I grew up in a family that always had cats and often went to racetracks. It was when I was in kindergarten that his father began teaching me to read past performances.
Learning about the data-driven approach didn’t stop my mom and I from betting on every horse with “cat,” “kitten,” or “kitten” in its name. It may not be a long-term winning strategy, but Crazy He felt great in a way when a horse named Cat Lady won at his Belmont park and he paid $28.
People bet on horses for all sorts of reasons. My nephew bets on the longest shot in every race. I once won a $700 Pick 3 bet on three of my favorite trainers in three consecutive races. It’s a simple game, right?
And of course, there’s the handicap. Hours were spent poring over past performance, speed figures and potential race formats.
Racing is much more fun to watch if you have the money. If you’re looking to get your heart pumping at the Preakness, here are a few different approaches. Good luck on your windowsill. And for the safety of everyone’s travels.
heavy uncle
I’m not a big better, so I’m always on the lookout for longshots. Trainer Butch Reed may not be familiar to the general horse racing fan, but he is well known in the Midlantic and has a reputation as an excellent jockey. I think he has a chance to win the biggest race of his career here.
The story is a good one. Uncle Heavy was produced by Reed’s sister-in-law Barbara and named after Reed’s brother Mark, but beyond her emotional support, Uncle Heavy has a chance to pull off an upset on Saturday. He has raced twice on wet tracks and won twice, including the G3 Wizards Stakes. If Imagination were to emerge as the only speed, his stalking style would be compromised (which is likely), but if someone decides to choose Imagination, Uncle Heavy may be able to be tenacious to the end. yeah. He’ll be on both the top and bottom of my ticket.
It would be foolish to ignore both Imagination and Derby winner Mystic Dan. So this guy might play Ecutus, Trifecta, and Superfecta with Two Heads, Ankle Heavy, and Tuscan Gold, especially if the latter’s post-time odds are close to his value. 8-1 morning line. – Teresa Gennaro
imagination
This race feels like it went from an easy choice of Muth to a wide open choice. There are many options, but I’m going to stick with the more reliable one: Bob Baffert. Imagination has only won 2 out of 6 horses, but he has never finished lower than 2nd place. He’s a decent speed horse and if he can get to the front he might just hang onto the wire.
To be more precise, I would use Catching Freedom and throw in Mystic Dan for the trifecta. Catching Freedom finished just outside the three-horse photo finish in the Derby and could have been better matched with the moose to set the speed, but I still like the Brad Cox horse here. As for Mystic Dan, there’s a reason he had an 18-1 Derby record, but with Kenny McPeek once again extolling his virtues, it’s hard to ignore the Derby winner completely. difficult. – Dana O’Neal, The Athletic
tuscany gold
As Teresa said in the horse preview, this horse is inexperienced, but everyone seems to love this horse’s talent. The trainer and jockey duo of Chad Brown and Tyler Gaffalione are very experienced, and I think it will be a strange race with very little speed on the hills. There’s a good chance Imagination will come forward and go wire-to-wire, but I like Tuscan Gold to beat Imagination and Mystic Dan on the wire. – Andrew DeWitt, The Athletic
Mystic Dan
Kentucky Derby winner Mystic Dan (mare 5) is my number one candidate. I wish I could be more creative and provide more value, but I got creative with how his trip unfolded. The pace scenario changes as the popular Moose was scratched on the previous morning’s line. Given how close Mystic Dan was to the pace in the Derby, and the lack of attracting other speed types in him, jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. established a position at the front and was at the gate. I would love to see him go to the wire. Tuscan Gold (8) is a “new shooter” who may have raced better than Catching Freedom (3) in the Louisiana Derby. He was more visible early on as he was caught wide. Antiquarian won the Peter Pan Stakes in his next outing last weekend, so it looks like it’s going to be a fruitful race. Imagination (9) needs great support in betting and needs to move forward. I’m not sure about his overall ability level. My choice: 5-8-3-9 – Sara Elbadouy, New York Horse Racing Association, On-Air Horse Racing Analyst
tuscany gold
Trainer Chad Brown has had a great track record with lightly raced Preakness contenders, with Tuscan Gold showing class and potential in the Louisiana Derby (G2) with a close third place behind Catching Freedom. I did. He should be able to sit close to the pace competing with the likes of Seize the Grey, Imagination, and perhaps Just Steel. Tuscan Gold is our top selection. With rain likely in the forecast, Kentucky Derby winner Mystic Dan could return to his impressive run in the Southwest (G3). Uncle Heavy is an interesting off-track longshot candidate after the Wizards (G3) win. – Rowan Ward, chart caller and freelance writer for blinkers-off.com
imagination
It seems like the bigger the race, the more thought goes into handicapping, but I always try to keep the mantra “think long and be wrong” in my head, and I’ve always tried to keep the mantra “think long and be wrong” and Remember that the same horse racing principles apply to $2 million G1 races as well. Because they are in a race to stake their claim at Belterra Park.
