2026 Preakness Stakes Preview: Full Race Card, Morning Line Odds and How to Watch
The 151st Preakness Stakes goes to post tonight at Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland — the first time the middle jewel of the Triple Crown has been run anywhere other than Pimlico Race Course since 1908. With Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo sitting this one out, there is no Triple Crown on the line. What is on the line: $2 million in prize money, a blanket of Black-Eyed Susans, and a wide-open race that could produce a genuine surprise.
Post time for the 151st Preakness Stakes is set for 7:01pm ET. If you have not placed your bets yet, there is still time — read on for everything you need to know before the gates open.
Odds quoted throughout this preview are indicative morning-line figures. As a pari-mutuel platform, MyWinners pools will continue to move right up to post time — check the live board on the app, in-venue, or at app.mywinners.com for current prices.
Preakness Stakes: Race-Day Essentials
Race: 151st Preakness Stakes (Grade I)
Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026
Post Time: ~7 p.m. ET (race card from 1 p.m. ET)
Venue: Laurel Park, Laurel, Maryland
Distance: 1 3/16 miles (9.5 furlongs)
Purse: $2 million (winner's share $1.2 million)
Surface: Dirt
Field Size: 14 runners
How to Watch the Preakness Stakes
NBC holds the broadcast rights and will carry the race nationally. Pre-race coverage begins at 1:00 p.m. ET on Peacock and NBC Sports Network, with NBC's main broadcast picking up at 4:00 p.m. ET through post time. The full race card, including Black-Eyed Susan Stakes coverage from Friday, is available via Peacock streaming. Cord-cutters can also access the NBC broadcast through YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream.
You can bet on the race right now through MyWinners — America’s leading pari-mutuel betting platform licensed in Connecticut and 35+ other states. Place your bets at app.mywinners.com, on the MyWinners iOS app, or via the Android App. If you prefer to bet in-person, nine Winners venues across Connecticut are open for race-day betting today.
The Big Absentees: What Happened Before Today
Golden Tempo — Did Not Enter
The Kentucky Derby winner was officially withdrawn on May 6. His connections at Cherie DeVaux Racing cited the horse's health and recovery time following what they described as "the race of a lifetime" at Churchill Downs. Golden Tempo is expected to reappear at the Belmont Stakes on June 6. His absence means there will be no Triple Crown attempt this year — the third time in five years the Derby winner has skipped the second leg.
Crude Velocity — Did Not Enter
Bob Baffert's Pat Day Mile winner was among the early Preakness betting favorites after opening at 4-1, but Baffert opted against a quick turnaround. The plan is a summer campaign targeting the Woody Stephens Stakes at Aqueduct in June and potentially the Haskell Stakes later in the season.
Talk To Me Jimmy — Did Not Enter
Trainer Rudy Rodriguez pointed the colt toward the Grade III Peter Pan Stakes in New York instead, citing a smaller and more manageable field following an eighth-place finish in the Wood Memorial.
Silent Tactic — Scratched
The Arkansas Derby runner-up was ruled out on the Monday of Preakness week by trainer Mark Casse. Silent Tactic never recovered from the bruised left front foot that had forced his scratch from the Kentucky Derby. His absence opened the door for last-minute additions including Corona de Oro and Pretty Boy Miah.
The Story of the Week: Great White's Return
If there is one horse whose presence in today's field feels like a minor miracle, it is Great White. The massive gray-roan gelding, trained by John Ennis and owned by Three Chimneys Farm, was drawn into the Kentucky Derby off the also-eligible list — and then, just minutes before post time, reared up and fell while being led toward the starting gate, dumping jockey Alex Achard and forcing an immediate scratch before a single stride was taken.
Ennis was characteristically unflappable in the aftermath. "I've taken worse falls out of bed," he told reporters on the Monday following the Derby. He confirmed that Great White escaped the incident without serious injury — the horse was jogging two miles by the following morning — and he personally put the colt through a half-mile breeze at The Thoroughbred Center in Lexington to satisfy himself that everything was right. Achard retains the mount, a sign the camp has no hesitation about the gate incident.
