Preakness Stakes: Place your bets on mudders after rain creates sloppy track at Pimlico

By Kristina Pydynowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

May 19, 2018, 9:55:22 AM EDT

Contestants in the 2018 Preakness Stakes race may face a muddy track in Baltimore on Saturday.

Saturday marks the eighth consecutive day of measurable rain around the Baltimore area with totals topping 5 inches.

Despite the soggy start to Saturday, AccuWeather Meteorologist Brian Thompson expects small improvements in the weather as the day progresses.

"While it will rain more often than not during the morning, there can be longer gaps in the rain moving into the afternoon," he said. "There may even be a few hours at a time when it is mainly dry."

"That may result in the conditions of the main track being upgraded to "muddy" or "good" before the Preakness if it stays dry long enough."

Thompson added that horses known as mudders would still be favored even if the track gets rated as "good."

Despite the rain easing, those planning to watch the races at the infield will definitely need rain boots.

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"The popular infield for fans at Pimlico will also be extremely wet and muddy thanks to the large amounts of rain during the week," according to Thompson.

Temperatures are expected to climb to near 70 F on Saturday afternoon. A high close to 75 is common for this time of year.

"It will feel muggy with the humidity," Thompson said.

More sunshine is expected to return on Sunday. It will remain humid and turn warmer with temperatures set to rise into the middle 80s.

That could set the stage for a shower or thunderstorm to develop in the afternoon, which could bring minor delays to travelers.