2024 Preakness Stakes Odds, Picks, Predictions for Saturday’s Races at Pimlico

It’s one of the greatest days in sports and racing, the 2024 Preakness Stakes!

Horse racing’s Triple Crown resumes on Saturday, as Mystik Dan will attempt to continue his run toward the history books after winning this year’s Kentucky Derby just two weeks ago. And in the latest 2024 Preakness Stakes odds, the Derby winner is the betting favorite to win at Pimlico, with Mystik Dan’s odds to win the Preakness at 3-1.

Mystik Dan wasn’t originally the favorite to win this weekend, however. Muth, a horse trained by legend Bob Baffert, was your favorite after missing the Derby due to a Baffert suspension. But earlier this week, Muth was scratched due to an elevated temperature, lifting Mystik Dan to the top of the board.

Of course, the 149th Preakness Stakes is only the main event to a full day of racing at Pimlico on Saturday — and my favorite, best bet of the day is on a horse whose name you will almost certainly fall in love with instantly.

We’ll get to that in just a minute. Here are my 2024 Preakness Stakes picks, predictions and full betting card for Races 6 through 13 (Race 13 being the Preakness itself!).

2024 Preakness Stakes Picks, Predictions

Race 6 — To Win: No. 1 Mr Skylight
Race 6 — Pick 4: 1,3,6 | 6,7 | 2,4,7 | 3,4,12
Race 7 — To Win: No. 6 Five Towns
Race 7 — Pick 5: 6,7 | 2,4,7 | 3,4,12 | 5,10 | 8,11,12
Race 8 — To Win: No. 4 Jaxon Traveler
Race 9 — To Win: No. 12 Fulmineo
Race 9 — Pick 5: 3,4,12 | 5,10 | 8,11,12 | 3,5 | 3,5,8,9
Race 10 — Pick 3: 5 | 12 | 5

Race 11 — To Win: No. 12 Beer Can Man (BEST BET OF THE DAY)
Race 11 — Pick 3: 12 | 3,5 | 3,5,8,9
Race 12 — To Win: No. 5 Running Bee
Race 13 (Preakness Stakes) — To Win: No. 8 Tuscan Gold
Race 13 (Preakness Stakes) — Exacta: 8 | 9
Race 13 (Preakness Stakes) — Trifecta: 8 | 9 | 2,3,5

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Race 6 — Chick Lang Stakes Betting Pick

• Distance: 6 Furlongs
• Surface: Dirt
• Post Time: 1:28 p.m. ET

Top Pick

No. 1 Mr. Skylight (3-1) is the most lightly raced horse in the field. He’s been very professional in each of his three career starts, where he has two wins and one second. He’s continued to improve his Beyer speed figure ratings. Last time out, he showed us a different dimension by winning in gate to wire fashion. His versatility could be the difference here.

Underneath

No. 6 Frost Free (2-1) will be sent from the gates. He has always displayed good gate speed and appears to be the fastest horse in the field. He’s never won a stakes race and this will be the first time against graded stakes company. That said, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. is one of the best in the world.

No. 3 Petingas Twin (5-1) is the local horse. While he only has a maiden victory to his name, he’s finished second in his other five starts. His stalking style will keep him in contention the entire time, and jockey Jeiron Barbosa stays aboard.

Race 7 — Gallorette Stakes Betting Pick

• Distance: 1 and 1/16 Miles
• Surface: Turf
• Post Time: 2:08 p.m. ET

Top Pick

No. 6 Five Towns (6-1) has done little wrong since shipping over to the States. She’s won two in a row and her first start in the States was the first off a five-month layoff. Last time out, she was stuck behind a wall of horses and wasn’t able to tip out until mid-stretch, but when she did, she had a massive turn of foot and exploded for the wire. Trainer Graham Motion spots his horses well and typically his horses don’t get overbet.

Underneath

No. 7 Fluffy Socks (6-5) hasn’t won since Derby Day 2023. That said, she is clearly the class of the field and may just be too much for this field. In addition, she has a win over this Pimlico turf course, and the combo of trainer Chad Brown and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. win at 28% when teaming up.

