The list of 2024 Preakness Stakes horses will feature some familiar names from the Kentucky Derby alongside some of the fastest three-year-olds in horse racing that missed out on the first leg of the Triple Crown. With Derby winner Mystik Dan in the field, there will be plenty of excitement surrounding a possible Triple Crown run for 2024.
The field for the 2024 Preakness features eight horses, and post positions were determined on Monday, resulting in plenty of intriguing Preakness Stakes odds. We'll analyze these elite thoroughbreds for you to research before making your Preakness Stakes picks.
Who is running in the 2024 Preakness Stakes?
The full list of 2024 Preakness Stakes horses was drawn on Monday evening.
| Post | Horse |  * |
 ** |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mugatu | +1,600 | 16-1 | +6,600 |
| 2 | Uncle Heavy | +700 | 7-1 | +1,000 |
| 3 | Catching Freedom | +350 | 7-2 | +350 |
| 4 | OTB | OTB | OTB | |
| 5 | Mystik Dan | +300 | 3-1 | +175 |
| 6 | Seize the Grey | +800 | 8-1 | +2,000 |
| 7 | Just Steel | +900 | 9-1 | +1,400 |
| 8 | Tuscan Gold | +400 | 4-1 | +450 |
| 9 | Imagination | +400 | 4-1 | +450 |
Odds as of 5-18-2024 at 6:05 p.m. ET.
*FanDuel Racing odds available in AZ, CO, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, NY, OH, PA, VA, WV, WY
**bet365 Preakness odds are not available in the United States
2024 Preakness Stakes horses
No. 5 Mystik Dan (5-2)
Mystik Dan took full advantage of a perfect trip under Brian Hernandez Jr. to capture the Kentucky Derby. He'll be hoping for that kind of racing luck again on the quick turnaround. At least for his sake he won't have to face Muth, who beat him easily in the Arkansas Derby two-back, as that horse was announced as a scratch on Wednesday morning.
No. 3 Catching Freedom (6-1)
Catching Freedom closed late to be fourth in the Kentucky Derby, and after some will-he-or-won't-drama akin to Mystik Dan, has entered the Preakness on short rest. He has two wins (Louisiana Derby and Smarty Jones Stakes) and a third (Risen Star) in four starts this season.
No. 9 Imagination (6-1)
A runner-up in four starts out of six, Imagination was held off in the Santa Anita Derby last time out by Stronghold, who went on to finish seventh in the Kentucky Derby. The legendary Frankie Dettori rides the "other Baffert" as he seeks his first Triple Crown race win.
No. 8 Tuscan Gold (8-1)
Tuscan Gold ran third in the Grade II Louisiana Derby behind Catching Freedom last time out, but he'll have edge in terms of freshness in the rematch after bypassing the Kentucky Derby. Trainer Chad Brown's two career Preakness victories have occurred with "new shooters" like this lightly-raced son of Medaglia d'Oro.
No. 6 Seize the Grey (15-1)
Seize the Grey is another runner coming off a two-week layoff, only he won the Grade II Pat Day Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard. He took advantage of a meteoric pace in that shorter race, and his 4: 0-0-2 record in four prior stakes tries might be more indicative of his abilities.
No. 7 Just Steel (15-1)
Just Steel placed second in three stakes starts in 2024 (Smarty Jones Stakes, Southwest Stakes, Arkansas Derby) but was a distant 17th in the Kentucky Derby. After chasing a fast pace in the "Run for the Roses," the D. Wayne Lukas trainee will be hoping for less early pressure in the Preakness.
No. 1 Mugatu (20-1)
Mugatu was marooned on the also-eligible list for the 2024 Kentucky Derby and failed to draw in. Just as it was in the Derby, it's hard to make a case for the son of Blofeld in the Preakness based on his 0-for-5 record in 2024 with a fifth-place finish in the Blue Grass Stakes when last seen.
No. 2 Uncle Heavy (20-1)
Uncle Heavy was under consideration for the Derby after winning the Grade III Withers Stakes in the muck at Aqueduct, but a misfire in the Grade II Wood Memorial took his connections back to the drawing board.
A wet track would certainly help this Pennsylvania-bred, but he looks short on speed figures heading into the Preakness.
Preakness Stakes picks and predictions
Our experts are making Preakness Stakes picks and building bets all week.
How horses qualify for the Preakness Stakes
Qualifying for the Preakness Stakes isn’t based on a points system but rather focused on winnings as well as success in the Kentucky Derby two weeks prior.
Preakness Stake prep races
Unlike the Kentucky Derby qualifying, which is based on points, the Preakness Stakes pulls its field from the horses’ graded stakes earnings as well as lifetime earnings. The Top 5 horses from the Kentucky Derby are also granted automatic spots, however, not all of those horses will choose to race in the Preakness Stakes.
Triple Crown Horses
The Preakness Stakes is the second jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown and often features the winner of the Kentucky Derby. There have been 23 horses to win both the Derby and the Preakness and 13 of those contenders have gone on to win the Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes.
Types of Preakness Stakes horses
The Preakness Stakes is the shortest of the Triple Crown races with a distance of just 1 3/16 miles (9.5 furlongs), and this event is limited to three-year-old thoroughbreds.
Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred horses are known for their long athletic builds and burst of speed, which makes them the ideal horse for the Preakness Stakes — the shortest and fastest of the three Triple Crown races.
Age of horses
The Preakness Stakes, along with the other two Triple Crown events, are limited to three-year-old horses. At that age, horses are just beginning to mature and there is still an aura of the unknown when it comes to their performances.
Instant Replay: Preakness Stakes horses
The Preakness is limited to just 14 horses pulled from the top graded stakes earners and the Top 5 finishers in the Kentucky Derby.
The Preakness Stakes is the shortest of the Triple Crown races at 1 3/16 miles (9.5 furlongs).
There have been 23 horses to win both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
The Preakness Stakes is limited to three-year-old thoroughbred horses.
Preakness Stakes horses FAQs
National Treasure won the 2023 Preakness Stakes.
Horses qualify for the Preakness Stakes by ranking among the top in graded stakes and lifetime earnings or finishing inside the Top 5 in the Kentucky Derby.
Mystik Dan won the 2024 Kentucky Derby.
Muth and Mystik Dan are the favorites to win the Preakness Stakes.
