Post Position Draw will occur on MONDAY 5/13/2022 AT 5:30 PM EST. This draw will finalize who will be participating and determine which position each horse will start from. This can be very important in determining how well a horse will run the race. For more information on the importantance of post position, click here! Morning-line (starting) odds for the race will be announced shortly after the draw. I will update the list of horses to reflect their post draws within 24 hours.

Post time for the race is set for approximately 5/18/2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 6:50 PM EST. This is when the horses will begin making their way to the gate to start the race. NBC Sports will be providing comprehensive race coverage and analysis live on CNBC, NBC, NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and Pea before, during and after the main event. Coverage begins at 2:00 PM EST on CNBC and moves over to NBC at 4:00 PM EST.

HOW OLD IS THE PREAKNESS STAKES? Two years before the Kentucky Derby was run for the first time, Pimlico introduced its new stakes race for three-year-olds, the Preakness, during its first-ever spring race meet in 1873. 2022 will be the 147th running of the race.

HOW DID THE PREAKNESS STAKES GET ITS NAME? Maryland governor Oden Bowie named the race in honor of the colt Preakness from Milton Holbrook Sanford's Preakness Stud farm in Preakness, New Jersey, who won the Dinner Party Stakes on the day Pimlico opened (October 25, 1870).

WHAT IS THE RACE DISTANCE? The Preakness is 1 3/16 miles or 9.5 furlongs, making it the shortest of the Triple Crown horse races. The Preakness has been run at seven different distances since its establishment, but the current length has been the standard since 1925.

WHICH HORSE HOLDS THE RECORD FOR THE FASTEST TIME AT THE CURRENT DISTANCE? Secretariat holds the record at this horse track with a time of 1:53 in 1973.

HAS THE PREAKNESS STAKES ALWAYS BEEN HELD TWO WEEKS AFTER THE KENTUCKY DERBY? Prior to 1931, there were 11 years in which the Preakness preceded the Kentucky Derby. In fact, there were actually two years, 1917 and 1922, where the two horse races were held on the same day. Due to COVID concerns in 2020, the Kentucky Derby ran on September 5th while the Preakness Stakes ran on October 3rd. The Belmont Stakes were run on June 20th in 2020 which means it was the first time in Triple Crown history that the Belmont was run first.

01. There have been 16 winning horses with names beginning with B (the most recent being Big Brown in 2008), 17 with C (Cloud Computing in 2017), and 14 with S (Shackleford in 2011).

02. In 1918, 26 horses entered the race, and it was run in two divisions, providing for two winners that year. Currently, the race is limited to 14 horses, but the only years the Preakness starting gate was filled to capacity were 2011, 2005, and 1992.

03. The first Preakness, held on May 27, 1873, drew seven starters. John Chamberlain's three-year-old, Survivor, collected the $2,050 winning purse by galloping home easily by 10 lengths. This was the largest margin of victory until 2004, when Smarty Jones won by 11 1/2 lengths.

04. No horse racing at odds greater than 23-1 has won the Preakness. In the 1975 Preakness Stakes, Master Derby won with 23.40-1 odds.

05. The trophy is so valuable, not even the winners are allowed to hold it. The mammoth 13-kilogram, solid silver Woodlawn Vase, created by Tiffany and Co. in 1860, is worth $1 million -- making it the most valuable trophy in American sports. The trophy now remains on permanent display at the Baltimore Museum of Art, with winners instead given a $30,000 replica trophy.

06. The winner is draped in a blanket of Viking poms. It’s usually called a blanket of black-eyed Susans, but since the Maryland state flower doesn’t bloom until June, the Viking poms play the part. Previously, daisies with the centers painted black were used.

07. As soon as the race is over, the 1.5-meter wide weather vane atop Pimlico Race Course's Old Clubhouse, featuring a miniature horse and jockey, is painted in the winning jockey's silks.

08. The favorite wins the Preakness more than half of the time. In 141 editions of the race, the favorite has emerged victorious 72 times.

09. The U.S. House of Representatives adjourned for the only time in history in 1877, to watch what was known as the "Great Race."