At the Preakness Alibi Breakfast on Thursday, Ennis spoke warmly about the horse's energy and condition since the Derby scratch. "It's like he was never at Churchill Downs," he said. "It took nothing out of him." Great White has drawn Post 13 today — an outside slot that suits his late-running style and mirrors the posts from which he has won previously. Questions about his dirt form persist following a fifth-place finish in the Blue Grass Stakes, but trainer confidence is high and the 15-1 morning line may represent value for bettors comfortable with the risk.
Full Race Card with Post Positions, Jockeys and Morning-Line Odds
The complete 14-horse field for the 151st Preakness Stakes, as drawn on Monday, May 11:
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Indicative/ML Odds | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taj Mahal | Sheldon Russell | Brittany Russell | +500 | Unbeaten; 3-for-3 at Laurel Park. Son of Nyquist. |
| 2 | Ocelli | Tyler Gaffalione | Whit Beckman | +600 | 3rd in KY Derby. Still a maiden. Top Derby returner. |
| 3 | Crupper | Junior Alvarado | Donnie Von Hemel | +3000 | Longshot. Did not run in Derby. |
| 4 | Robusta | Rafael Bejarano | Doug O'Neill | +3000 | 14th in KY Derby. Calumet Farm colors. |
| 5 | Talkin | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Danny Gargan | +2000 | 3rd in Blue Grass. Irad picked up mount after Silent Tactic scratch. |
| 6 | Chip Honcho | Jose Ortiz | Steve Asmussen | +500 | Derby skip. Jose Ortiz won Derby/Oaks 2 weeks ago. |
| 7 | The Hell We Did | Luis Saez | Todd Fincher | +1500 | Unbeaten top 2; 2nd in Lexington. Son of Authentic. |
| 8 | Bull by the Horns | Micah Husbands | Saffie Joseph Jr. | +3000 | Won Rushaway Stakes March. Son of Essential Quality. |
| 9 | Iron Honor ⭐ | Flavien Prat | Chad Brown | +450 | FAVORITE. Gotham winner. Brown's Preakness blueprint. |
| 10 | Napoleon Solo | Paco Lopez | Chad Summers | +800 | Grade 1 Champagne winner at 2. Sharp recent workouts. |
| 11 | Corona de Oro | John Velazquez | Dallas Stewart | +3000 | Late addition. 4-race board-hitting streak. Stewart longshot pedigree. |
| 12 | Incredibolt | Jaime Torres | Riley Mott | +500 | 6th in KY Derby (4 lengths back). Virginia Derby winner. Late closer. |
| 13 | Great White | Alex Achard | John Ennis | +1500 | Derby gate-flip scratch. Cleared healthy. Big gray closer. 1,300+ lbs. |
| 14 | Pretty Boy Miah | Ricardo Santana Jr. | Jeremiah Englehart | +1500 | Stakes debut. Front-runner. Post 14 has never produced a Preakness winner. |
| All odds are morning-line figures. Pari-mutuel pools are live — final prices are determined by the total pool at post time (~6:50 p.m. ET). Check app.mywinners.com for live pricing. | |||||
Morning Line vs. Current Odds: Where the Market Has Moved
Iron Honor opened as the +450 morning-line favorite — a slim margin over a field where market interest has spread across four or five horses. As a pari-mutuel race, final odds are determined by the pool at post time, not fixed in advance. The morning line is the starting point, not a guaranteed price. Bettors who got on early when Iron Honor was friendlier will have the advantage; those coming in late should check the live board before placing.
