The day after the first jewel of the Triple Crown came to a thrilling end with a three-horse photo finish in the May 4 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve at Churchill Downs, attention started to turn toward the second jewel.

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With the Derby complete, the field for the 149th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course May 18 is beginning to take shape but most likely will be missing much Derby influence.

Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Kenny McPeek had not yet completed his morning after-Derby interview with the media May 5 before receiving a call from Pimlico officially inviting Derby winner Mystik Dan to the Preakness. Whether or not the Kentucky Derby winner will participate, however, is yet to be determined.

“I’m undecided on Baltimore, we’ll see,” said McPeek.

McPeek said the Goldencents colt was tired following his gutsy performance in which he held off Toyota Blue Grass Stakes winner Sierra Leone by a nose. McPeek plans to send the Derby winner back to the track May 8 and will determine from there his status on the Preakness.

“If I don’t think he’s right and ready, then we’ll just wait for the Belmont [Stakes],” McPeek said.

The June 8 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets appears to be the most likely landing spot for many of the Derby contenders. With the race temporarily moving to Saratoga Race Course due to construction at Belmont Park, the usual 1 1/2-mile distance will be reduced to the same 1 1/4 miles of the Derby. Saratoga’s main-track track configuration necessitates the change.

The finish of the 2024 Kentucky Derby. (Coady Media)

“I think that distance at Saratoga is a great race,” McPeek said. “I actually like it better at a mile and a quarter than a mile and a half.”

McPeek himself will head to Saratoga this week to begin prepping his barn for the summer.

“Better-than-average chance we’re going to send him and some others straight to Saratoga,” he added.

One of the weighing factors for McPeek could be that after Mystik Dan broke his maiden at Churchill Downs Nov. 12, he ran a flat fifth in allowance company just 13 days later. The two-week turn-around could be too quick for Mystik Dan, but McPeek also noted that things might be different this time as a 3-year-old.

“Horses sometimes pop back quickly, sometimes they don’t,” McPeek said. “We’ll just have to take that as it comes; it’s too early to tell.”

McPeek trains Mystik Dan for owners Lance Gasaway, 4 G Racing, Daniel Hamby III, and Valley View Farm.

Should Mystik Dan compete in the Preakness, he probably will not see any of the horses who surrounded him at the end of the Derby.

Chad Brown, fresh off a heartbreaking defeat as Sierra Leone came up a nose short of Derby glory, made it clear Sunday morning that the Belmont will be the son of Gun Runner‘s next start.

“He’s not going to the Preakness,” Brown said. “I’m going to take him to Saratoga tomorrow and he’s going to train up there for the Belmont.”

Brown with Sierra Leone on May 5 at Churchill Downs. (BloodHorse/Skip Dickstein)

Sierra Leone will not be the only Derby horse whose connections are opting to skip the Preakness in favor of the Belmont. The connections for both Honor Marie and West Saratoga  confirmed that the Belmont Stakes is currently their next target.

Third-place finisher Forever Young and fifth-place finisher T O Password both will bypass the remainder of the Triple Crown. They are scheduled to fly back to Japan early this week.

Brad Cox confirmed fourth-place finisher Catching Freedom is not under consideration for the Preakness. Bill Mott said sixth-place finisher Resilience, who made a threatening move on the far turn before flattening out in the stretch, will not go forward with the Triple Crown, alluding to shorter races being in the colt’s future.

Last year, Kentucky Derby winner Mage was the lone Derby starter to participate in the Preakness. It appears that 2024 could follow a similar story.

NEW SHOOTERS

With many Derby contenders expected to skip the Preakness, the door opens for new shooters looking to earn a victory in one of America’s classics.

Muth wining Arkansas Derby (Coady Media)

Zedan Racing Stables’ two-time Grade 1 winner Muth is one of the few horses with a confirmed bullseye drawn on the Preakness starting gate. Trained by Bob Baffert, the Arkansas Derby winner was not eligible to start in the Kentucky Derby due to Baffert’s suspension from Churchill Downs following a failed drug test that led to Medina Spirit’s disqualification in the 2021 Kentucky Derby.

In the Arkansas Derby, Muth defeated Mystik Dan by 6 1/4 lengths. Even if Mystik Dan returns for the Preakness, Muth probably will be the favorite for the Triple Crown’s middle jewel.

Baffert is also preparing DK Horse San Felipe Stakes winner and Santa Anita Derby runner-up Imagination for the Preakness. The Baffert duo worked together at Santa Anita Park May 4.

Brown-trained Tuscan Gold, third in the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby, is under consideration for the Preakness. However, Brown also plans to enter the son of Medaglia d’Oro in the May 11 Peter Pan Stakes at the Belmont at the Big A meet.

“See how [the Peter Pan] comes up,” Brown said about his decision between the two races. “Where he draws — it’s likely to be a big field from what I’m hearing — weather, keep an eye on [who’s going to the] Preakness. Go from there.”

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas will “strongly, strongly” consider running Pat Day Mile Presented by SAP Stakes winner Seize the Grey in the Preakness.

“I think the 680 people will want to vote for that,” Lukas said in reference to owner MyRacehorse, which provides an opportunity for people to buy fractional ownership in Thoroughbred racehorses. “My vote will be the one that counts, but I’ll vote with them. We have nothing to lose. He earned his way to run in the Preakness. He’s qualified for it. He’s nominated for it. So why wouldn’t we give those people that opportunity? That’s what we’re getting paid for, to make that many people happy.”

Withers Stakes winner Uncle Heavy is also under consideration for the Preakness following a fifth in the April 6 Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct.

Several horses have earned automatic-berth victories in prep races for the Preakness and could be possibilities for the race in Baltimore.

Four-time stakes winner Copper Tax earned an automatic berth to the Preakness with his victory in the April 20 Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel Park. Since his victory, the son of Copper Bullet has yet to record a published workout for trainer Gary Capuano.

Also on April 20, Informed Patriot earned a Preakness berth after victory in the Bathhouse Row Stakes at Oaklawn Park. The Hard Spun colt worked a half-mile in :52 for trainer Steve Asmussen May 5 at Oaklawn.

Patriot Spirit earned a $20,000 credit toward Preakness entry fees after winning the April 21 Illinois Derby at Hawthorne Race Course but he is not Triple Crown nominated. Supplementing a horse to the 1 3/16-mile, $2 million Preakness costs $150,000.