10. There have been 6 fillies who have won; Flocarline in 1903, Whimsical in 1906, Rhine Maiden in 1915, Nellie Morse in 1924, Rachel Alexandra in 2009, Swiss Skydiver in 2020.

KENTUCKY DERBY WINNER MYSTIK DAN RETURNS FOR THE PREAKNESS

The Kentucky Derby hero, Mystik Dan, has been given the green light to run in Preakness Stakes at Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course, trainer Kenny McPeek said Saturday morning via a Churchill Downs press release. “All systems go,” McPeek said.

The champ had a routine 1 1/2-mile gallop at Churchill Downs under retired jockey Robby Albarado, who will be part of the Derby winner's travel team to Baltimore. After an endoscopic exam and bloodwork was analyzed just to ensure everything was normal, the colt was given the greenlight to travel to Maryland.

Mystic Dan will likely be the second favorite behind Muth, who beat third place finisher Mystic Dan by 6-lengths in the Arkansas Derby in March but did not race in the Kentucky Derby due to his trainer Bob Baffert's suspension at Churchill Downs.

“He was ready for the Arkansas Derby,” McPeek said. “I'm not going to use that as an excuse. But he did get turned sideways in that turn, and Brian felt that cost him three or four lengths. But the horse fought back, fortunately… I'm optimistic we can give (Muth) another run.”

Sorry for the update delay! I've been super busy, but I promise I'm still committed to TTCG!

There's been a major shake-up to the 2024 Preakness Stakes field.

Morning line favorite Muth was scratched from the second leg of the Triple Crown on Wednesday after spiking a fever.

The scratch came roughly 12 hours after Muth arrived at Pimlico Race Course, the site of the Preakness Stakes, in Baltimore. Trainer Bob Baffert said the 3-year-old thoroughbred's temperature reached 103 degrees Fahrenheit.

“We are sick about this. The horse had been doing really well,” Baffert said. “But we have to do what’s right by the horse.”

Muth had been listed as the slight Preakness favorite over 2024 Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan. But now Mystik Dan has one less challenger as he looks to become the first horse since Justify in 2018 to win the Derby and Preakness.

Here are the updated post positions and morning line odds.

01. Mugatu (20-1)
02. Uncle Heavy (20-1)
03. Catching Freedom (6-1)
04. Muth (8-5)
05. Mystik Dan (5-2)
06. Seize the Grey (15-1)
07. Just Steel (15-1)
08. Tuscan Gold (8-1)
09. Imagination (6-1)

1. Mugatu (1-1-3) - Unlikely - Mugatu has only a maiden victory in his 12-race record, and that was on a synthetic surface. His three starts in stakes races produced at best a fourth-place finish at Turfway Park.

2. Uncle Heavy (3-0-0) - Unlikely - Uncle Heavy won the Withers (G3) at Aqueduct on the Kentucky Derby trail going nine furlongs but came back with a lackluster performance in the Wood Memorial (G2). The Pennsylvania-bred does not seem to be fast enough for this Preakness field. Irad Ortiz will get the mount, which will only make his odds lower than they should be.

3. Catching Freedom (3-0-1) - Win Contender - Catching Freedom is one of the three horses who ran in the Kentucky Derby. Historically, those 3-year-olds have done well, although not in the last three years. He is a deep closer and rallied from 15th in the Derby to finish fourth, less than two lengths behind the blanket finish of the top three. Even though the Preakness has not been kind to deep closers, Catching Freedom never has run a bad race.

5. Mystik Dan (3-1-1) - Win Contender - Mystik Dan won the Kentucky Derby by a nose with a thrilling trip on the rail. In the Arkansas Derby he was third behind Muth but had a rough start that day. Seven horses have come back from the Derby victory to win the Preakness since 2000, including a pair of Triple Crown winners. Trainer Kenny McPeek won the Preakness with the filly Swiss Skydiver in the 2020 COVID year when the race was run in October.