Great White has been attracting attention on the morning of the race, with some boards reporting him firming to +600 from his +1500 morning line as money comes in from bettors who followed the gate story closely and like his outside post. The morning line had Napoleon Solo at +800; he remains in that range on most books. The +3000 brigade of Crupper, Robusta, Bull by the Horns, and Corona de Oro remain at long odds with little market movement.
| Horse | Post | Morning Line | Current Odds | Movement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Honor | 9 | +450 (9-2) | +450 | — |
| Incredibolt | 12 | +500 (5-1) | +500 | — |
| Taj Mahal | 1 | +500 (5-1) | +500 | — |
| Chip Honcho | 6 | +500 (5-1) | +500 | — |
| Ocelli | 2 | +600 (6-1) | +600 | — |
| Napoleon Solo | 10 | +800 (8-1) | +800 | — |
| Great White | 13 | +1500 (15-1) | +600–+700* | ↑ Firming sharply |
| The Hell We Did | 7 | +1500 (15-1) | +1500 | — |
| Pretty Boy Miah | 14 | +1500 (15-1) | +1500 | — |
| Talkin | 5 | +2000 (20-1) | +2000 | — |
| Crupper | 3 | +3000 (30-1) | +3000 | — |
| Robusta | 4 | +3000 (30-1) | +3000 | — |
| Bull by the Horns | 8 | +3000 (30-1) | +3000 | — |
| Corona de Oro | 11 | +3000 (30-1) | +3000 | — |
| *Great White current odds based on live market reports from Horse Racing Nation. All others reflect Fox Sports morning-line board. Pari-mutuel pools are live — odds will continue to shift until post time at approximately 6:50 p.m. ET. | ||||
Contender Profiles
All odds are Morning Line.
Iron Honor (Post 9, +450)
The morning-line favorite is the Gotham Stakes winner trained by Chad Brown, who has won the Preakness twice before — Cloud Computing in 2017 and Early Voting in 2022. Both of those previous winners followed an identical pattern: ran the Wood Memorial, bypassed the Derby, then won at Pimlico. Iron Honor fits the blueprint precisely, which is why Brown and jockey Flavien Prat (who won the Preakness with Rombauer in 2021) command respect despite a troubling seventh-place finish in the Wood. He is lightly raced with only three career starts, and supporters argue his speed figures and physical profile suggest plenty of upside. Critics note the Preakness at 1 3/16 miles will be longer than anything he has attempted, and the Wood performance raised stamina doubts. Even Chad Brown admitted he was "surprised" Iron Honor was installed as the morning-line favourite given that last run. Post 9 draws mixed reviews — historically suboptimal at Pimlico, though Laurel's different configuration makes direct comparisons unreliable.
Taj Mahal (Post 1, +500)
The most compelling narrative on the board. Trainer Brittany Russell is based year-round at Laurel Park, and Taj Mahal is 3-for-3 in his career — every single race run at Laurel. His most recent win, the Federico Tesio Stakes, came by 8.25 lengths. He is a son of Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, purchased for $525,000 as a yearling, and has improved his speed figures in each of his three starts. Russell would become the first female trainer to win the Preakness if she succeeds today, following Cherie DeVaux's Kentucky Derby breakthrough with Golden Tempo two weeks ago. The inside rail draw from Post 1 is a mixed bag — 12 horses have won the Preakness from that gate historically, though it can create traffic problems in a 14-horse field. Jockey Sheldon Russell (no relation to the trainer) has been aboard all three of his wins.
Incredibolt (Post 12, +500)
The most battle-tested horse in the field. Incredibolt ran in the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago, finishing sixth after encountering significant traffic. He was beaten by only four lengths, and his connections argued his trip cost him at least a couple of places. Trainer Riley Mott — son of Hall of Famer Bill Mott — has been methodical in the horse's preparation, and jockey Jaime Torres, who won the 2024 Preakness aboard Seize the Grey, retains the mount. Incredibolt is a late runner who should benefit from the expected pace scenario, with multiple speed horses drawn to his inside. Post 12 is considered favourable for a closer — no need to fight for early position from out there.
