With Monday’s post position draw for the 2024 Preakness Stakes complete, excitement has started to mount amongst fans and bettors alike for the 149th running of the Triple Crown event.

Some changes to the field can be expected between now and the famed Pimlico Race Course event — case in point, we already saw odds-on favorite Muth scratched due to fever. However, FanDuel Racing has outright winner odds listed for the second leg of the Triple Crown. Not surprisingly, Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan sits as one of the favorites to win.

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Let’s take a look at the FanDuel Racing odds for the 2024 Preakness, then discuss the best bets, top value pick, and best sleeper to win.

Preakness Stakes 2024 odds to win

All odds courtesy of FanDuel Racing. Pos = post position.

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Preakness Stakes 2024: Can Mystik Dan keep the Triple Crown dream alive?

The clear favorite in the 2024 Preakness Stakes field now that Muth has been scratched is Mystik Dan (5-2). Catching Freedom (6-1),  Imagination (6-1), and Tuscan Gold (8-1) have short odds, as well. Mystik Dan’s implied odds are about 28.5 percent. 

Mystik Dan (5-2)

Horse racing fans and bettors alike were on the edge of their seats when it came to Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan’s availability for this weekend’s event. Trainer Kenny McPeek announced that he would indeed race the Preakness and contend for the second leg of the Triple Crown.

McPeek said he was keeping a close eye on Mystik Dan all week, ensuring the thoroughbred was in good enough shape to give it a go. Upon his announcement, he said the horse was doing fantastic. He will be a popular pick to win this weekend, after winning one of the most dramatic Kentucky Derby finishes of all time.

Preakness Stakes 2024: Top value pick

Seize the Grey (15-1)

Coming off an impressive win in the Pat Day Mile on Kentucky Derby day, Seize the Grey has good pedigree, awesome speed, and surprising stamina for a horse many consider to be a sprinter. 

Seize the Grey is far from consistent — he has a history of running well every other race, which translates to volatility here considering he won his last race two weekends ago. Still, you can’t argue with this colt’s speed profile at +1000. 

Preakness Stakes 2024: Best sleeper

Uncle Heavy (20-1) 

Uncle Heavy is headed to the Preakness in great shape, and he has three wins in five career starts. A win in the Grade 3 Withers Stakes in February qualified Uncle Heavy for the Kentucky Derby, but a poor performance in the Wood Memorial last month led Robert Reid to bypass the Derby and opt instead to focus on winning the Preakness.

With plenty of frontend speed in this year’s Preakness field, Uncle Heavy has a solid shot of winning as a long shot thanks to his closeout speed and ability to make big turns past frontrunners. As his name suggests, Uncle Heavy is a large horse but does not lack speed or stamina. He also apparently loves a good nap, making him a true Preakness sleeper in more ways than one.

What is the best pole position at the Preakness?

Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer wrote about the best Preakness post positions ahead of the 148th running of the famed Baltimore race last year. Here are the most successful starting posts, according to Iyer’s research:

No. 4: This other inside post had a long drought until filly Swiss Skydiver made it two wins in 14 years in 2020, following up Curlin’ from 2007. No. 4 was notably bad for Derby winner Always Dreaming in 2017, but that is anomalous, given it has produced 14 winners since 1909.

No. 5: Early Voting made it three wins from here in 12 years as the most recent Preakness winner in 2022, joining Exaggerator in 2016 and Shackelford in 2011.

No. 6: Rombauer made it three wins from here in 14 years by taking the 2021 Preakness, joining Oxbow in 2013 and Big Brown from 2008.

No. 7: This was fortunate for Justify in ’18 and for another Bob Baffert horse, Looking at Lucky in ’10. Since Sunday Silence in ’89, six horses have won from No. 7, good for nearly 18 percent over 34 years.

No. 1: Somewhere in the middle has been consistently the best spot, but the lowest number has been kind of strong as of late. National Treasure won out of No. 1 last year, as did War of Will in an upset of Improbable in 2019. American Pharoah also won from No. 1 on its way to the Triple Crown in 2015.

Here’s the full list of post position success rates in Preakness history: