Kentucky Derby hero Mystik Dan tops a compact field of eight in the 149th Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico on Saturday, May 18. Trainer Ken McPeek’s charge drew post position No. 5 for the middle jewel of the Triple Crown.

Owned by Lance Gasaway, 4G Racing LLC, Daniel Hamby III, and Valley View Farm LLC, Mystik Dan won the Southwest Stakes (G2) by eight lengths over a muddy track at Oaklawn before finishing third in Arkansas Derby (G1). He then prevailed by a nose over Sierra Leone in a blanket finish with Forever Young (JPN) in the Kentucky Derby. The son of Goldencents was bred in Kentucky by Gasaway, Hamby, and 4G Racing, and he will again be ridden by Brian Hernandez.

“Hopefully, we leave there clean and get a little better trip than we did (in the Arkansas Derby),” said McPeek. “I think it’s a very level playing field. Brian knows the horse really well. We are excited to be part of another historic race.”

Albaugh Family Stables LLC’s Kentucky-bred Catching Freedom, who won the Louisiana Derby (G2) prior to a late-rallying fourth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby (G1), drew post position three for the Preakness. The son of Constitution is trained by Brad Cox and will be ridden by Flavien Prat.

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who has saddled six Preakness winners, will send out BC Stables LLC and Henry Schmueckle’s Just Steel and Seize the Grey. Just Steel, the Arkansas Derby (G1) runner-up finished 17th in the Kentucky Derby, and Seize the Grey won the Pat Day Mile (G2) on the Kentucky Derby undercard in his previous start. Joel Rosario has the mount on Just Steel and Jaime Torres will ride Seize the Grey.

William Lawrence, Walmac Farm, and Stonestreet Stables LLC’s Tuscan Gold drew post No. 8 for trainer Chad Brown. Third behind Catching Freedom in the Louisiana Derby (G2) last time out, Tuscan Gold, a son of Medaglia d’Oro, will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione. Brown has saddled previous Preakness winners Cloud Computing (2017) and Early Voting (2022).

Imagination and Mugatu round out the Kentucky-bred contingent in the Preakness. Imagination is a son of Into Mischief trained by Bob Baffert. The bay colt captured the San Felipe Stakes (G2) in March and was runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) last time out. Mugatu, a son of Blofeld, is still in search of his initial black type, having finished fifth in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) in his most recent outing.