The final futures wagering window for the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes closed at 6:00 p.m. Saturday, about an hour before Mystik Dan shot through along the rail to win the Kentucky Derby.

Bettors could have benefited from an added hour, though, as they allowed Mystik Dan, 18-1 at Churchill Downs, to slip through the cracks in the Preakness futures wager. The Kenny McPeek trainee was 45-1 in the future wager when betting closed.

Of course, even more time might have been more helpful, as in the 24 hours following the run for the roses, the connections of most of the Derby runners were indicating Baltimore was not in their plans. Even McPeek said he was on the fence about sending Mystik Dan.

“We’re not committing. When I ran him back in two weeks (at Churchill Downs last November), it completely backfired,” the veteran trainer said. “And we skipped the Rebel (at Oaklawn Park) because it was too short as well. So we’ll watch him over the next week, and probably decide then. It will be a last-minute decision. We’ll let him tell us.”

The Bob Baffert-trained Muth ended the window as the wagering favorite. The winner of the Arkansas Derby, Muth was ineligible to compete in Louisville because Baffert is banned by Churchill Downs, Inc. Muth was 7-2 when wagering concluded.

Derby runners Fierceness, the favorite who backed up in the stretch, and Sierra Leone, the near-miss runner-up, occupied the next two spots in the wagering. Fierceness was 9-2, while Sierra Leone ended up 17-2.

All other three-year-olds – the catchall for all sophomores not among the 30 or so on the list – was the fourth choice of the betting public. It was 12-1.

Forever Young, the Japanese runner who nearly made history before settling for third in the Kentucky Derby was next (25-2), followed by Catching Freedom, fourth in the Kentucky Derby and 14-1 in wagering here.

They were followed by Tuscan Gold (17-1), Imagination (17-1), Seize the Grey (26-1), and Just a Touch (28-1) to round out the top 10. Of that group, Just a Touch was the only Derby runner, finishing 20th and last.

The Chad Brown-trained Tuscan Gold is one-for-three in his career and finished third in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby. Imagination, a second Baffert trainee, won the Grade 2 San Felipe in March and was second as the favorite in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby last month.

Seize the Grey, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, won the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard for his top win to date.

The Preakness will take place May 18 at Pimlico Race Course. The race will be drawn the preceeding Monday, May 13.

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