6. Seize the Grey (3-0-3) - Unlikely - Seize the Grey got his first stakes victory in the Pat Day Mile (G2) on the Kentucky Derby undercard, so he also will try to come back after only two weeks of rest. The cutback to a mile seemed to be the key after a pair of starts on the Derby trail, and now he will have to run farther than in any previous race. D. Wayne Lukas has six previous Preakness wins spanning 33 years, with the first coming in 1980 with Angel Cordero Jr. riding and most recently in 2013 when Oxbow was the winner.

7. Just Steel (2-4-1) - Unlikely - Just Steel was 17th in the Kentucky Derby after being part of the early pace that collapsed. Joel Rosario gets back on board. He rode Just Steel to his only stakes victory, which came in November.

8. Tuscan Gold (1-0-1) - Top Choice - Tuscan Gold is lightly raced but last was seen finishing third in the Louisiana Derby (G2) which was run at the same distance as the Preakness. No doubt he is overshadowed by his stablemate Sierra Leone, who was second in that blanket finish in the run for the roses. Brown won the Preakness twice in the last seven years, both times with owner Klaravich Stables. In 2017 it was Cloud Computing and two years ago with Early Voting.

9. Imagination (2-4-0) - Win Contender - Imagination will take the role as “the other Baffert” in the Preakness. He has been in the shadows of his stablemate Muth throughout his career and will be again Saturday. In six starts, Imagination never ran worse than second, with a victory in the San Felipe (G2) and a loss by a head in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). His top speed figure makes him a contender, and he will go to post with the highest odds of his career.

Since the starting gate was introduced at the Preakness in 1909, the No. 6 post position has produced the most winners at 17. That gate, which Just Steel will now start from this year, also boasts the best winning percentage at 15%.

The No. 4 and No. 7 post positions are tied for the second-most victories at 14 apiece. Muth originally drew the No. 4 spot, but now Mystik Dan will start from that gate. Tuscan Gold, meanwhile, will race from the No. 7 gate.

Starting gates 14 through 18 have never produced a Preakness winner, though they've combined for just 13 starts.

Among the post positions that will be in play this year, the No. 8 spot has the fewest wins with 10 victories in 92 starts. Imagination will be trying to become the 11th winner from the No. 8 gate.

Here's a full look at the Preakness winners by post position, along with each gate's most recent champion, according to TwinSpires.com:

No. 1: 12 wins in 116 starts (last winner in 2023)
No. 2: 12 wins in 116 starts (last winner in 2017)
No. 3: 12 wins in 116 starts (last winner in 2014)
No. 4: 14 wins in 116 starts (last winner in 2020)
No. 5: 13 wins in 114 starts (last winner in 2022)
No. 6: 17 wins in 113 starts (last winner in 2021)
No. 7: 14 wins in 104 starts (last winner in 2018)
No. 8: 10 wins in 92 starts (last winner in 2006)
No. 9: 4 wins in 78 starts (last winner in 2012)
No. 10: 2 wins in 59 starts (last winner in 1998)
No. 11: 2 wins in 41 starts (last winner in 2001)
No. 12: 3 wins in 27 starts (last winner in 2005)
No. 13: 1 win in 16 starts (last winner in 2009)
Nos. 14-18: 0 wins in 13 combined starts

Post positions were drawn for the Belmont Stakes on Monday 6/3. If you would like to watch this process take place, you can view the video here on Youtube. This draw finalizes who will be participating and determines which position each horse will start from. This can be very important in determining how well a horse will run the race. For more information on the importantance of post position, click here! Morning-line (starting) odds for the race are announced shortly after the draw. Here are the positions and morning-line odds as of Monday.

WHY IS THE HORSE RACE TRACK KNOWN AS THE CHAMPIONSHIP TRACK? Belmont is also sometimes known as "The Championship Track" because almost every major champion in racing history since the early 20th century has competed on the racecourse – including all of the Triple Crown winners.

WHAT IS THE RACE DISTANCE? The Belmont Stakes is the longest of the Triple Crown horse races, reaching 1 ½ miles. The longer distance is what historically has put speed horses at a disadvantage, and is the main reason why the Belmont is also known as "The Test of the Champion."

WHAT IS THE AVERAGE FIELD SIZE IN BELMONT TRIPLE CROWN WINS? The average number of horses in Triple Crown victories is 5.4 starters.

