The field for the 2024 Preakness Stakes changed considerably Wednesday morning. Muth, the 8/5 morning line favorite, was scratched from the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown after coming down with a fever.
With Muth out, the Preakness Stakes betting favorite is likely Mystik Dan, the Kentucky Derby winner. If Mystik Dan wins, a Triple Crown will be on the line at the Belmont Stakes next month.
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More On Muth’s Scratch
Muth won the Arkansas Derby, one of the major Kentucky Derby prep races. However, he was unable to run in that race due to trainer Bob Baffert’s Kentucky Derby suspension. After several unsuccessful attempts at an injunction, Muth’s connections decided to await the Preakness.
However, according to trainer Bob Baffert, Muth spiked a 103-degree fever overnight and will not run on Saturday at Pimlico. Per the track, Baffert said:
“We are sick about this. The horse had been doing really well. But we have to do what’s right by the horse.”
Baffert’s barn will still be represented in the Preakness. Imagination won the San Felipe Stakes and was second in the Santa Anita Derby. He will likely be one of the top four betting choices in the race, along with Mystik Dan, Kentucky Derby returnee Catching Freedom, and fellow “new shooter” Tuscan Gold.
The Effects On The Preakness Stakes (And The Triple Crown)
A win by Mystik Dan isn’t a foregone conclusion. A two-week turnaround is a quick one, and even with Muth out, there are several fresh horses ready to take him on.
However, Muth not running does make Mystik Dan the one to beat. Muth trounced him in the Arkansas Derby, where Mystik Dan only managed a distant third-place finish (albeit with a troubled trip).
Furthermore, the weather forecast calls for rain most days leading up to the Preakness. Three starts ago, Mystik Dan frolicked in the slop to win the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park by eight lengths.
A similarly-wet track, and the absence of a legitimate rival, could only help the Kentucky Derby winner on Saturday. A win in the Preakness Stakes would mean the eyes of the horse racing world head to Saratoga and a possible Triple Crown, which would be the 14th such sweep in history (and just the third since 1978).