Imagination is the only speed in the Preakness Stakes, and the only speed is the most powerful weapon a horse can have in any race. Jockey Frankie Dettori will likely decide on the Bob Baffert trainer’s riding terms, but if he can get to the front and stay there for 1 3/16 miles, he could be priced right to be a bet. It will be.
The tactics behind him will be interesting. There is some thought that Says the Gray, one of two horses in the D. Wayne Lucas stable, could join the early fray, with Mystic Dan, who won the Kentucky Derby, They had a fast pace and were not far behind, so they were able to press. Problems will also be resolved sooner or later.
If things get too heated up front, it will be in Tuscan Gold’s best advantage. He will be ahead of Kentucky Derby runner-up Catching Freedom, who beat Tuscan Gold in the Louisiana Derby, but there may be too much work to do here.
Imagination-Tuscan Gold-Just Steel is my trifecta. – Ed DeRosa, Vice President of Content, Horse Racing Nation
imagination
Tuesday’s Moose wound really affected this race from a pacing standpoint. Imagination is in the unenviable position of being able to hit speed on his own, rather than making room for his highly regarded stablemate Moose. He has been training positively since his near miss in the Santa Anita Derby on April 6th. Multiple Triple Crown-winning trainer Bob Baffert appears poised to give his best performance in Baltimore. It’s a long run from the start to the first turn, so the position of the post shouldn’t be a problem. The arrival of Frankie Dettori, perhaps the greatest international rider of all time, on horseback only adds to the imaginative appeal of this race. For me in the 2024 Preakness, it’s imagination. – Barry Spears, co-host of the podcast Going In Circles, horse racing analyst/influencer
Mystic Dan
For sentimental reasons, nothing would make me happier than seeing D. Wayne Lucas win his 15th Triple Crown race. In 2013, the Hall of Fame trainer won the Preakness with a long shot named Oxbow, going 15-1. Eleven years later he returned to Pimlico with two more stallions (Says the Gray and Just Steal) listed at 15 wins and 1 loss on the morning line. If Lucas is going to return to the winner’s circle this time, he’ll be with She’s the Gray, who looked like he still had a little room to spare when he won the Pat Day Mile on the undercard of the Kentucky Derby. The gray son of Arrogate is my choice to cross the wire in front and give ‘The Coach’ another win on one of racing’s biggest stages. – Matt Hunter, veteran horse racing reporter
Mystic Dan
While there is a tendency to get creative and look for price plays in the Preakness, most roads point to horses that are likely favorites and likely Derby winners. Mystic Dan has the best speed numbers in almost every system of any horse he has raced, making him the most consistent performer, most proven, and most importantly, in the field. Now, physically, he seems to be just as good, if not better. than he would be in the Derby. From a pace standpoint, Imagination may appear to have an advantage as the fastest early on, but he has not been tested outside of California and has a relatively easy and ideal setup, and in Baltimore You may not get it. The possibility of a sloppy track only increases Mystic Dan’s chances. Historically, Derby winners have been able to ride the momentum of success in the second leg of the Triple Crown. I run with him as Mystic Dan runs down the imagination and stops the late closing Catching Freedom to keep the dream alive.
Mystic Dan talks about his approach to freedom and imagination. – Cayton Breder, Horse Racing Analyst
seize freedom
No horse in training at Pimlico this week has performed better than Brad Cox’s Catching Freedom. Cox admitted that the absence of pacemaker Moose will not help the horse’s chances as a deep closer, but Catching Freedom has run well in wet conditions so far and Mystic Dan’s Looks like he’s ready to ruin his shot at the Triple Crown. – Steven Wyno, Associated Press
Mystic Dan
There’s a reason Imagination is one of the favorites. He has all the money and fame, and he races well and is fast. With Baffert’s younger brother Muto out in practice, it would be easy for him to finish at the top. But I don’t want to rule out Mystic Dan, who has the potential to do well and has a good race on the hills. Moreover, the heart wants what it wants, and my heart wants the Triple Crown. Uncle Heavy has a great story (I love it) and is good on wet roads. – Hannah Vanbieber, The Athletic
(Mystic Dan Photo: Rob Carr/Getty Images,)