HOW MANY HORSES HAVE WON THE FIRST TWO LEGS OF THE TRIPLE CROWN, BUT LOST AT BELMONT? There have been 23 total near misses of the Triple Crown. Of those 23 horses, eight finished the race in a heartbreaking second place, while four others didn't even get the chance to compete and were forced out of the race altogether due to injury.

WHAT POST POSITION HAS PRODUCED THE MOST BELMONT STAKES WINNERS? Post #1 has proven to be the most successful position in Belmont Stakes history, producing a total of 23 winners.

WHO WAS THE BIGGEST ODDS WINNER IN THE HISTORY OF THE BELMONT STAKES? The largest upset in Belmont Stakes history was Sarava in 2002. Sarava spoiled War Emblem's chances of winning the Triple Crown with 70-1 odds.

WHO HOLDS THE RECORD FOR BIGGEST WINNING MARGIN IN THE BELMONT STAKES? Secretariat, one of the best race horses of all time, won the race in 1973 by 31 lengths. Each length, or distance between horses, is about 8ft.

01. Before 1921, the horses ran in a clockwise manner, as they did in English racing.

02. In 1993, Julie Krone became the first female jockey to win a Triple Crown race at Belmont Park. In 2013, Rosie Napravnik was the first female jockey to ride in all three Triple Crown races.

03. The inaugural stakes race and eventually, the racetrack itself were named after August Belmont. He served as a prominent New York horseman, financier, and as a pioneering chairman of The Jockey Club.

04. The record for the largest crowd came in 2004.  That year 120,139 fans went to watch Smarty Jones attempt to win the Triple Crown only to be upset by Birdstone.

05. The Belmont Stakes is the oldest of the three Triple Crown races, with its first run taking place in 1867. The White Pine in Belmont Park's paddock is even older than that. The iconic tree, which became the Belmont Park's logo in 1968, is estimated to be about 200 years old.

06. Despite the fact the Belmont is the oldest of the three Triple Crown races, it isn't known for its longstanding traditions — mainly because its traditions have repeatedly changed throughout history. This includes traditions such as the post parade song, official drink, and even the track.

07. More than half of winning horses have been bred in Kentucky.

08. The winner of the race has a large blanket of white carnations draped over them. More than 700 carnations are needed to create the 40-pound blanket. The process of constructing the blanket takes around five hours.

09. At the top of the trophy is a silver figure of Fenian, winner of the 1869 Belmont Stakes. The bowl is supported by three additional horses — Herod, Eclipse and Matchem — who represent the three Thoroughbred foundation sires: the Byerly Turk, the Darley Arabian and the Godolphin Barb. The winning owner may keep the trophy for a year until the next Belmont Stakes winner is crowned. The winning owner, trainer and jockey also receive a silver miniature version of the trophy to keep permanently.

10. Secretariat's 2:24 winning time not only set a world record for 1 1/2 miles on the dirt, but also set a Belmont record for his 31-lengths margin of victory. In addition, Secretariat also set Belmont records in 1/2 mile, 3/4 mile, 1 mile and 1 1/4-mile fractions.

This will be the first time the event will take place at Saratoga Race Course, due to renovations planned for Belmont Park. Because of the smaller size of Saratoga's main track, the race is scheduled to be run at 1+1⁄4 miles (10 furlongs; 2,012 metres), shorter than the usual distance of 1+1⁄2 miles (12 furlongs; 2,414 metres).

On December 8, 2023, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a US$ 455 million renovation plan for Belmont Park in Elmont, New York which would move the Belmont Stakes to Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York for the interim, with construction expected to last into 2025. The prize purse has been increased from $1.5 million to $2 million.

The most recent time a Belmont Stakes was not held at Belmont Park was when it was held at Aqueduct Race Track in Ozone Park, Queens from 1963 to 1967, the last time Belmont Park was under construction.

This is the first time since 2013 that separate winners of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness are both running in the Belmont. That year, Preakness winner Oxbow - trained by Lukas - finished second while Derby winner Orb ran third, both behind Palace Malice.

