After stunning the field at the 2024 Kentucky Derby, horse Mystik Dan might not contend for the Triple Crown at the Preakness Stakes.
Mystik Dan’s photo finish at Churchill Downs on Saturday turned him into an instant celebrity in the horse racing world. However, he may not make the trip to Pimlico Race Course on May 18.
Trainer Kenny McPeek cast doubt on Mystik Dan being locked into the Preakness, understandably saying it’ll be up to how the horse is feeling as to whether or not it will compete, via the Louisville Courier Journal:
“We’re not committed to the Preakness. No, not yet,” McPeek said on Sunday. “We’ll just watch him over the next week. It will be one of those where we’ll probably take (the decision) up to the last minute. … We’ll let him tell us. If he’s not in the feed tub, he won’t run.”
We’ll know soon enough if Mystik Dan is acclimated enough to run for the Preakness, with the June 8 Belmont Stakes in New York (relocated to Saratoga during renovations in Elmont) a more realistic goal for this year’s Kentucky Derby winner.
The post position draw for the Preakness is slated for Monday, May 13 at 5:30 p.m. ET.
