BALTIMORE — Muth, the Bob Baffert-trained horse and Preakness Stakes favorite, has been pulled from Saturday’s race. The horse spiked a temperature after arriving at Pimlico in Baltimore late Tuesday night, according to a news release from the Preakness Stakes.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said the Arkansas Derby winner had a temperature of 103 and he had no choice but to scratch.

“We are sick about this. The horse had been doing really well,” Baffert said. “But we have to do what’s right by the horse.”

Muth was set to be one of two horses running in the Preakness on Saturday for Baffert, a Hall of Famer and two-time winner of the Triple Crown who is still expected to saddle Imagination as part of what’s now a field of eight. Baffert was not expected to fly in until Thursday, though assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes accompanied the horses on their flight to Newark, New Jersey, and the drive down to Maryland.

At the post-position draw Monday, Muth opened as the 8-5 favorite with Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan second at 5-2 and Imagination and Brad Cox-trained Catching Freedom tied for third at 6-1.

“It takes a lot out of the equation,” said Ray Bryner, the assistant trainer for Mystik Dan. “We don’t have to worry about him, so there’s eight horses now and we can kind of run our race and not worry about chasing the horse they call the favorite.”

Muth had beaten a field that included Mystik Dan, who finished third, in the Arkansas Derby on March 30.

“I was confident we were going to get revenge,” Bryner said.

Muth won the Arkansas Derby by two lengths but was declared to be ineligible for the 150th Kentucky Derby because of Baffert’s suspension from Churchill Downs. The colt has won both of his starts as a 3-year-old and four of six in his career with two seconds for more than $1.5 million in earnings.

The historic track initially suspended Baffert for two years following a failed a postrace drug test by deceased colt Medina Spirit, who crossed the finish line in the 2021 race but was later disqualified. Churchill Downs extended the ban through at least the end of 2024 and cited “continued concerns” about the safety and integrity of racing that Baffert posed to CDI-owned tracks.

“I’m sure there’s a lot of disappointed people on that end of it,” Bryner said. “I’m not disappointed, I have to be honest. With him out of the race, it makes us pretty strong. Especially if we get the off (muddy) track like he’s shown he can already handle, I think we’re in pretty good shape.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.