Over the last 40 years, there have been nine occasions when the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winners have met in the Belmont. Only once, Swale in 1984, did the Kentucky Derby winner also win the Belmont. Five times, most recently when Afleet Alex did it in 2005, the Preakness winner has won the Belmont.

The last time the Derby and Preakness winner appeared in the Belmont and neither was favored in the race was 1994 when Kentucky Derby runner-up Strodes Creek was the favorite. He finished third behind Tabasco Cat and Go for Gin, the respective Preakness and Kentucky Derby winners.

The last Kentucky Derby runner-up to win the Belmont was Empire Maker in 2003. Since then, Derby runner-ups are zero for eight in the Belmont. That does not include Hot Rod Charlie, who crossed the wire third in the 2021 Kentucky Derby, but was elevated to second with the disqualification of Medina Spirit to due to a medication overage.

Is a popular champion racing at Saratoga? You may be better off betting the long odds. Horse racing is no stranger to upsets, but Saratoga has a peculiar reputation as the "Graveyard of Champions." Four historic upsets have contributed to Saratoga's reputation as the course where champions go to lose.

Man o' War, one of the greatest racehorses of all time, won 20 out of 21 races in his career. The one race he lost was at Saratoga.

A colt fittingly named Upset beat Man o' War In the 1919 Sanford Memorial Stakes at the Saratoga Race Course. Man o' War was never a Triple Crown winner because his owner decided not to enter him in the Derby, but the astounding thoroughbred won the 1920 Preakness and Belmont Stakes, even setting a world record.

Man o' War retired to stud in 1921 and - fun fact - was the grandsire of Seabiscuit.

Ever wondered why we have the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga? Well, the race is named for the horse that upset Gallant Fox in 1930 and earned Saratoga its nickname as the "Graveyard of Champions."

The second Triple Crown winner in history, Gallant Fox was expected to easily take the Travers Stakes in 1930. Jim Dandy, a 100-1 outsider, defeated Gallant Fox and rival Whichone by three lengths. The muddy track was blamed for Gallant Fox's poor performance, and Gallant Fox went on to win the Lawrence Realization Stakes at Belmont in September.

Just a few weeks after winning the 1973 Triple Crown, Secretariat lost the Whitney Stakes to a little-known horse named Onion at the Saratoga Race Course. To call this a stunning defeat would be to put it mildly, but perhaps the crowd of adoring fans should not have been so surprised: just under two weeks before the Whitney Stakes, Onion had set a new track record for 6.5 furlongs at Saratoga.

After American Pharoah won the Triple Crown in 2015, rumors flew about whether or not the three-year-old would race at Saratoga. At the Travers Stakes on August 29, 2015, American Pharoah did race in front of a sellout crowd of 50,000, finishing a close second to Keen Ice and cementing Saratoga's reputation as the "Graveyard of Champions."

The favorite is Sierra Leone (9-5) followed by the winners of the first two jewels of the Triple Crown, Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan (5-1) and the winner of The Preakness Stakes, Seize the Grey (8-1). The Chad Brown-trained Sierra Leone was the favorite at Churchill Downs and closed fast but ultimately finished second in the Kentucky Derby. He did not run at Pimlico in The Preakness.

Few horses in today’s world run in all three legs of the Triple Crown. Mystik Dan is the first to do so since War of Will in 2019. Ken McPeek’s horse barely missed out on a shot at the Triple Crown, finishing second in the Preakness after winning the Run for the Roses.

D. Wayne Lucas’ Seize the Grey outraced Mystik Dan at The Preakness and in doing so will look to be the first non-Triple Crown winner since Afleet Alex (2005) to claim the Preakness and the Belmont. While Seize the Grey did not run in the Kentucky Derby, he did run…and win…the Pat Day that same weekend. To race three times in five weeks let alone win that third race of the three is a daunting task for any horse.

The Preakness winner, this colt was coming off a victory in the Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs when he tackled the Preakness Stakes three weeks ago. He got right to the lead, running comfortably enough on a muddy track, and Derby winner Mystik Dan couldn't make up any ground in the stretch, finishing 2 1/4 lengths back in second. If the Belmont were at its normal distance, he might not even have been entered. As it is, it's hard to count him out, but he may have more competition for the lead this time.

