Preakness Guide: 2024 Preakness Stakes, Odds, Start Time & Top Horses
What is the Preakness Stakes?
The Preakness Stakes is a Grade 1 American thoroughbred horse race that marks the second leg of the “Triple Crown” and is held annually on the third Sunday of May in Baltimore, Maryland. The annual horse race is typically two weeks after the Kentucky Derby and three weeks before the Belmont Stakes.
The Preakness is also called "The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans" in reference to the floral wreath given to the horse that emerges as the winner, similar to Kentucky Derbys'`The Run for the Roses'. The event usually draws the second-largest attendance of any horse race in North America, trailing behind only the Kentucky Derby.
History of the Preakness
The Preakness was first introduced at Pimlico in 1873, and was named by the then Maryland Governor, Oden Bowie in honor of 'The Preakness' the horse that won the Dinner Party Stakes of the Pimlico track on its opening day in 1870. The maiden event featured 7 horses at the starting gate who ran on a length of a mile and a half on the field. The first ever Preakness race was won by My Sheba, who outpaced the competition with a commanding lead of 10 lengths.
This win held the record for the biggest margin of victory in the race's history, until it was overtaken in 2004 by Smarty Jones who won the race by 11 lengths. The new record by Smarty Jones remains unchallenged to date.
Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore
The Preakness came to a halt at Pimlico in 1889 and went to the Morris Park in Westchester county, New York the following year in 1890. After which there was a three year hiatus as a result of some shifts in the racing industry, but later returned and was held at Gravesend track in Brooklyn, New York, in 1894 up until 1909, where it finally came back to settle permanently at its original home in Baltimore, Maryland at the Pimlico Race Course.
During this 15 year absence of the Preakness at Pimlico, the Maryland Jockey Club continued to be involved in other forms of horse racing such as hurdle racing and trot racing.
Related Read: Check out the most popular horse racing tracks ranked.
Significance of the Preakness Stakes
The rebirth of the Preakness in 1909 is often cited as the catalyst for the creation of many customs observed today. Case in point, the rendition of "Maryland My Maryland" started when a bugler, who was deeply moved by the significance of the moment, initiated the historic state song of Maryland. Stirred by the melody, other members of the band joined in, and this prompted a vibrant response from the audience. Furthermore, the Preakness of 1909 introduced the tradition of "painting of the colors" atop the weather vane, serving as a symbolic homage to the victorious horse.
Over the course of history, the Preakness Stakes has stood as an authentic evaluation of a horse's prowess and distinction. A prestigious event where notable contenders gather for an illustrious encounter.
Who are the Favorites for the 2024 Preakness?
Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan is a fan favorite expected to run in the 2024 Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the highly anticipated Triple Crown of American thoroughbred racing. However, trainer Ken McPeek has yet to confirm Mystik Dan's entry as of now.
Top Contenders for the 2024 Preakness
Mystik Dan is also among the top contenders of the 2024 Preakness, following his victory as the top finisher of the 2024 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Earlier this month Mystik Dan prevailed against horse racing powerhouses Sierra Leone and Forever Young in a nerve-wracking showdown at the first leg of triple crown of horse racing. Mystik Dan now pushes forward on the trail of becoming horse racing's next Triple Crown champion since Justify's record in 2018.
Other top contenders for the 2024 Preakness are:
- Muth - An Arkansas Derby winner and a fan favorite. Trained by Bob Baffert, and also the son of 2017 Breeder's Cup winner Good Magic.
- Imagination - Another gifted horse trained by Bob Baffert who has won twice at the Santa Anita
Odds and Betting on the Favorites
There are several ways to wager on the Preakness Stakes if you want to take a chance on the favorites running on the 2024 Black-Eyed Susan Day. So long as sports gambling is legal in your jurisdiction, then you are good to place your bets online either on the sports betting site or via the official betting app. There is also the option to wager in person at land based betting shops.
You can check out our top horse racing betting sites to help you select a suitable betting site to start with, and our betting guide on horse racing to help you along the way.
Interested in learning more about horse racing bets? Check out our guide to horse racing trifecta bets.
First Look at the Horses List and the Preakness Stakes 2024 odds
- Mugatu (20-1)
- Uncle Heavy (20-1)
- Catching Freedom (6-1)
- Muth (8-5)
- Mystik Dan (5-2)
- Seize the Gray (15-1)
- Just Steel (15-1)
- Tuscan Gold (8-1)
Past Preakness Winners
The table below is a lineup of the last ten winners of The Preakness Stakes.
| HORSE | JOCKEY | TRAINER | TIME | YEAR |
| National Treasure | John Velazquez | Bob Baffert | 1:55:12 | 2023 |
| Early Voting | Jose Ortiz | Chad Brown | 1:54.54 | 2022 |
| Rombauer | Flavien Prat | Michael W. McCarthy | 1:53.62 | 2021 |
| Swiss Skydiver | Robby Alberado | Kenneth McPeek | 1:53.28 | 2020 |
| War of Will | Tyler Gaffalione | Mark E. Casse | 1:54.34 | 2019 |
| Justify | Mike Smith | Bob Baffert | 1:55.93 | 2018 |
| Cloud Computing | Javier Castellano | Chad Brown | 1:55.98 | 2017 |
| Exaggerator | Kent Desormeaux | Keith Desormeaux | 1:58.31 | 2016 |
| American Pharoah | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert | 1:58.46 | 2015 |
| California Chrome | Victor Espinoza | Art Sherman | 1:54.84 | 2014 |
When is the 2024 Preakness Stakes and what is the Start Time?
The 2024 Preakness Stakes kicks off on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 6:50 p.m. ET sharp.
2024 Preakness Stakes Schedule
- Location: Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland
- Distance: 1 3/16 miles (1.91km)
- Date: Saturday, May 18th
- Start Time: Approximately 6:50 p.m. ET
Post Time for the 2024 Preakness
The post time for the 2024 Preakness will be around 6:50 p.m. ET, and the pre-race coverage starts at approximately 1:30 p.m. ET on CNBC, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app. You can also get the full day coverage on FanDuel TV or Twinspires.
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TV Schedule for Preakness Viewing
You can watch the Preakness 2024 Stakes on the following channels:
- 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. ET - CNBC
- 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. ET - NBC, Peacock
- 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. ET - Telemundo, Universo
- All Day Livestream - FanDuel TV, Twinspires
How does the Preakness fit into the Triple Crown?
The Preakness Stakes is among a series of three horse races that make up The Triple Crown, the other two horse races being− the Kentucky Derby, and Belmont Stakes. Only 3-year-old thoroughbred horses compete in each race.
Role of the Preakness in the Triple Crown Series
Although the term "Triple Crown" wasn't coined until the 1930s, which is way after the Preakness was first run, it's during this race held on the third Saturday in May each year that the elite Derby horses convene, to pursue their shot at the Triple Crown glory
Previous Triple Crown Winners
National Treasure was a fan favorite at the 2023 Preakness Stakes, and he indeed met the expectations surrounding him on the day of the event by coming out as the champion of the racing event. National Treasure held his own from the beginning and led through to finish in the mile-long run.
Mage was another fan favorite, who actually had more eyes on him to win the second leg of the Triple Crown, but he finished third, while Treasure became the top finisher.
Relationship Between the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes
A thoroughbred horse has to partake and win in all three Triple Crown races in order to come out as the ultimate winner. The rigorous schedule requires a three year old horse to win the Kentucky Derby, then the Preakness Stakes two weeks later, and lastly the Belmont Stakes three weeks after. Only thirteen horses have won the Triple Crown so far in the history of horse racing, some of which are among the best racehorses of all time.
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