"When is the start time for Preakness 2024? Mystik Dan pursues a second Triple Crown triumph."

https://www.highcpmgate.com/jeymgxnwae?key=f8e9fc421f9016755b9a3aea731e7b8c

Rain poured down at Pimlico Race Course on Saturday, mere hours before Mystik Dan, the Kentucky Derby champion, set his sights on securing consecutive Triple Crown triumphs in the upcoming Preakness Stakes, where he'll contend against seven other contenders.

If successful, he'd emulate Justify's feat from 2018, becoming the first horse since then to clinch both the Derby and the Preakness, paving the way for an unprecedented and historic showdown next month at the Belmont Stakes.

start time for Preakness 2024? Mystik Dan pursues a second Triple Crown triumph.

Facing formidable opponents such as Imagination trained by Bob Baffert, Catching Freedom from Brad Cox's stable, and Tuscan Gold under Chad Brown's tutelage, Mystik Dan anticipates challenging conditions on a potentially muddy track, with showers forecasted to persist through the afternoon.

The Preakness 2024 commences at 6:50 p.m. ET, with NBC's coverage starting at 4:30 p.m. ET, or accessible for streaming on Peacock.

Despite the setback of morning line favorite Muth being scratched due to illness, Mystik Dan emerged as the initial 3-1 favorite, with Catching Freedom and Tuscan Gold closely trailing at 7-2 each, and Imagination at 9-2 odds.

Kenny McPeek, trainer of Mystik Dan, acknowledged the stiff competition, remarking, “Catching Freedom trained really well going into the Derby. He’s a very nice horse. 

McPeek's decision to enter Mystik Dan into the Preakness, merely two weeks following the colt's nail-biting victory in the Kentucky Derby, wasn't a foregone conclusion. However, Mystik Dan joins two other contenders from the Derby, marking an increase from last year's solitary participant and two from 2022.

The reluctance of many trainers to embark on the Derby-Preakness double, once customary for Triple Crown hopefuls, has sparked discussions regarding the significance of the middle jewel and apprehensions that it has diminished in stature within the series. There are ongoing debates concerning the scheduling of the races to accommodate the preferences of modern-day thoroughbreds, which compete less frequently compared to previous generations.

This edition of the Preakness also marks the final event at the aging Pimlico Race Course in its current state, with demolition slated to commence early next year. The 150th iteration in 2025 will still occur at the venue amidst renovations before transitioning to Laurel Park in 2026, with the anticipation of returning to a revamped Pimlico in 2027.

As for the Belmont Stakes, it is scheduled for June 8 and will be hosted for the first time at the Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York, owing to renovations at Belmont Park in New York City. Given the construction timeline extending into 2025, the likelihood of the Belmont at Saratoga occurring for two consecutive years is high.

Racing in New York is currently centered at Aqueduct in Queens, which served as the venue for the Triple Crown finale from 1963-67, during the last renovation phase of Belmont Park.