Horse racing best bets: Should you back this horse instead of Mystik Dan at the Preakness Stakes?

Enter Muth, the current betting favorite in the Preakness Stakes odds at 11-10 (or +110). 

While this horse may not have the spotlight of the Kentucky Derby on him, he already has the attention of experts who watched him win the Grade 1 2024 Arkansas Derby over Mystik Dan. In fact, Muth won that race handily while the eventual Derby winner finished third.

"Muth is not only the fastest horse among the Preakness Stakes probables but also the freshest," Horse Racing Nation said. "It's a potent combination that makes him by far the most likely winner of the second jewel of American Thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown."

While the talent is clearly on display, Muth also has a background that makes him a polarizing pick in the Preakness Stakes odds: He is trained by Bob Baffert.

Baffert is the reason Muth didn't race at the Kentucky Derby. He has been suspended from Churchill Downs since 2021 after Derby winner Medina Spirit failed a post-race drug test and was stripped of the honor. (His suspension has actually been extended, but that's a whole other story.) That hasn't stopped Baffert from racing horses at other tracks, however, and he got his eighth Preakness win in 2023 with National Treasure.

Baffert has two horses running in the Preakness and his other submission, Imagination, is listed just behind Mystik Dan at 5-1 odds. His polarizing history may sway fans and bettors, but there's no denying his horse is favored this year given his resume.

There is no doubt that casual racing fans will want to back Mystik Dan to win the Preakness Stakes and get one step closer to winning the Triple Crown. However, it's easy to see why Muth is the betting favorite on the odds board — regardless of how controversial his trainer is.

The Preakness Stakes will take place at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, on Saturday, May 18.