There will be no Triple Crown in 2024 after sixth-ranked horse wins Preakness

2024 Preakness Stakes special coverage from 11 News

BALTIMORE —

The sixth-ranked horse, Seize the Grey, seized the day to win the 149th Preakness Stakes on May 18, 2024, at Pimlico Race Course in northwest Baltimore.

• See Seize the Grey come down the stretch, take victory lap to winner's circle

Seize the Grey went wire to wire, giving 88-year-old Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas a seventh Preakness victory. No one in the $2 million, 1 3/16-mile race's 149-year history has saddled more horses in the Preakness than Lukas with 48 since debuting in 1980. He had two this time, with Just Steel finishing fifth.

"When he hit the 1/2-mile pole, I turned to my wife Laura, and I said, 'Watch out, we're home free.' I didn't think he'd -- after having that Pat Day Mile under his belt -- I didn't think he'd back up one iota," Lukas said.

Kentucky Derby-winner Mystik Dan finished second, so there will not be a Triple Crown this year. Justify captured the last Triple Crown in 2018.

Seize the Grey paid $21.60 to win, $8.40 to place and $4.40 to show. Mystik Dan paid $4.20 and $2.80, while third-place Catching Freedom paid $3.20 to show.

Saturday began with some light rain that tapered off by around the mid-afternoon. But the condition of the track was downgraded from good to muddy at post time after some rain returned in the afternoon. It's the first time the Preakness has been run on what's considered a muddy track since 1939.

"I was concerned this morning about the weather like so many," Lukas said.

Lukas has now won the Preakness seven times, one short of the record held by two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer and close friend Bob Baffert, whose Imagination finished seventh. Baffert was also supposed to have two horses in the field and arguably the best, but morning-line favorite Muth was scratched on Wednesday because of a fever.

"I think we are learning his style. I saw a lot today that I can change going forward. I don't think he wants to run like that. We didn't really have a plan. We thought it would be Wayne or us," Baffert said.

"Actually, Mystik Dan ran such a sensational race in the mud at Arkansas that I told Baffert, I said, 'We're going to have hell beating him today. With this track, it fits him to a T, and we're going to have trouble with him because of that,'" Lukas said.

The gray colt took advantage of the muddy track just like Lukas hoped he would, pulling off the upset in a second consecutive impressive start two weeks after romping in a race on the Derby undercard at Churchill Downs. Seize the Grey went off at 9-1, one of the longest shots on the board.

This was the last Preakness held at Pimlico Race Course as it stands before demolition begins on the historic but deteriorating track, which will still hold the 150th running of it next year mid-construction.

That process is already well underway at Belmont Park, which is why the final leg of the Triple Crown is happening at Saratoga for the first time and is being shortened to 1 1/4 miles because of the shape of the course.

"If we go, we'll be tough. He'll get 1 1/4 mile. He would have gotten 1 1/4 mile today," Lukas said said of the Belmont.

Preakness officials did not yet have an attendance figure, but the stands and infield were noticeably less crowded than in recent years — certainly a product of the on-and-off rain that fell throughout the day. There were just under 47,000 fans at the race last year and 42,000 in 2022, which were significant declines from 100,000-plus each time from 2011-19.

| GUIDE: Here's everything you need to know about the 149th Preakness | PHOTOS: The horses

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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