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Race 8 — Maryland Sprint Stakes Betting Pick

• Distance: 6 Furlongs
• Surface: Dirt
• Post Time: 2:48 p.m. ET

Top Pick

No. 4 Jaxon Traveler (6-1) travels well, winning at five different tracks in his career. While he threw up a bit of a clunker last time out, he put up his best Beyer speed figure two back. He has three wins and two seconds from six career starts at Pimlico. With rain in the forecast, it’s important to note that he has only run on a wet track once and he did not run well, but that was also his first start off a three-month layoff.

Underneath

No. 7 Bourbon Bash (7-1) seemingly has found something as a 4-year-old, as he has not missed the board this year. He also hasn’t missed the board at this distance. While there are some things to like, trainer D. Wayne Lukas is 0-15 with horses on short rest running back in a graded stakes event.

No. 2 Prevalence (5-2) ran second in this race last year. He was then off for eight-plus months before making his return on the synthetic. He then tried the turf before getting back to his preferred surface, the dirt, last time out where he romped, winning by over six lengths. He’s an inconsistent horse, but on his best day, he’s tough to beat.

Race 9 — James W. Murphy Stakes Betting Pick

• Distance: 1 Mile
• Surface: Turf
• Post Time: 3:30 p.m. ET

Top Pick

No. 12 Fulmineo (9-2) only has one win from five turf starts but has three second-place finishes. Because of his closing style and with the amount of pace signed on in this race, the outside post draw shouldn’t be an issue. Trainer Arnaud Delacour is 9-for-45 when adding blinkers for the first time, which he does today for Fulmineo.

Underneath

No. 4 Twirling Point (4-1) lost to Trikari, who came back to win the American Turf at a big price on Derby Day, last time out. Twirling Point had a terrible break but rallied to get up for second, showing that he is able to overcome adversity. It is important to note that both of his wins came when going gate to wire and there is other speed in here today.

No. 3 Massif (20-1) ran third last time out at Keeneland. That was his first start as a 3-year-old and first start in five months. In addition, trainer Brittany Russell has had 10 starts during this Pimlico meet and five of them have won. With the amount of pace in the race, his closing kick, and making his second start off the layoff and as a 3-year-old, he will be in the mix late.

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Race 10 — Sir Barton Stakes Betting Pick

• Distance: 1 and 1/16 Miles
• Surface: Dirt
• Post Time: 4:10 p.m. ET

The Pick

No. 5 Corporate Power (9-5) is a $925,000 son of Curlin. They thought highly enough of him to nominate him for the Triple Crown race. He has the highest last out Beyer speed figure and continues to improve in each start. With the pending weather, it’s important to note that his last race came in the slop where he ran second and finished with mild interest.

Underneath

No. 10 Imperial Gun (7-2) comes out of a second-place finish where he had the choice coming out of the turn to split horses or go wide. He ended up going wide, which might have cost him the race as it took him a second to regain momentum, and by that time the winner had put too much separation between them. Imperial Gun should get a cleaner trip today with the outside post and his stalking style.

Race 11 — Jim McKay Turf Sprint Stakes Betting Pick

• Distance: 5 Furlongs
• Surface: Turf
• Post Time: 4:53 p.m. ET

The Pick

No. 12 Beer Can Man (5-2) is the class of the race and my best bet of the day. Ironically, he prepped for this race at Keeneland where he didn’t run well, which is what he did last year and then came back to win this exact race last year. Jockey Flavien Prat is familiar with Beer Can Man, riding him eight times in the past with two of those, including this race last year, being wins.

Underneath

No. 11 Witty (9-2) is a closer who will get plenty of pace to run into today. He won off the four-month layoff last time out. He’s proven versatile regardless of surface and is a distance specialist. Important to note he has a win over this turf course.

No. 8 Boat’s a Rockin (6-1) has won almost half of his starts. He doesn’t necessarily need the lead, which is good because it doesn’t appear he will get it this time. He will need to sit a stalking strip and pounce coming out of the turn.

