Muth is not only the fastest horse among the Preakness Stakes contenders, but also the freshest. It's a strong mix that makes him the clear favourite to win the second jewel of the American Thoroughbred racing Triple Crown.
Muth checks all of the boxes except maybe value. Ed DeRosa (VP, Product & Content Development) believes his fair value is 6-5, and he might finish up as the favourite in this spot. That is likely to depend on Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan's involvement, as he will undoubtedly take money if he enters. However, the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby would undoubtedly generate a lot of attention.
As we can see, Muth defeated Mystik Dan that day, and it wasn't especially close. The celebrity of a Derby victory will undoubtedly attract money, but he has no doubt that Muth will be the favourite.
If Muth is the odds-on favourite, what are the alternatives? Mystik Dan will not be a good value after a Derby win.
Trainer Bob Baffert's other horse, Imagination, performed well in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), but the performances of Stronghold and Mystik Dan in the Derby demonstrate Muth's superior talent over his stablemate's. Frankie Dettori's performance on Imagination is also expected to be profitable.
Tuscan Gold finished a respectable third in the Louisiana Derby (G2), won by Catching Freedom, who went on to finish fourth in the Kentucky Derby. Two Preakness victories for trainer Chad Brown have come without a Derby starter. In 2017 he had Cloud Computing, and in 2022 he had Early Voting.
In addition to the local horse that gets forgotten, Copper Tax might be an overlay. In two 10-point races, the Remsen (G2) and Sam F. Davis (G3), he was not competitive. However, he has subsequently rebounded, winning this spring in Laurel Park's Private Terms and Tesio Stakes.