He qualified for the Kentucky Derby by winning the Grade II Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, and then finished seventh at Churchill Downs. Other than the Wood, which was not a particularly talent-filled affair, he's really done little to recommend him against horses at this level. Those looking for a reason to like him can stop at the trainer column. Mott has been doing this at the highest level for a long time and can be overlooked.

He's the Kentucky Derby winner, who was second in the Preakness. He earned the roses fair and square, albeit by just two noses over horses who had rougher trips than he did. Hernandez gave him the chance to win by shooting through a narrow gap along the rail at the top of the stretch while the two main rivals were bumping and grinding to his outside. So what happened in the Preakness? It can't be put down to the muddy track because he won the Grade III Southwest on a muddy Oaklawn Park surface by 8 lengths. Looking at some of the newcomers lining up for the Belmont, one could conclude a repeat of the Derby performance won't be good enough here.

He's had an attack of "second-itis," finishing runner-up in three straight races without showing meaningful improvement in speed figures. In his last outing, he held a brief lead in the stretch in the Grade III Peter Pan at Aqueduct, but surrendered it to Antiquarian, who lines up just to his outside in the Belmont gate. It's hard to see how he can prevail against these rivals.

He won a maiden race on a sloppy track at Fair Grounds in his second career start, finished sixth in the Louisiana Derby and then just did beat The Wine Steward in the Peter Pan. Pletcher and Velazquez are masters of their trade, but the record seems to indicate they need more to work with to win this race.

This colt took a good bit of action in futures bets after closing out his 2-year-old season with a win in the Grade II Remsen in December and starting 2024 with a victory in the Grade II Fountain of Youth in Florida. Since then, things haven't gone his way. His fourth-place finish in the Grade I Blue Grass at Keeneland wasn't terrible, and he never got a chance to run in the Derby after being shuffled around in traffic. A better trip might give him a chance to show more, but his numbers so far don't stack up with these rivals even on his best days.

If The Wine Steward has contracted "second-itis," this colt must have "third-place syndrome." He's finished third in his last three starts, including the Wood and the Peter Pan. Given three of the four horses who finished in front of him in those two stakes races are back again for the Belmont, he would seem to need significant improvement to make an impression.

He won the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club in November, and then returned to start his 3-year-old campaign with a fifth-place finish in the Grade II Risen Star at Fair Grounds. He bounced back from that to finish a fast-closing second in the Louisiana Derby, but his running style caught up with him in Louisville, where he was bounced around early and never got untracked, finishing eighth. A smaller field, cleaner trip and a little improvement on the Louisiana Derby performance could put him in the picture for a placing in the Belmont, if not the win.

Sierra Leone might have given Brown his long-awaited Kentucky Derby win had it not been for the bumping with Japanese runner Forever Young down the stretch, which opened the door for Mystik Dan. Still, the second-place effort in that dramatic, three-horse photo was good enough to make him favorite in the Belmont after swerving the Preakness. It's worth noting, with no disrespect to any of those involved, that Prat replaces Tyler Gaffalione, who had ridden Sierra Leone to victory in the Risen Star and the Blue Grass before the Run for the Roses. There's a good chance that when the 2024 Eclipse Awards are handed out next January, Sierra Leone will be the 3-year-old champ. But he'll have to start here.

OK, he's undefeated. He has highest Beyer Speed Figure in any of these 10 colts' past performances. Pletcher is a master trainer, Ortiz is king of the jockeys, and his owners, Mike Repole and St. Elias Stables, win big races with regularity. But he's only had two races. The field-topping 101 Beyer came in his first start, a 7-furlong maiden race at Gulfstream Park that he won by 13 3/4 lengths. He "regressed" to a 97 figure in his next race, which he won by "only" 7 1/4 lengths. He's a front-runner and probably will have to fight for the lead, especially from the outside gate. Could he win? Sure. But will he really be bet down to 7-2, ahead of the Derby and Preakness winners?