Bob Baffert's Muth early Preakness Stakes favorite; Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan second

BALTIMORE - Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan, hoping to continue its Triple Crown opportunity, was picked as the second-favorite at this weekend's Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course.

Mystik Dan, trained by Kenneth McPeek and jockeyed by Brian Hernandez Jr., has 5-2 odds to win the Triple Crown's second leg. He won the Kentucky Derby on May 4 by a photo finish.

Muth is the 8-5 morning-line favorite after Monday's post-position draw.

If Muth continues to be the favorite for the 149th running of the Preakness Stakes, it would be the first time a Derby winner was not the favorite since 2012.

Muth is one of two horses trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. Jockey Juan Hernandez will take the reins.

"Muth was a pretty easy morning-line favorite to come up with for a few different reasons. First, he comfortably beat Mystik Dan in the Arkansas Derby. Second, with all the success Bob Baffert has had in the Preakness and the name recognition he brings as well, it all adds up to Muth being a pretty solid favorite," Maryland Jockey Club linemaker Brian Nadeau said. "And lastly, Mystik Dan was 18-1 in the Derby, and when a longshot wins, sometimes the betting public is a bit slow to come around or believe."

Baffert will be going for his ninth win at The Preakness Stakes,

He also owns Preakness participant Imagination.

"(Muth) is a nice horse. He won his last out (Arkansas Derby). At the end of the day, Mystik Dan is going to get a lot of support. Just being there with two nice horses, to me, with a competitive field, it's going to be a good race," Baffert said.

There will be nine horses in the Preakness field, including Catching Freedom, which finished fourth at the Kentucky Derby. Catching Freedom has early 6-1 odds.

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lucas has two horses in the race - Just Steel and Seize the Grey.

The Preakness Stakes post time will be at 6:50 p.m. on Saturday, May 17.