 5 | Mystik Dan | Kenny McPeek | Brian Hernandez, Jr. | 8-5 |
| 6 | Seize the Grey | D. Wayne Lukas | Jaime Torres | 12-1 |
| 7 | Just Steel | D. Wayne Lukas | Joel Rosario | 12-1 |
| 8 | Tuscan Gold | Chad Brown | Tyler Gaffalione | 9-2 |
| 9 | Imagination | Bob Baffert | Frankie Dettori | 3-1 |
Our quick guide can help you get the most out of Maryland’s biggest event. The 2023 Preakness was a thriller, with National Treasure bouncing back from his Santa Anita Derby disappointment to post a game frontrunning score in Baltimore. If the 2024 edition is anywhere near as exciting, it will be a great day for bettors and fans alike!
What Sort of Bets Can I Place on the Preakness?
With all the various combinations of wagers, you have many choices for how to bet on the second leg of the Triple Crown. Those choices include straight bets as well as exotics. It pays to consider them all and then select based on your bankroll, your risk tolerance, and your opinions on horses in the race.
Straight Bet Options
Most horseplayers, experienced and novices alike, tend to keep things simple by wagering on the nose with a Preakness Stakes win bet. As long as you are confident in your horse, and you are getting odds as good as your assessment of their actual win chances, this is an excellent bet to make. After all, your fortunes will be tied in your one strong opinion: that your pick will be the winning horse of the Preakness Stakes.
If you want to go for a little insurance instead, you can opt for a smaller payout by betting your runner to place or show. Place bets mean your runner needs to finish in the first two, while show betting covers the first three.
Preakness Exotic Wagers
If you want to take a chance on a big payoff in the Preakness, you can place exotic wagers, predicting the top few horses in the finishing order. An exacta bet means picking the first two, or you can place trifectas (first three) and even superfectas (first four).
Tons of Preakness Stakes bets are available if you’re in the mood for exotic bets. Our team at TVG can help you get started with a risk-free wager for new customers.
Why Bet on the Preakness?
There is no obligation to bet on horse racing to enjoy it, but betting and thoroughbred racing have been linked since the sport began. Many believe that placing a wager on the Preakness makes the race much more enjoyable.
Most of us won’t be able to be at Pimlico Race Course on May 18th to see this Triple Crown race play out, and most of us are not lucky enough to own a horse fast enough to make it to the Preakness. When enjoying the race from a distance, the best way to feel fully invested in the race is to place a bet and cheer on your horse to win.
Betting on this historic horse race event can be done from thousands of miles away, so no matter where you are, you can play your part in the 149th Preakness Stakes with a little help from TVG.
Who Are the Leading Contenders?
The final group of nine Preakness Stakes contenders features an exciting mix of horses from the Kentucky Derby as well as new faces in the Triple Crown series. Mystik Dan leads the contingent from the Run for the Roses, though Catching Freedom and Just Steel come for another bite at the apple, too. The new faces are led by a pair of horses who hit the board in 100-point preps, Tuscan Gold and Imagination.
Preakness Stakes Betting Favorites
With the scratch of morning-line favorite Muth, the likely betting favorite will be Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan. He proved in the Kentucky Derby that he has the maturity to handle a big field, and that he has Classic-quality stamina. Pace may be the biggest factor for him, however. He is a midpack type so he won’t need a massive collapse, but the faster the pace in front of him, the better he can do.
Another horse likely to be among the betting favorites is Catching Freedom. As big a question as pace is for Mystik Dan, it may even be a bigger one for Catching Freedom, as he is likely to be the furthest back of any of the closers. But, he doesn’t have to drop a football field back from the field to run a good race, and in fact, he has fired and made up ground in every single start of his career.
Promising New Faces in the Preakness Stakes
In recent years, horses who did not run in the Kentucky Derby have a strong record in the Preakness: the last time a horse who ran in the Kentucky Derby won the Preakness was 2019 when War of Will won. The favorite, Muth, will be one of the new shooters. Here are some of the other horses who did not run in the Kentucky Derby who could be interesting in the Preakness.
