The second leg of the horse racing triple crown will take place on Saturday, the 2024 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. Mystik Dan went from longshot to Kentucky Derby champion two weeks ago and enters the weekend as the Preakness Stakes 2024 favorite. He is the 8-5 favorite in the latest 2024 Preakness Stakes odds now that Muth (8-5) has withdrawn from the field. Other top 2024 Preakness Stakes horses according to oddsmakers include Imagination (3-1), Catching Freedom (7-2) and Tuscan Gold (9-2). Should you target Mystik Dan when making your 2024 Preakness Stakes predictions?
Should you instead build around longshots in the 2024 Preakness Stakes lineup like Mugatu (20-1) or Uncle Heavy (20-1)? The 2024 Preakness Stakes post time is 7:01 p.m. ET. Before making any 2024 Preakness Stakes picks, be sure to see the horse racing predictions and futures bets from SportsLine's elite horse racing expert Jody Demling.
A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling enters the 2024 Kentucky Derby having nailed the winner of the Belmont Stakes four of the last six years, including an exacta in 2022 with Mo Donegal and Nest. He also called Flightline's win at the Breeders' Cup Classic in November of that year.
Demling is at his best in the biggest horse races in the world like the Preakness Stakes 2024. In fact, he has hit 11 of the last 16 Derby-Oaks doubles at Churchill Downs. He's also called 10 of the last 19 Preakness winners, including nailing his Preakness winner, exacta, trifecta and superfecta picks in 2023. He keenly understands when the Kentucky Derby winner was poised for victory or a massive upset in the second leg of the Triple Crown. Anyone who has followed him is up huge.
Now, with the 2024 Preakness Stakes quickly approaching, Demling is sharing his picks and 2024 Preakness Stakes predictions over at SportsLine. Go here to see them.
Top 2024 Preakness Stakes predictions
One of Demling's surprising 2024 Preakness Stakes picks: He is high on Catching Freedom, even though he's a 7-2 longshot. Catching Freedom was in contention until the final stretch at the Kentucky Derby, finishing two lengths behind the trio of horses involved in the now famous photo finish. He ultimately finished the race at Churchill Downs in fourth place.
Catching Freedom, who is trained by Brad Cox, also notched a win at the Louisiana Derby. The three-year-old colt has improved his speed figure in three straight races, and has three wins in six races since October. He will start from the No. 3 post on Saturday. See which other horses to back at SportsLine.
How to make 2024 Preakness Stakes picks, bets
Demling is especially high a dark-horse who could have a leg-up on the competition because of extra rest. Demling is sharing which horse it is, and his surprising prediction for Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan, along with his entire projected 2024 Preakness Stakes leaderboard, over at SportsLine.
Which horse wins the Preakness Stakes 2024, and which dark-horse is a must-back? Check out the latest 2024 Preakness Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling's picks for the Preakness Stakes, all from the expert who nailed 11 Derby-Oaks doubles and hit last year's Preakness Stakes superfecta.
2024 Preakness Stakes odds, futures, horses
| Prg # | Horse | Odds | Projections |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mugatu | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 2 | Uncle Heavy | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 3 | Catching Freedom | 7-2 | SEE PICKS |
| 4 | Muth | SCR | SEE PICKS |
| 5 | Mystik Dan | 8-5 | SEE PICKS |
| 6 | Seize The Grey | 12-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 7 | Just Steel | 12-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 8 | Tuscan Gold | 9-2 | SEE PICKS |
| 9 | Imagination | 3-1 | SEE PICKS |
