It is Preakness Day at Pimlico Race Course and it is starting off as a wet one. Rain is forecast to persist through the morning, with a chance for additional rain later in the afternoon. The high temperature in Baltimore May 18 is expected to be 69 degrees.
Post time for the 149th Preakness Stakes (G1) is not until 7:01 p.m. ET, and track conditions may improve if rain subsides. The main track is listed by the track as "good." It was harrowed before the 10th race. The turf is "soft." The first and fifth races have been moved from turf to dirt.
The potential impact of rain had been a storyline leading up to the Preakness largely because the co-favorite Mystik Dan handled a sloppy track deftly in winning the Southwest Stakes (G3) by eight lengths over fellow Preakness entry Just Steel.
"I don't think he needs a muddy track," said trainer Kenny McPeek. "We all know he'll run on it."
If you are wondering who will be the betting favorite in the Preakness, your guess might be as good as anyone else.
At 9:45 a.m., with $1.7 million in the win pool, there were four horses listed at prices between 3-1 and 9-2.
Seven 3-year-olds are listed at 9-1 or less in the field of eight.
The co-favorites at 3-1 were Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan and Catching Freedom, who was fourth in the Run for the Roses.
Tuscan Gold was priced at 7-2 and Imagination 9-2.
The rest of the odds were: Mugatu 21-1, Uncle Heavy 7-1, Seize the Grey 8-1, and Just Steel 9-1.
Here are the day's full scratches, as announced by Equibase this morning. Additional scratches are possible:
Race 1: # 7 Takethefifth, #9 Lieutenant General
Race 2: #3 Midnight Award
Race 5: #6 Barbtourage
Race 7: #1 Sweet Dani Girl, #2 Dana's Beauty, #4 Cats Inthe Timber (main track only), #5 Ninja Abarrio
Race 8: #5 Little Roo Roo
Race 9: #1 Lucky Jeremy, #2 Copper Tax (main track only), #4 Twirling Point
Race 10: #7 Mighty Message, #8 Tuscan Sky
Race 11: #4 Mid Day Image, #10 Charging
Race 12: #7 Adhamo, #10 Emmanuel, #12 Funtastic Again
Race 13: #4 Muth
Race 14: #1 Armando R, #4 Curlin's Malibu
