Last year’s Kentucky Derby winner, Mage, made a run at the Triple Crown by running in the Preakness Stakes, only to finish behind Bob Baffert-trained National Treasure. Could Mystik Dan find himself in the same scenario this year?
Baffert remains suspended by Churchill Downs and can’t enter horses into the Kentucky Derby. His strongest horse won’t race at the Preakness either, as Muth — the favorite to win the race — had to withdraw due to a fever. one of his horses, Muth would have had a strong case to be the Kentucky Derby favorite if he had been allowed to run, so Baffert will lament losing his best chance to win at Churchill Downs and the Preakness.
MORE: Who will win the Preakness Stakes?
The iconic Baltimore race marks the second leg of the Triple Crown, and it hasn’t been won by a Kentucky Derby winner since Justify went on to win the Triple Crown in 2018. A victory by Mystik Dan would put all eyes on the Belmont Stakes, where Ken McPeek’s horse could have an opportunity to make history.
For now, Mystik Dan will look to overcome recent trends and make it back-to-back victories after the surprising win at Churchill Downs.
Here are the post positions and odds for the 2024 Preakness Stakes after Monday’s draw.
Preakness Stakes post positions 2024
The nine-horse field received its post positions on Monday, with favorite Muth (8-5) in the No. 4 spot and Mystik Dan (5-2) in the No. 5 gate.
However, Muth was scratched from the race Wednesday after dealing with a fever ahead of the race. That will move Mystik Dan into the No. 4 gate while each of the other horses in Gates 6-9 will move up a post position.
Catching Freedom and Just Steel are running the Preakness after participating in the Kentucky Derby, with Catching Freedom entering at 6-1 and Just Steel owning more distant odds at 15-1.
Below are the post positions and odds for the Preakness Stakes, via the Maryland Jockey Club.
| Post position | Horse | Odds |
| 1 | Mugatu | 20-1 |
| 2 | Uncle Heavy | 20-1 |
| 3 | Catching Freedom | 6-1 |
| 4 | Mystik Dan | 5-2 |
| 5 | Seize the Grey | 15-1 |
| 6 | Just Steel | 15-1 |
| 7 | Tuscan Gold | 8-1 |
| 8 | Imagination | 6-1 |
What is the best post position in horse racing?
The best post position in horse racing largely depends on the tendencies of each horse. A horse that performs better with space might be better suited on the outside, but that’s not the case for all horses.
The Preakness Stakes has a wide distribution of winners. The No. 6 spot has been the most favorable over the years, with that post producing 16 winners since a starting gate was implemented in 1909, every position has produced a winner at some point and only a few post positions have seen success in recent years.
Last year’s champion, National Treasure, started out of the No. 1 gate and became the 13th winner out of No. 1.
Here is the complete list of Preakness Stakes winners at each post position:
| Post position | Preakness winners |
| 1 | 13 |
| 2 | 12 |
| 3 | 12 |
| 4 | 14 |
| 5 | 13 |
| 6 | 16 |
| 7 | 14 |
| 8 | 10 |
| 9 | 4 |
| 10 | 2 |
| 11 | 2 |
| 12 | 3 |
| 13 | 1 |
MORE: Explaining the origin of Mystik Dan’s name
Belmont Stakes winners by post position
The Preakness Stakes first implemented a starting gate in 1909. Since then, every gate numbered 1-13 has produced a winner, and every gate numbered 1-8 has produced at least 10 winners.
Below is a list of all of the winners at each gate since 1909.
