Preakness notes: Muth will be waiting for Mystik Dan at the Belmont
The morning-line favorite was scratched at Pimlico. Here's why Fox could be rooting for a Mystik Dan win.
Know who has to be rooting for Mystik Dan in the 149th Preakness Stakes? The New York Racing Association and the people at Fox.
The Kentucky Derby winner’s competition at Pimlico Race Course got lighter on Wednesday with the scratching of Muth, the horse who opened as the 8-5 favorite. Bob Baffert’s colt, who beat Mystik Dan in the Arkansas Derby, spiked a fever this week and the trainer pointed him toward the Belmont Stakes.
Now Mystik Dan becomes the presumptive favorite on Saturday. Fox has the television rights to the Belmont on June 8 and would love to have a possible Triple Crown in play against a top Baffert horse like Muth.
Baffert at the Preakness
Muth’s exit left Baffert with only one entrant for Saturday, the No. 9 Imagination.
The eight Preakness winners trained by Baffert, listed according to win price:
$8.20 — Silver Charm, 1997
$7.80 — National Treasure, 2023
$7.60 — War Emblem, 2002
$7.00 — Real Quiet, 1998
$6.80 — Lookin At Lucky, 2010
$6.60 — Point Given, 2001
$3.80 — American Pharoah, 2015
$2.80 — Justify, 2018
Other Pimlico tidbits:
Bloodhorse.com reminds us that Uncle Heavy, Mystik Dan, and Seize the Grey each have wins when the track has been sloppy/rainy/muddy.
Uncle Heavy (20-1) is named after trainer Butch Reid’s brother, Mark. Uncle Heavy was born at Walnut Green Farm in Kennett Square, and started his career winning two of three starts in 2023 at Parx. Word is he loves to take naps after eating. Then again, who doesn’t?
Friday is the 44th anniversary of D. Wayne Lukas’ first Preakness Stakes win when Angel Cordero rode Codex to a controversial victory over filly Genuine Risk, in which Genuine Risk jockey Jacinto Vasquez alleged that Cordero struck his horse on the backstretch. That 1980 Preakness also came the day after Lakers rookie Magic Johnson dropped 42 points on the Sixers to clinch the NBA title.
Mugatu is named after Will Ferrell’s character in the 2001 film Zoolander.
The purse for this year’s Preakness is $2 million, up from $1.5 million in 2023. The people at First Racing (which has the awkward company logo 1/ST) also threw in a $5 million bonus if the Preakness winner can also win the California Crown Stakes on Sept. 28 at Santa Anita and the Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 27 at Gulfstream.
The hope is that the extra incentive beefs up the field. This year, three of the 20 horses who ran in the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago are running in the Preakness (Mystik Dan, Catching Freedom, Just Steel). Last year, just one horse was saddled up for both (Mage).
The Kentucky Derby’s purse was $5 million, up from $3 million in 2023. Similar to the Preakness, the Belmont Stakes also is up to $2 million from $1.5 million a year ago.
The Belmont is at Saratoga this year while Belmont Park is renovated.
Born to be wild
A look at when this year’s Preakness field was born in 2021. (Program number in parentheses.):
March
4: Mystik Dan (5)
8: Catching Freedom (3)
9: Just Steel (7)
April
8: Tuscan Gold (8)
17: Mugatu (1)
20: Seize the Grey (6)
23: Imagination (9)
May
2: Uncle Heavy (2)
Pay up
The last five Preakness winners and some of their payouts:
2023: National Treasure (3-1 odds) — $7.80 to win (1), $15.90 exacta (1-7), $24.20 trifecta (1-7-3).
2022: Early Voting (5-1 odds) — $13.40 to win (5), $25.80 exacta (5-8), $133.00 trifecta (5-8-2).
2021: Rombauer (11-1 odds) — $25.60 to win (6), $98.60 exacta (6-5), $325.40 trifecta (6-5-3).
2020: Swiss Skydiver (11-1 odds) — $25.40 to win (4), $75.60 exacta (4-9), $2,411.40 trifecta (4-9-6).
2019: War of Will (6-1 odds) — $14.20 to win (1), $947.00 exacta (1-10), $9,399.60 trifecta (1-10-5).