By Chris Havlicek
Updated 5/17/24 4:09pm ET
Put down your Mint Julep. It’s time for a Black-Eyed Susan. Two weeks removed from the Kentucky Derby, the horse racing world now heads to the second leg of the Triple Crown – The Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.
Thoroughbred racing is never short on drama and this week stayed true to form. On Wednesday, a race-altering development was announced with the surprise news that the pre-race favorite Muth had been scratched. The 8-to-5 favorite came down with a fever, removing perhaps the fastest horse that’s trained by Bob Baffert. The legendary trainer said Muth’s temperature reached 103 degrees and the owner had no other choice.
Baffert’s other horse in this race is Imagination. The eight-horse Preakness field is far smaller than what we saw in the Derby (20 horses) and is also a slightly shorter race at 1 3/16 miles. Baffert’s ban at Churchill Downs prohibited him from running a horse in the Kentucky Derby, a race won by Mystik Dan in the closest finish since 1947.
Preakness Stakes Odds (Courtesy of FanDuel):
Mystik Dan 5-2
Imagination 6-1
Catching Freedom 6-1
Tuscan Gold 8-1
Just Steel 15-1
Seize the Grey 15-1
Mugatu 20-1
Uncle Heavy 20-1
Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock
