2024 Preakness Stakes forecasts, specialist chooses by Chris ‘The Bear’ Fallica

“Bear Bets” are genuine wagers that Chris “The Bear” Fallica is infact making.

With the Derby in our back view, horse fans and wagerers now shift their attention to the 2nd leg of the Triple Crown for the running of the Preakness Stakes.

There’s something exceptionally unique about this weekend, as everybody will be viewing to see if the Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan can win this race to continue his mission of recording all 3 gems of the Crown.

If you are looking for a fundamental guide on how to bet on horses, read here. Otherwise, let’s dive into my wagering card and ideas on this Saturday’s race.

(Disclaimer: To keep it basic, I’ll lead with my selects veryfirst).

My Betting Card

1. Mugatu (20-1)

Split the field in the Blue Grass at 180-1, which on paper may haveactually been a bit brief. It’s just a nine-horse field and thinkingabout he’ll be noplace near the lead, possibly he can pass some tiring horses for 4th or 3rd. But he’s primarily a vanity entry for the connections to state they had a horse run in one of the Triple Crown races.

2. Uncle Heavy (20-1)

The Pennsylvania-bred got up late at 9-1 to win a bad edition of the Withers by a nose, then was comfortably beaten in the Wood after a terrible post draw. On paper, he looks muchbetter than the other 20-1 shot to his inside, Mugatu, however his ceiling looks to be the exactsame — 3rd or 4th as part of the “all” button in your tris and supers.

3. Catching Freedom (6-1)

Was a strong 4th in the Derby, which mostlikely was his ceiling in the race provided his speed figures going into the race, regardlessof being tabbed on top by numerous. There’s excellent and bad here. The great — the field isn’t as huge or as deep as the 20-horse stampede in Louisville. The bad — there truly doesn’t appear to be much of a speed structure here, as the Baffert runner appears to be the just dedicated speed. But, with the scratch of Muth, I’d anticipate somebody presses Imagination on the front end, so he doesn’t get an simple lead. However, like I did in Louisville, I’ll usage him beneath in the tris, however I believe a win is simply out of reach offered the absence of speed in here to set up his closing kick.

4. Muth (8-5)

SCRATCHED

5. Mystik Dan (5-2)

I’m not as worried with the two-week layoff as the just time he ran 2 weeks back was inbetween his 2nd and 3rd races — his maiden win and veryfirst versus winners — so it’s not unexpected he ran a loser that day. What matters more is that he’s the just horse to hit 100 on the Beyer speed figures and he ran about as brief a range as one potentially might in the Derby. With the scratch of Muth, I’d believe he would be close to Imagination to makesure he doesn’t get away. He’ll go preferred now, so the cost will not be what it was with Muth in the race, however it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Mystik Dan wins right back, and we’re looking at a Triple Crown opportunity in 3 weeks at Saratoga where FOX Sports will have protection of the Belmont Stakes.

6. Seize the Grey (15-1)

Give D. Wayne Lukas credit: He isn’t scared to run them in the huge areas, even if they are mostlikely overmatched. After all, it is horse racing. This one got a dream stalking setup after a 44 2/5 half mile in the Pat Day Mile to win at close to 10-1. Winning here, nevertheless, is an even larger job. I’ll usage beneath in case he does pass some horses late to sneak into the trifecta at a great number.

7. Just Steel (15-1)

There’s no sugarcoating it, he did not get a excellent trip at all in the Derby, and often that simply takesplace. But he oughtto haveactually been noplace near the lead in a race where all of the speed elements backed up. Would I be shocked if this one ran a huge race, as it appears like he’s done every other race recently? No, I would not, particularly with a extremely favorable jockey switch back to Joel Rosario. Could he be, onceagain, a surprise speed element? Possibly, however I believe his finest running is done from off the speed. We’ll see what Rosario chooses to do at the break with Muth now out of the race. That being stated, he’s been beaten by the muchbetter horses in the race on several celebrations, and he hasn’t won previous 6.5 furlongs. I’ll defensively usage on top in some choice fours and exotics, as “The Coach” hasactually been understood to win a Triple Crown race or 2 at a big number and his possibilities definitely have moved up with the scratch of the ML favorite.

8. Tuscan Gold (8-1)

This is the beginner to the Triple Crown path that truly interests me. He began his profession in the exactsame first race as Sierra Leone and was just beaten 3 lengths by the horse who is now likely the finest 3 YO in the nation. He then aired in a brief field at GP and in his veryfirst start versus winners in the Louisiana Derby, was beaten less than 2 lengths by Catching Freedom inspiteof breaking from a unfavorable post. I’m a substantial fan of horses in their 2nd start versus winners, as it is a extremely great area to make a huge action forward. Brown almost pulled off a Preakness win in comparable style last year with Blazing Sevens at 5-1, and did in both 2017 and 2022 with Cloud Computing and Early Voting at 6-1 and 13-1. I guess my mostsignificant issue would be him being shut off by Imagination at the begin, however if he doesn’t, he oughtto be able to choice his area right on or off the lead and have a substantial opportunity to win the race at around 5-1 or so.

9. Imagination (6-1)

I’m presuming he will be the early leader with somebody — Mystik Dan? Tuscan Gold? Just Steel? — sitting simply off him. I simply wear’t understand how excellent he is . He won a crappy four-horse San Felipe at odds-on by a head and then was beaten by Stronghold — who completed seventh in Louisville — in the Santa Anita Derby. He’s got speed — and that’s constantly unsafe, specifically in a field which doesn’t have a lot — however that hasactually been the case his previous 2 races and he hadahardtime to get the task done. He’ll be utilized beneath in my exotics, however that’s about it.