2026 Preakness Stakes predictions, horses, odds, posts, date: Surprising picks from a horse racing expert
The location will be different, but the stakes are still the same for Saturday’s 2026 Preakness Stakes. The race will be run at Laurel Park and preparations are underway at Pimlico Race Course. It is expected to return to Pimlico next year. The second jewel in the Triple Crown will be missing history as most of the Kentucky Derby runners will be absent, including winner Golden Tempo. Still, the Grade I Stakes event, the shortest of the Triple Crown races at 1 3/16 miles, boasts a $2 million purse and the honor of winning the historic Preakness.
Post time in Laurel, Md., on Saturday is set for 6:50 pm ET. The Preakness Stakes 2026 odds list lists Iron Honor (9-2) as the favorite, followed by Chip Honcho, Incredibolt and Taj Mahal, all at 5-1. Other front-runners for the 2026 Preakness Stakes include Ocelli at 6-1 and Napoleon Solo at 8-1. Before making any 2026 Preakness Stakes picks, you’ll want to see the 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions from SportsLine’s Michelle Yu.
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He started 2025 with a strong entry on Citizen Bull to win the Robert B. Lewis Stakes, and also predicted Forever Young’s win in the Saudi Cup, Journalism’s win in the San Felipe Stakes, Sandman’s win in the Arkansas Derby and Mindframe’s win in the Churchill Downs Stakes. He also hit a perfect shot in the 2025 Kentucky Derby. In August he hit the Fierceness-Journalism exacta in the Pacific Classic, and in March 2026 he nailed the Renegade-Silent Tactic-Taptastic trifecta in the Arkansas Derby.
Now, with the 2026 Preakness Stakes post positions set and odds on the board, Yu shares 2026 Preakness Stakes betting 2026 Preakness Stakes picks and predictions on SportsLine. You can go to SportsLine now to see them.
Top Preakness Stakes predictions for 2026
The surprise: Yu is high on Taj Mahal this week, as the horse is 3-for-3 in his career at Laurel Park. That insider knowledge is what gives the Taj Mahal its edge (and why it’s one of the favorites). Taj Mahal is “definitely the horse of the course, having won all three of his career points at this track,” Yu said. He starts on the inside rail, but 12 horses have won the Preakness from that position.
The Brittany Russell-trained colt is coming off an 8ΒΌ-length victory in the Federico Tesio Stakes. “He’s not winning this victory,” Yu tells SportsLine, “he’s winning by walking.” A horse racing expert thinks another female trainer is more likely to win after Cherie DeVaux made history by guiding Golden Tempo to victory in the Derby two weeks ago. She was the first woman to win the Derby, and no female trainer has won the Preakness Stakes. See what other 2026 Preakness Stakes horses to back at SportsLine.
One of Yu’s surprising decisions for the Preakness Stakes: He doesn’t consider Iron Honor his most successful rival. Iron Honor is the favorite at 9-2, but it is debatable if he has the credentials to earn this distinction. Iron Honor began his career with back-to-back wins, including one in the Gotham Stakes.
He struggled at the Wood Memorial in April, finishing seventh in the only race he has ever run over 1 mile. In a 2026 Preakness Stakes field with interesting longshots and a logjam near the top of the odds board, Yu got better prices. See what other horses will fade at SportsLine.
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How to make 2026 Preakness Stakes picks
Instead, Yu’s choice is a horse that is “in excellent condition.” And he’s high on the double-digit tally for “cheating.” He shares the 2026 Preakness Stakes horses to return to SportsLine.
So who wins the 2026 Preakness Stakes? What is the long double-digit figure to reverse, and how did Yu build his wedges? Visit SportsLine to see Yu’s picks for the Preakness Stakes, all from a Santa Anita-based racing insider with a long history of Preakness Stakes success, and find out.
2026 Preakness Stake odds, post positions
