Preakness 2024 Video Replay, Highlights and Recap
Seize the Gray and jockey Jaime TorresSamuel Corum/Getty Images
The 2024 Preakness Stakes carried plenty of intrigue into Baltimore for Saturday’s race. The race itself provided little drama, however, as winner Seize the Gray led from very early on and never faded.
Unsurprisingly, Kentucky Derby-winner Mystik Dan entered race day as the favorite. The Kenny McPeek-trained horse and jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr. made a late push to make things interesting. However, Seize the Gray and jockey Jaime Torres held on for the win.
The win marked the seventh for trainer D. Wayne Lukas in the Preakness at Pimlico.
Seize the Gray wasn’t at the Derby and came in as a long shot, but the horse’s winning performance at the Pat Day Mile on May 4 might have provided a clue for Saturday’s strategy.
“Ride more aggressive,” Lukas said after that win, per David Grening of Daily Racing Form. “My horses run on the pace, they’re more aggressive, so I wanted him to do that.”
While Seize the Gray’s win put an end to Mystik Dan’s bid for the coveted Triple Crown, it still provided a terrific experience for racing fans.
NBC Sports @NBCSportsSEIZE THE GREY SEIZES THE DAY.
WATCH HIM DENY MYSTIK DAN THE CHANCE TO RUN FOR THE TRIPLE CROWN IN THE FULL 149TH PREAKNESS STAKES. pic.twitter.com/c2nLV0Ov1j
Order of Finish and Prize Money Payout
1. Seize the Gray – $1.2 Million
2.Mystik Dan – $400,000
3. Catching Freedom – $220,000
4. Tuscan Gold – $120,000
5. Just Steel – $60,000
6. Uncle Heavy
7. Imagination
8. Mugatu
Recap and Highlights
While Mystik Dan’s bid for the second leg of the Triple Crown was a major storyline coming out of the Kentucky Derby, it was largely overshadowed in the days leading up to the Preakness.
The Bob Baffert-trained Muth was the early favorite over Mystik Dan to win the Preakness but was officially scratched on Wednesday after developing a fever.
“We are sick about this. The horse had been doing really well,” Baffert said, per Dylan Svoboda of the New York Post. “But we have to do what’s right by the horse.”
While we’ll never know how much Muth’s absence impacted the outcome, Saturday’s muddy track certainly appeared to be a factor.
FanDuel Racing (Formerly TVG) @FanDuel_RacingLive look at the Pimlico track with 15 MTP for the Preakness. pic.twitter.com/W9Ah2qwLO4
Rather than racing to the front early, Hernandez settled into the middle of the pack, choosing to stalk the front-runners before pushing Mystik Dan to a late surge. It’s fair to wonder if the track played a role in that strategy.
Mystik Dan took a fairly early lead at the Kentucky Derby but faded down the stretch, barely holding on to win by a nose.
Torres seemed to take Lukas’ advice and made an aggressive push early and took the lead shortly after exiting the gate. The pair opened up a large lead by the midpoint of the race before Hernandez made his move.
Hernandez first pushed Mystik Dan along the rial, a strategy he used at the Derby, before moving slightly outside in an attempt to get by Imagination and past Seize the Gray.
However, Torres never let up on his pace, and the late surge was not enough. Imagination, who long held the No. 2 spot, fell to the back of the pack as Catching Freedom and jockey Flavien Prat made a push for third place.
The race marked the Triple Crown debut of Torres, whose first racing win came in September of 2022.
World Horse Racing @WHRWay to make your Triple Crown debut, @jaimetorresjcky! 👏
He wins the #Preakness on SEIZE THE GREY!
🎥 NBC
pic.twitter.com/Q301ivtmgh
There will be no Triple Crown winner in 2024, as Justify (2018) remains the last horse to achieve the feat.
However, fans will have another chance to take in some Triple-Crown action in just a couple of weeks. The final leg of the series, the Belmont Stakes, is scheduled for June 8.