1 — (13)
| Year | Winner |
| 1911 | Watervale |
| 1930 | Gallant Fox |
| 1934 | High Quest |
| 1937 | War Admiral |
| 1941 | Whirlaway |
| 1949 | Capot |
| 1950 | Hill Prince |
| 1960 | Bally Ache |
| 1994 | Tabasco Cat |
| 2015 | American Pharoah |
| 2019 | War of Will |
| 2021 | Rombauer |
| 2023 | National Treasure |
2 — (12)
| Year | Winner |
| 1912 | Col. Holloway |
| 1939 | Challedon |
| 1943 | Count Fleet |
| 1944 | Pensive |
| 1947 | Faultless |
| 1967 | Damascus |
| 1968 | Forward Pass |
| 1970 | Personality |
| 1974 | Little Current |
| 1979 | Spectacular Bid |
| 1986 | Snow Chief |
| 2017 | Cloud Computing |
3 — (12)
| Year | Winner |
| 1913 | Buskin |
| 1916 | Damrosch |
| 1956 | Fabius |
| 1966 | Kauai King |
| 1973 | Secretariat |
| 1975 | Master Derby |
| 1980 | Codex |
| 1983 | Deputed Testamony |
| 1984 | Gate Dancer |
| 1988 | Risen Star |
| 1993 | Prairie Bayou |
| 2013 | California Chrome |
4 — (14)
| Year | Winner |
| 1909 | Effendi |
| 1927 | Bostonian |
| 1933 | Head Play |
| 1936 | Bold Venture |
| 1948 | Citation |
| 1952 | Blue Man |
| 1953 | Native Dancer |
| 1961 | Carry Back |
| 1964 | Northern Dancer |
| 1991 | Hansel |
| 1992 | Pine Bluff |
| 2000 | Red Bullet |
| 2007 | Curlin |
| 2020 | Swiss Skydiver |
5 — (13)
| Year | Winner |
| 1918 | Jack Hare Jr. |
| 1922 | Pillory |
| 1931 | Mate |
| 1938 | Dauber |
| 1940 | Bimelech |
| 1946 | Assault |
| 1955 | Nashua |
| 1957 | Bold Ruler |
| 1969 | Majestic Prince |
| 1976 | Elocutionist |
| 2011 | Shackleford |
| 2016 | Exaggerator |
| 2022 | Early Voting |
6 — (16)
| Year | Winner |
| 1914 | Holiday |
| 1915 | Rhine Maiden |
| 1929 | Dr. Freeland |
| 1932 | Burgoo King |
| 1935 | Omaha |
| 1951 | Bold |
| 1954 | Hasty Road |
| 1959 | Royal Orbit |
| 1965 | Tom Rolfe |
| 1978 | Affirmed |
| 1985 | Tank’s Prospect |
| 1987 | Alysheba |
| 1996 | Louis Quatorze |
| 1999 | Charismatic |
| 2004 | Smarty Jones |
| 2013 | Oxbow |
7 — (14)
| Year | Winner |
| 1920 | Man O’ War |
| 1921 | Broomspun |
| 1924 | Nellie Morse |
| 1928 | Victorian |
| 1945 | Polynesian |
| 1972 | Bee Bee Bee |
| 1982 | Aloma’s Ruler |
| 1989 | Sunday Silence |
| 1990 | Summer Squall |
| 1995 | Timber Country |
| 1997 | Silver Charm |
| 2008 | Big Brown |
| 2017 | Lookin at Lucky |
| 2018 | Justify |
8 — (10)
| Year | Winner |
| 1918 | War Cloud |
| 1919 | Sir Barton |
| 1923 | Vigil |
| 1925 | Coventry |
| 1942 | Alsab |
| 1958 | Tim Tam |
| 1963 | Candy Spots |
| 1977 | Seattle Slew |
| 2002 | War Emblem |
| 2006 | Bernardini |
9 — (4)
| Year | Winner |
| 1910 | Layminster |
| 1971 | Canonero II Way |
| 2003 | Funny Cide |
| 2012 | I’ll Have Another |
10 — (2)
| Year | Winner |
| 1962 | Greek Money |
| 1998 | Real Quiet |
11 — (2)
| Year | Winner |
| 1926 | Display |
| 2001 | Point Given |
12 — (3)
| Year | Winner |
| 1917 | Kalitan |
| 1981 | Pleasant Colony |
| 2005 | Afleet Alex |
13 — (1)
| Year | Winner |
| 2009 | Rachel Alexandra |