2026 Preakness Stakes predictions, horses, odds, posts: Amazing picks by certified horse racing experts
The Triple Crown is off the table for the 2026 Preakness Stakes, but prestige remains the second jewel of the Triple Crown horse race. Fans will also see the Preakness Stakes run in a different venue for the first time in more than a century. With ongoing renovations at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, the Preakness Stakes 2026 will be held at Laurel Park, about 30 miles southwest of Laurel, Md. The race is expected to return to Pimlico next year. The Grade I stakes race is the shortest in the Triple Crown at 1 3/16 miles — 1/16 of a mile shorter than the Kentucky Derby — and offers a $2 million purse. Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo is out and looking forward to the Belmont Stakes on June 6.
Post time for the 2026 Preakness Stakes is set for 6:50 pm ET on Saturday. Preakness Stakes 2026 odds Iron Honor is listed as a 9-2 favorite, with three horses at 5-1 — Chip Honcho, Incredibolt and Taj Mahal. Ocelli (6-1) and Napoleon Solo (8-1) are also the leading contenders for the 2026 Preakness Stakes. 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. At the Kentucky Derby, trainer Cherie DeVaux became the first woman to win the top race at Churchill Downs. Now Yu thinks another female trainer might make history in the Preakness. Brittany Russell is getting ready for the Taj Mahal, and the calf has a job to pull off. That is why he is against the favorites with 5-1. All three of Taj Mahal’s wins — in fact, all of his races — have come at Laurel Park, most recently the Federico Tesio Stakes, which he won by 8ΒΌ lengths.
Taj Mahal is “definitely the horse of the course,” said Yu, who was impressed with his limited performance. “He doesn’t give away these wins, he wins and he goes.” Taj Mahal got a bit of a bad break drawing the inside rail, but 12 horses have won the Preakness from that spot, and the outside horses may not have the speed to squeeze him out. Yu thinks Russell can finally break his 0-for-32 streak in low stakes races and set a record on Saturday. “A woman won the Derby,” he said, “maybe one wins the Preakness too?” 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. Yu says the Gotham Stakes winner was “really weak” last time out and isn’t sure the length of this race will match Iron Honor’s strength. He says trainer Chad Brown’s horse is “slow running.” Yu showed better value elsewhere in the field. 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
