Preakness Exotic Bets: Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta Picks 2024

Photo Credit: Craig Dudek

• The Preakness Stakes will be run Saturday, May 18 with post time scheduled for 7:01 pm ET
• Can Mystik Dan, who won the Kentucky Derby, continue its pursuit of the Triple Crown? Which other horses will have favorable finishes?
• See the best exacta, trifecta, and superfecta bets to make for the Preakness below

The 149^th running of the Preakness Stakes is set for Saturday, May 18^th. Pimlico Race Course annually hosts the second leg of the Triple Crown. All eyes will be on the winner of the Run for the Roses, Mystik Dan, to see if the colt can repeat his efforts from just two weeks ago. I’ll be going over some great options for Preakness exotic bets, such as exactas and trifectas.

Last year, National Treasure won the second jewel of the Triple Crown. The $1 exacta paid $15.90, while the $.50 trifecta paid $12.10. The winnings are less than what it usually awarded in the Kentucky Derby, but it’s a lot easier to hit a ticket with less horses in the field.

We look at several factors when handicapping the Preakness Stakes. Learn how to read a horse racing program to understand the past performances of each horse. You can also find trainers, jockeys and how the horse has performed on different surfaces.

Field for the 149^th Preakness Stakes

The morning-line favorite has already scratched, so Mystik Dan is now the favorite to win the Woodlawn Vase. A painter will climb to the top of the Old Clubhouse cupola following the race to apply the silks of one of these horses to the weather vane. Below is the entire field for the Preakness Stakes, including the trainer and jockey.

1. Mugatu, Jeff Engler, Joe Bravo, 20-1
2. Uncle Heavy, Butch Reid Jr., Irad Ortiz Jr., 20-1
3. Catching Freedom, Brad Cox, Flavien Prat, 6-1
4. Muth, Bob Baffert, Juan Hernandez, SCRATCHED
5. Mystik Dan, Kenny McPeek, Brian Hernandez Jr., 5-2
6. Seize the Grey, D. Wayne Lukas, Jaime Torres, 15-1
7. Just Steel, D. Wayne Lukas, Joel Rosario, 15-1
8. Tuscan Gold, Chad Brown, Tyler Gaffalione, 8-1
9. Imagination, Bob Baffert, Frankie Dettori, 6-1

Check in with our Preakness Stakes odds tracker to get the latest lines!

Best Preakness Stakes Exotic Bets

There isn’t much money to be made by making a straight wager. While most will be placing a bet on a single horse to win the race, I’ll be trying to hit an exotic or two in the Preakness. There are only eight horses in the field, so the odds are better for selecting the top finishers.

Mystik Dan has three wins in his four starts, but none were as fruitful as the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago. He had a perfect run around the 1 ¼ miles at Churchill Downs. The race on Saturday will be 1 3/16 miles around the dirt track at Pimlico Race Course. Get in your wagers before the horses reach the gate at 6:50 pm ET.

Preakness Stakes Exacta Picks

Catching Freedom wasn’t far behind Mystik Dan in the Kentucky Derby. Cox’s horse was just 1 ¼ lengths behind the cluster of three horses, finishing 4^th. He is a closer that has always been in the top 4 in all of his six starts.

Gaffalione failed to win two weeks ago abord Sierra Leone, but he has a great chance in the Preakness with Tuscan Gold. The colt has one win in just three starts. Note that Brown has trained two previous horses that won the Preakness Stakes without running in the Kentucky Derby.

Baffert pulled Muth from the race after running a fever, but he still has a great chance with Imagination. He is coming off of a 2^nd place finish in the Santa Anita Derby, winning two races in his six career starts. Expect Imagination to be near the front early.

• $5 Exacta: Mystik Dan, Imagination
• $5 Exacta: Imagination, Tuscan Gold
• $5 Exacta Box: Mystik Dan, Tuscan Gold

Preakness Stakes Trifecta & Superfecta Picks

The other horse I could see making a run into the top bunch would be Seize the Grey. Lukas is a legendary trainer with numerous wins in this race, but competition will be much stronger than what he saw in the Pat Day Mile last time out.

• $2 Trifecta: Mystik Dan, Imagination, Tuscan Gold
• $2 Trifecta: Imagination, Tuscan Gold, Mystik Dan
• $1 Superfecta Box: Mystik Dan, Imagination, Tuscan Gold, Sieze the Grey

Mugatu is getting another shot in a stakes race after not being able to earn an entry into the Kentucky Derby. He was just a scratch way from entering the field, but he remained in the barn for the Run for the Roses. The colt has yet to hit the board in a stakes race. Uncle Heavy and Just Steel are two other contenders that should be longshots. It wouldn’t be a terrible idea to add one of these horses into a supefecta or trifecta box just in case they hit and increase the payouts.

There are several great horse betting apps that make it easy for handicappers to place the following wagers, such as FanDuel Racing and TwinSpires. Sign up through the links on this page to start with the best welcome bonuses.

If Mystik Dan can pull of the win in the Preakness Stakes, all eyes will turn to the Belmont Stakes in New York. The final leg of the Triple Crown will be on Saturday, June 8^th. “The Test of the Champion” has been moved to Saratoga Race Course in 2024 because of the construction occurring at Belmont Park.

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