Preakness Stakes 2024: Seize The Grey wins in Baltimore, ending Mystik Dan’s Triple Crown hopes

The Triple Crown is no longer at stake.

Seize the Gray won the 149th Preakness Stakes, the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown series on a wet and muddy Saturday afternoon at Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course. The horse barely fended off a late push from Mystik Dan, who was trying to become the first horse to win the Triple Crown since 2018.

Seize the Gray led most of the way on Saturday and fended off a big push from Mystik Dan into the final turn. While it looked like Mystik Dan might have the move, Seize the Gray powered through the muddy finish to claim the race and put Triple Crown hopes away for another year.

Seize the Gray was trained by D. Wayne Lukas, who is now the oldest trainer to win a Triple Crown race at age 88. He marked Lukas’ seventh Preakness victory of his career. The horse is owned by 2,570 people, making it one of the largest ownership groups in the sport.

Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan chased the Triple Crown as the popular choice (5-2 in the Morning Line), although trainer Kenny McPeek was initially concerned about returning to racing anytime soon. Catching Freedom and Just Steel are the other horses that also ran in this year’s Derby. However, McPeek appeared confident after checking his horse’s airways and blood tests.

Previous favorite Muth was eliminated from the race due to a high fever. That eliminated one of the horses handled by legendary trainer Bob Baffert, who prepared last year’s Preakness winner National Treasure.

However, the eight-time Preakness-winning trainer had another horse in the field in Imagination, who had odds of 6-1 at Morning Line (along with Catching Freedom) but hadn’t raced in six weeks.

The purse for the 2024 Preakness Stakes is expected to be $2 million, divided among the top five finishers, with the winner receiving $1.2 million and the second place finisher receiving $400,000.

The last Triple Crown winner was Justify in 2018.

Next up in horse racing’s Triple Crown series is the Belmont Stakes, scheduled for June 8 at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York. Belmont Park, which usually hosts the race, is in the process of renovation.