Sixteen The Gray won the 149th Preakness Stakes on Saturday, closing at odds of 9-1, one of the longest shots on the board.
Mystik Dan, the Kentucky Derby winner, acted late but finished second in the eight-horse field competing in the $2 million, 1 3/16-mile race.
It was a wire-to-wire victory for Seize The Grey, who led by several lengths at the ¾ mile mark, with Imagination close behind.
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Jockey Jaime Torres, riding Seize the Grey, celebrates after winning the 149th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2024, in Baltimore. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Mystik Dan and Imagination both slipped, and although Mystik Dan tried to pass the leader, nothing worked. Sixteen The Gray crossed the finish line first.
D. Wayne Lukas, 88, became the oldest trainer to win the Preakness, his seventh victory in the race, one short of Bob Baffert’s record.
Initial favorite Muth, trained by the controversial Baffert, was scratched earlier this week due to a high fever. This led to Mystik Dan emerging as the favorite in his quest to become the first Triple Crown winner since Justify in 2018.
Jockey Jaime Torres, riding Seize the Grey, celebrates after winning the 149th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2024, in Baltimore. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Muth started as an 8-5 favorite, ahead of Mystik Dan at 5-2 (he later closed at 2-1). Baffert said the horse was ruled out after reaching a temperature of 103 degrees Fahrenheit about 12 hours after arriving at the racetrack.
It was unclear if Mystik Dan would show up after his Kentucky Derby victory, but the owners decided he was ready to go.
No one in the race’s 149-year history has saddled more horses in the Preakness than Lukas with 48 since his debut in 1980. He had two this time, with Just Steel finishing fifth.
The Pimlico Race weather vane before the 147th Preakness Stakes on May 18, 2022, in Baltimore. (Getty Images)
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Baffert was at Pimlico after missing his third consecutive Kentucky Derby due to suspension. He should be back at Churchill Downs in 2025. His national treasure won last year’s Preakness.
The final leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, will take place at Saratoga Race Course on June 8.
Paulina Dedaj of Fox News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.