Trainer Chad Brown has an excellent recent record with bypassing the Kentucky Derby with an in-form horse and shining in the Preakness. He did that with Preakness winners Cloud Computing (2017) and Early Voting (2022), as well as with second-place finisher Blazing Sevens (2023). This year, Tuscan Gold takes that route. Had Tuscan Gold entered the Kentucky Derby he would have been last one out of the field on points, ahead of Mugatu (who did not get in) but behind Epic Ride (who did). So, it’s a slightly different case than these past horses of Brown’s who actually qualified. Even so, Tuscan Gold ran a close third behind Catching Freedom and Honor Marie in the Louisiana Derby, his stakes debut, and looks to be on the way up.
Imagination is another new face likely to take strong betting interest in the Preakness. The only one left from the Bob Baffert barn after the scratch of Muth on Wednesday, Imagination just missed behind Stronghold in the Santa Anita Derby, his final prep. He also showed grit to deny stablemate Wine Me Up in the San Felipe (G2), his stakes debut. He has some class to find to beat the likes of Mystik Dan or Catching Freedom, but the scratch of Muth means less competition up front, which can only help his case.
Preakness Stakes Longshots
It’s hard to call Seize the Grey a new shooter since he did run on Kentucky Derby day—but the D. Wayne Lukas charge ran in the Pat Day Mile, not the run for the roses. And, his breakout effort in the Pat Day suggests that his best form in the long run will come at shorter distances. The question is whether his pedigree or his race form will prevail in the Preakness. On paper, his pedigree is replete with stamina, though his race form shows a lot more aptitude over shorter distances than this.
Perhaps more likely to stay the trip is the other runner from the D. Wayne Lukas barn, Just Steel. Though he ran a disappointing 17th in the Kentucky Derby, he got burned out in a pace battle before fading. He gets a switch from the less experienced jockey Keith Asmussen to Joel Rosario in the irons. Rosario rode Just Steel for both of his career wins, and if he can work out a trip stalking the pace instead of getting burned up in a pace battle, he can run on for one of his customary underneath shares at a big price.
Another one to look at, especially if the possible rain falls on Preakness day, is Withers (G3) winner Uncle Heavy. He finished a well-beaten fifth in the Wood (G2) in his only start since the Withers, but he has plenty of excuses: he drew a parking-lot post that day, dealt with a wide trip, and was close to a horse who fell in the lane. With a better post draw and an upgrade to big-race jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., Uncle Heavy could be a much heavier hitter this time around.
The likely longest price among Preakness Stakes contenders is Mugatu, who has a lot to find in the second jewel of the Triple Crown. Mugatu did not draw into the Kentucky Derby off the also-eligible list, so his last start came when he ran fifth behind Sierra Leone in the Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland. He outran his 181-1 odds, to be sure, but was ultimately not a threat to Sierra Leone or even second-place Just a Touch that day. He probably won’t get as sharp a pace to close into this time as he did in the Blue Grass, making it a difficult ask for him to find the career best he would need.
Bet the 2024 Preakness Stakes Online with TVG
Our dedicated team of experts is always on-hand to offer an in-depth analysis of all the contenders in this year’s Preakness Stakes.
Keep an eye out on the latest Preakness Stakes odds to see where your horse stands and place your bets with us. TVG is your trusted one-stop destination for legal online Preakness picks and for betting the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and horse races all year long!
Disclaimer:TVG provides free information, odds, facts, and commentary about the Preakness Stakes and horse racing and betting, in general. Third-party marks may be referenced in a transformative, editorial, informational, nominative, critical, analytical, or comparative context. TVG may reference marks belonging to third parties pursuant to our right to engage in fair use, fair comment, statutory fair use, or trademark fair use doctrine. As such, TVG does not contribute to any dilution of any trade or service marks.