Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan will vie for the second jewel of U.S. flat racing's Triple Crown when he runs in the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, with his path becoming easier after Muth, the early favorite, was scratched due to illness.
Mystik Dan, trained by Kenny McPeek and ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., won the first leg of the Triple Crown in a thrilling three-way photo finish at Churchill Downs on May 4.
Mystik Dan gave both McPeek and Hernandez their first Kentucky Derby victories, but in the Preakness, it was the Bob Baffert-trained Muth that was favored to win after his convincing victory over Mystik Dan in the Arkansas Derby in March.