Preakness Stakes post positions: Full draw and odds for the 2024 Triple Crown race

Dan Treacy

Preakness Stakes post positions: Full draw and odds for the 2024 Triple Crown race image

Last year's Kentucky Derby winner, Mage, made a run at the Triple Crown by running in the Preakness Stakes, only to finish behind Bob Baffert-trained National Treasure. Could Mystik Dan find himself in the same scenario this year?

Baffert remains suspended by Churchill Downs and can't enter horses into the Kentucky Derby. His strongest horse won't race at the Preakness either, as Muth — the favorite to win the race — had to withdraw due to a fever. one of his horses, Muth would have had a strong case to be the Kentucky Derby favorite if he had been allowed to run, so Baffert will lament losing his best chance to win at Churchill Downs and the Preakness.

MORE: Who will win the Preakness Stakes?

The iconic Baltimore race marks the second leg of the Triple Crown, and it hasn't been won by a Kentucky Derby winner since Justify went on to win the Triple Crown in 2018. A victory by Mystik Dan would put all eyes on the Belmont Stakes, where Ken McPeek's horse could have an opportunity to make history.

For now, Mystik Dan will look to overcome recent trends and make it back-to-back victories after the surprising win at Churchill Downs.

Here are the post positions and odds for the 2024 Preakness Stakes after Monday's draw.

Preakness Stakes post positions 2024

The nine-horse field received its post positions on Monday, with favorite Muth (8-5) in the No. 4 spot and Mystik Dan (5-2) in the No. 5 gate.

However, Muth was scratched from the race Wednesday after dealing with a fever ahead of the race. That will move Mystik Dan into the No. 4 gate while each of the other horses in Gates 6-9 will move up a post position.

Catching Freedom and Just Steel are running the Preakness after participating in the Kentucky Derby, with Catching Freedom entering at 6-1 and Just Steel owning more distant odds at 15-1.

Below are the post positions and odds for the Preakness Stakes, via the Maryland Jockey Club.

Post positionHorseOdds
1Mugatu20-1
2Uncle Heavy20-1
3Catching Freedom6-1
4Mystik Dan5-2
5Seize the Grey15-1
6Just Steel15-1
7Tuscan Gold8-1
8Imagination6-1

MORE: Everything to know about Preakness horses in 2024

What is the best post position in horse racing?

The best post position in horse racing largely depends on the tendencies of each horse. A horse that performs better with space might be better suited on the outside, but that's not the case for all horses. 

The Preakness Stakes has a wide distribution of winners. The No. 6 spot has been the most favorable over the years, with that post producing 16 winners since a starting gate was implemented in 1909, every position has produced a winner at some point and only a few post positions have seen success in recent years.

Last year's champion, National Treasure, started out of the No. 1 gate and became the 13th winner out of No. 1.

Here is the complete list of Preakness Stakes winners at each post position:

Post positionPreakness winners
113
212
312
414
513
616
714
810
94
102
112
123
131

MORE: Explaining the origin of Mystik Dan's name

Belmont Stakes winners by post position

The Preakness Stakes first implemented a starting gate in 1909. Since then, every gate numbered 1-13 has produced a winner, and every gate numbered 1-8 has produced at least 10 winners.

Below is a list of all of the winners at each gate since 1909.

1 — (13)

YearWinner
1911Watervale
1930Gallant Fox
1934High Quest
1937War Admiral
1941Whirlaway
1949Capot
1950Hill Prince
1960Bally Ache
1994Tabasco Cat
2015American Pharoah
2019War of Will
2021Rombauer
2023National Treasure

2 — (12)

YearWinner
1912Col. Holloway
1939Challedon
1943Count Fleet
1944Pensive
1947Faultless
1967Damascus
1968Forward Pass
1970Personality
1974Little Current
1979Spectacular Bid
1986Snow Chief
2017Cloud Computing

3 — (12)

YearWinner
1913Buskin
1916Damrosch
1956Fabius
1966Kauai King
1973Secretariat
1975Master Derby
1980Codex
1983Deputed Testamony
1984Gate Dancer
1988Risen Star
1993Prairie Bayou
2013California Chrome

4 — (14)

YearWinner
1909Effendi
1927Bostonian
1933Head Play
1936Bold Venture
1948Citation
1952Blue Man
1953Native Dancer
1961Carry Back
1964Northern Dancer
1991Hansel
1992Pine Bluff
2000Red Bullet
2007Curlin
2020Swiss Skydiver

5 — (13)

YearWinner
1918Jack Hare Jr.
1922Pillory
1931Mate
1938Dauber
1940Bimelech
1946Assault
1955Nashua
1957Bold Ruler
1969Majestic Prince
1976Elocutionist
2011Shackleford
2016Exaggerator
2022Early Voting

6 — (16)

YearWinner
1914Holiday
1915Rhine Maiden
1929Dr. Freeland
1932Burgoo King
1935Omaha
1951Bold
1954Hasty Road
1959Royal Orbit
1965Tom Rolfe
1978Affirmed
1985Tank’s Prospect
1987Alysheba
1996Louis Quatorze
1999Charismatic
2004Smarty Jones
2013Oxbow

7 — (14)

YearWinner
1920Man O’ War
1921Broomspun
1924Nellie Morse
1928Victorian
1945Polynesian
1972Bee Bee Bee
1982Aloma’s Ruler
1989Sunday Silence
1990Summer Squall
1995Timber Country
1997Silver Charm
2008Big Brown
2017Lookin at Lucky
2018Justify

8 — (10)

YearWinner
1918War Cloud
1919Sir Barton
1923Vigil
1925Coventry
1942Alsab
1958Tim Tam
1963Candy Spots
1977Seattle Slew
2002War Emblem
2006Bernardini

9 — (4)

YearWinner
1910Layminster
1971Canonero II Way
2003Funny Cide
2012I’ll Have Another

10 — (2)

YearWinner
1962Greek Money
1998Real Quiet

11 — (2)

YearWinner
1926Display
2001Point Given

12 — (3)

YearWinner
1917Kalitan
1981Pleasant Colony
2005Afleet Alex

13 — (1)

YearWinner
2009Rachel Alexandra

Dan Treacy

Dan Treacy Photo

Dan Treacy is a content producer for Sporting News, joining in 2022 after graduating from Boston University. He founded @allsportsnews on Instagram in 2012 and has written for Lineups and Yardbarker.