'All systems go' for Mystik Dan to run in Preakness

Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan will continue his pursuit of the Triple Crown by competing in the Preakness Stakes, his trainer announced Saturday.

Trainer Kenny McPeek said he spoke with the horse's owners and expressed his reservations about the two-week turnaround between the Derby (May 4) and the Preakness (May 18) in Baltimore. On Saturday, McPeek said he was confident that Mystik Dan will be ready for the second leg of the Triple Crown.

"All systems go," McPeek said. "He'll ship out in the morning."

The jockey who rode Mystik Dan to the Derby win, Brian Hernandez Jr., expressed his excitement on social media

"We're going to the @preaknessstakes," he wrote. "See you all in Baltimore! I am so thankful for this opportunity."

Mystik Dan edged Sierra Leone and Forever Young in the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. The finish was so close in fact that officials were required to look at photos to determine the winner.

Justify was the last horse to win the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, doing so in 2018. He went on to win the Triple Crown weeks later in the Belmont Stakes.