The 149th Preakness Stakes kicks off from Pimlico Race Course this Saturday, May 18. The Preakness is often referred to as the "Run for the Black-Eyed Susans, in homage to Maryland's State flower, which is draped across the winning horse.
Keep in mind before placing your 2024 Preakness Stakes wagers, the favorite has won 73 of the 148 events. However, no favorite has emerged victorious since Justify won in 2018 en route to winning the Belmont Stakes and becoming the 14th Triple Crown victor.
2024 Preakness Stakes Betting Odds
New to horse racing betting? See our horse racing betting guide and dive further into all the 2024 Preakness Stakes odds below.
Preakness Stakes Horses: Race Form
Below is a list of some of the horses to keep an eye on for the Preakness Stakes.
Mystik Dan +220
The +2500 Kentucky Derby winner collected a 101 Beyer Speed Figure in his win. He's the only entry in the Preakness to crack triple digits, with Muth next at 98. Trainer Kenny McPeek has history at Pimlico with Swiss Skydiver winning the race in 2020.
Only seven horses have won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in the 21st century. Mytik Dan aims to avenge his loss at the Arkansas Derby and make that eight.
Imagination +400
While he's been overshadowed by his stable mate Muth, Imagination has the speed and pedrigree to be a factor. He's never fared worse than second place in six career starts and boasts a 96 Beyer Speed Figure.
Imagination won the Grade 2 San Felipe has lost by a head in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby. While all of his posts have come out west, Imagination should travel well. There's a notable pipeline of horses who have performed at Santa Anita winning the Preakness. I'll Have Another famously won the Santa Anita before winning both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. California Chrome, Exaggerator and Justify also won both the Santa Anita and Preakness in recent years.
At +400 Imagination is one of the best value bets on the Preakness odds board.
Which Preakness Stakes Longshot Should You Be Looking At?
I found Mystik Dan at +2500 odds to win the Kentucky Derby, so let's look at some sleepers in the 2024 Preakness Stakes odds.
Tuscan Gold +400
While he's not the 25-1 longshot Mystik Dan was, Tuscan Gold provides bettors with some value. When I first handicapped this race, this horse was +800 and you folks must have read and placed some money as Tuscan Gold is now second on the odds board.
He came third in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby, which runs at the same distance as the Preakness. On top of that, trainer Chad Brown has had great success recently at Pimlico Race Course, leading Clowd Computing and Early Voting to victory in the Preakness.
The trends also back Tuscan Gold, as over the last four racing seasons, no Kentucky Derby runner has won the Preakness Stakes.
Last 10 Preakness Stakes Winners