The Eddie Olczyk Preakness picks ahead of Saturday’s big Pimlico Triple Crown race have been revealed as the former NHL player and now respected NBC handicapper lifts the lid on his main fancy to win – and it’s NOT the hot favorite Mystik Dan.
Read on as Eddie Olczyk reveals his Preakness Stakes pick and 1-2-3-4 ahead of the 149th running of the Black-Eyed Susan this weekend (May 18).
Eddie Olczyk Preakness Picks 2024: Just Steel To Have Too Much Metal
See below Olczyk’s ‘top listed’ four with JUST STEEL one of the Preakness Stakes horses he likes.
Saying he’s going to be using this D Wayne Lukas-trained 3 year-old as his main pick alongside the Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan – the big fancy with the best Preakness Stakes betting sites.
“Mystik Dan will be used 1st and 2nd in ALL the Olczyk Preakness tickets on Saturday” Eddie Olczyk told Jeremy Plonk on their Xpressbet You Tube race preview.
However, Olczyk also feels the D Wayne Lukas runner Just Steel is worth chancing if you can forgive his Kentucky Derby 17th last time out.
Making him his ‘value call’ Preakness Stakes pick 2024 for the 149th running of the Black-Eyed Susan.
Eddie Olczyk Preakness Picks 2024: Top Listed Foursome
- JUST STEEL
- Mystik Dan
- Tuscan Gold
- Imagination
WATCH: Why Eddie Olczyk Is Making A Case For Just Steel
JUST STEEL: The Preakness Stakes ‘Value Call’
Just Steel was Eddie Olczyk’s Kentucky Derby ‘longshot’ pick – saying this D Wayne Lukas runner was “battle-hardened”.
Of course that selection didn’t work out with Just Steel trailing in 17th in the Kentucky Derby.
However, Olczyk feels Just Steel is capable of bouncing back on an off track, with the race likely to be set up for a closer with a fast pace expected.
Plus, prior to that Derby flop, Just Steel had run two lengths second to the former Preakness Stakes favorite Muth in the Arkansas Derby at the end of March.
He also had Derby winner Mystik Dan back in third that day, so has shown he’s got the form to beat Saturday’s Black Eyed-Susan market leader.
Just Steel will also be one of the more experienced Preakness Stakes horses in the field with 12 starts. Yes, he’s only won two of those starts, both those wins came under jockey Joel Rosario, who is back in the saddle.
Trainer D Wayne Lukas, who also has Seize The Grey in the race, has a top record in the Preakness too with six past wins. The first coming in 1980 with Codez and his most recent in 2013 with Oxbow.
WATCH: Mystik Dan Winning The 2024 Kentucky Derby
RELATED: Jeff Siegel Picks For Preakness Stakes 2024: Two ‘Must Use’ Horses For 149th Black-Eyed Susan
MYSTIK DAN: “The Preakness Is His Race To Lose”
In addition to Just Steel being the Eddie Olczyk Preakness Stakes pick, he’s also saying that Mystik Dan will be used in all his tickets ahead of Saturday’s race.
Olczyk went onto say that he fancied Mystik Dan for the Kentucky Derby to be fourth, but even though he won and his main pick that day Catching Freedom actually finished fourth. It was still a fair call from the NBC handicapper.
He said he thought he got the Derby trip well and that he was impressed with the win. Plus that the off-track at Pimlico will suit having won in similar conditions in the past.
The ‘bounce’ could be a factor as in the past Mystik Dan has run well and then not backed it up. But Olczyk also says that with no Muth in the race the McPeek horse may still be able to win the Preakness bringing his “B-game”.
Regardless, Mystik Dan is still figuring high up the list on the Eddie Olczyk Preakness picks for 2024, alongside his ‘value call’ Just Steel.
Mystik Dan also has one of the better Preakness Stakes post positions, with three winners from gate 5 since 2011.
Tuscan Gold and Imagination Complete The Eddie Olczyk Preakness Picks 2024
Away from Eddie Olczyk’s main two Preakness plays he’s got two other ‘top four’ picks. He feels Tuscan Gold and the sole Bob Baffert entry this year Imagination can fill the third and fourth.
Tuscan Gold was last seen running third in the Louisiana Derby in March, with Catching Freedom winning that day. While Imagination will be the horse hoping to give Bob Baffert a ninth Preakness Stakes win. Legendary Italian jockey Frankie Dettori has been booked to ride.
He was last seen running a close second in the Santa Anita Derby to Stronghold at the start of April.
Preakness Stakes Speed: Where Does Eddie Olczyk Think The Pimlico Pace Will Come From?
When assessing the 2024 Preakness Stakes speed, Eddie Olczyk is expecting the pace to come from Seize The Grey and Imagination.
The last-named will have no better jockey than Frankie Dettori to judge the fractions up with the pace. But will need to last out over this slightly longer trip. Olczyk feels that is the concern and this pair will set up the race for the closers.
A similar call is taken with Seize The Grey. He won the G2 Pat Day Mile on Kentucky Derby Day over 1m, with the longer distance the unknown for this 3 year-old that likes to get on with things from the front.
When is the Preakness Stakes 2024?
The 2024 Preakness Stakes will be run on Saturday, May 18 at Pimlico racetrack.
Additionally, we’ve also got the complete Preakness Stakes schedule. Meaning you can plan when all the other races are over the meeting.
📅Time/Date: 7:00pm (ET), Saturday May 18, 2024
🏇Racecourse: Pimlico, Baltimore, Maryland
💰 Purse: $2m
📺 TV: NBC Sports and Peacock
🎲 Preakness Stakes Odds: Mystik Dan +190 | Tuscan Gold +400 | Imagination +400 | Catching Freedom +400
2024 Preakness Stakes Betting Odds
Latest Preakness Stakes odds 2024 that you can use by joining up with the best betting sites in the US.
| Horse | Odds |
| Mystik Dan |
+190 |
| Tuscan Gold | +400 |
| Catching Freedom |
+400 |
| Imagination |
+400 |
| Just Steel |
+1100 |
| Seize The Grey |
+1200 |
| Uncle Heavy |
+1600 |
| Mugatu |
+3500 |
Note: Others on request and odds subject to change
Eddie Olczyk – Who Is The NBC Horse Racing Handicapper?
Many horse racing lovers will have their own views on Saturday’s 149th running of the Preakness Stakes – as all eyes will be on the Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan, who will be trying to keep his Triple Crown dreams alive and is the market leader with the best Preakness Stakes betting sites this weekend.
That said, experienced and novice horse racing punters alike still like to hear what the so-called experts and handicappers have to say on the big horse races – especially NBC’s Eddie Olczyk.
Olczyk is a former NHL star that played 16 seasons in the National League for six sides that included the Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Since calling time on his NHL career, Eddie Olczyk started a career in the media commentating on NHL for NBC. And it was via this that came the opportunity to also showcase his interest in horse racing with the same channel having him as one of their analysts and handicappers.
This has since seen Olczyk cover all the main US horse races through the season. Including the Kentucky Derby – Belmont Stakes, Breeders’ Cup and Preakness Stakes for the NBC network.