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Race 12 — Dinner Party Stakes Betting Picks

• Distance: 1 and 1/8 Miles
• Surface: Turf
• Post Time: 5:52 p.m. ET

Top Pick

No. 5 Running Bee (9-2) comes in in top form, winning a salty allowance race last time out at Keeneland. The third place finisher came back to win a Grade 2 next time out. He’s proven that he can win from the front or while stalking, which could prove to be the difference in this spot. Trainer Chad Brown excels on the turf and is even more dangerous with horses second off the layoff, which Running Bee is. Additionally, jockey Tyler Gaffalione has ridden Running Bee to 2 of his 4 career victories.

Underneath

No. 3 Balnikhov (6-1) is a deep closer, who will be last or close to it early. The added furlong today should benefit him given his running style. With the pending weather, it’s important to note that in the U.S. he has not run well on softer grass, but he has run well on soft courses in France.

Race 13 — Preakness Stakes Betting Pick

• Distance: 1 and 3/16 Miles
• Surface: Dirt
• Post Time: 7:01 p.m. ET, NBC

Top Pick

No. 8 Tuscan Gold (8-1) is the least experienced horse in the race. He had a troubled trip in the Louisiana Derby, where he was four-wide going into the first turn, then started to make his move on the far turn, only to find himself surrounded by horses, forcing him to mildly check at the top of the stretch.

While he was able to regain his momentum and finish with interest, the closer already had gotten the jump on him (and, for what it’s worth, one of those closers from that Louisiana Derby is in this race, the No. 3 Catching Freedom). But trainer Chad Brown has won the Preakness twice before in similar circumstances, with horses who could have been point towards the Kentucky Derby and instead took time off and prepped for the Preakness.

Live Contenders

No. 9 Imagination (6-1) is now the only Bob Baffert horse in the race after the scratch of stablemate Muth. Imagination ran a very game race in the Santa Anita Derby. It appeared like he was moving backward on the far turn and then rebroke in the stretch when passed by Stronghold. Imagination has four second place finishes, though, three of which were by a neck, so maybe he just doesn’t have the winner’s mindset?

No. 5 Mystik Dan (5-2), the Kentucky Derby winner, wasn’t the morning line favorite in this race, but now is with the scratch of Muth. He was the only horse that was close to the pace that was able to finish in the Derby. Additionally, we know he likes an off track, as he floated over the Oaklawn mud in the Grade 3 Southwest. Trainer Kenny McPeek’s barn has been hot and Mystik Dan can’t be left off your tickets.

No. 3 Catching Freedom (6-1) finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby. He has paired his last two Beyer speed figures at 97, which typically means he’s either going to take another step forward or bounce off of that effort. By all reports, he’s been training extremely well, and trainer Brad Cox would only put him in this spot if the horse was telling him he was ready to fire.

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2024 Preakness Stakes Expert Picks

Race 6 — To Win: No. 1 Mr Skylight
Race 6 — Pick 4: 1,3,6 | 6,7 | 2,4,7 | 3,4,12
Race 7 — To Win: No. 6 Five Towns
Race 7 — Pick 5: 6,7 | 2,4,7 | 3,4,12 | 5,10 | 8,11,12
Race 8 — To Win: No. 4 Jaxon Traveler
Race 9 — To Win: No. 12 Fulmineo
Race 9 — Pick 5: 3,4,12 | 5,10 | 8,11,12 | 3,5 | 3,5,8,9
Race 10 — Pick 3: 5 | 12 | 5
Race 11 — To Win: No. 12 Beer Can Man (BEST BET OF THE DAY)
Race 11 — Pick 3: 12 | 3,5 | 3,5,8,9
Race 12 — To Win: No. 5 Running Bee
Race 13 (Preakness Stakes) — To Win: No. 8 Tuscan Gold
Race 13 (Preakness Stakes) — Exacta: 8 | 9
Race 13 (Preakness Stakes) — Trifecta: 8 | 9 | 2,3,5

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