Chip Honcho (Post 6, +500)
Trainer Steve Asmussen sat out the Kentucky Derby with this horse after a fifth-place finish in the Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds. Chip Honcho has had success at Fair Grounds but arrives at Laurel as a fresh horse whose form requires a degree of projection. The notable headline here is the jockey: Jose Ortiz, who won both the Kentucky Derby with Golden Tempo and the Kentucky Oaks with Always a Runner earlier this month, now takes the mount on Chip Honcho. His two previous Preakness starts ended in a win (Early Voting, 2022) and a fourth (Good Magic, 2018). Post 6 is the single most productive starting gate in Preakness history at Pimlico, yielding 17 winners — though Laurel's different configuration means that statistic may not transfer.
Ocelli (Post 2, +600)
Still a maiden — never won a race — yet somehow one of the most fascinating horses in the field. Ocelli finished third in the Kentucky Derby, earning more than $600,000 in prize money through consistency without a single career victory. If he wins today, he would become the first maiden to win the Preakness since 1888. Trained by Whit Beckman and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Ocelli has steadily improved since having his blinkers removed and comes in with proven form at the 1 3/16-mile distance. He beat several of today's rivals in prep races and is the top Derby returner in the field.
Napoleon Solo (Post 10, +800)
One of the most interesting second-tier prices on the board. Napoleon Solo was a Grade 1 Champagne Stakes winner as a two-year-old, but has stuttered into 2026 with fifth-place finishes in both the Fountain of Youth and Wood Memorial. Trainer Chad Summers acknowledges the Fountain of Youth effort came when the horse was underdone fitness-wise, and points to sharp recent workouts — including a six-furlong move in 1:10 — as evidence of a turnaround. Paco Lopez rides. Several sharp handicappers have identified him as the value play at +800.
Venue: Laurel Park
The Preakness is running at Laurel Park for the first — and almost certainly only — time in the modern era. Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore is undergoing a full $250-400 million reconstruction and is expected to return as the Preakness home in 2027. Laurel Park sits roughly 30 miles southwest of Pimlico, midway between Baltimore and Washington D.C. The venue is significantly smaller than Pimlico — on-track attendance is capped at approximately 4,800 to 5,000 spectators — but the race itself carries full Grade I status, the $2 million purse, and the traditional blanket of Black-Eyed Susans.
From a racing perspective, Laurel's configuration differs meaningfully from Pimlico. The track is 1 1/8 miles around (compared to Pimlico's one-mile oval), with wider turns and a longer stretch run. This makes historical post-position statistics from Pimlico only loosely applicable today. Weather conditions are favorable: forecast calls for mostly clear skies, a high of 76°F, and just a 13% chance of rain — ideal dirt track conditions.
History and Storylines
This is the first Preakness Stakes at a venue other than Pimlico since 1908, when the race was run at Gravesend Race Track in Brooklyn. The Chad Brown training angle is significant — his pattern of running horses in the Wood Memorial, bypassing the Derby, and then winning the Preakness (Cloud Computing 2017, Early Voting 2022) is one of the tightest patterns in modern Triple Crown history. Iron Honor fits it to the letter. The female trainer story is also live — if Brittany Russell wins with Taj Mahal, she follows Cherie DeVaux (Kentucky Derby) and Jena Antonucci (2023 Belmont) as part of a growing wave of women training at the top level of the sport.
The last double-digit longshot to win the Preakness was Cloud Computing at 13-1 in 2017. With five horses clustered between +450 and +600, a genuine overlay — Great White, The Hell We Did, Pretty Boy Miah — winning at 15-1 or beyond would produce the biggest Preakness payout in nearly a decade.
Last-Chance Betting Guide
Bet on the 2026 Preakness Stakes right now through MyWinners, America’s leading licensed pari-mutuel betting platform. Online bettng is open to all eligible customers aged 18 (21 in some states) and older at app.mywinners.com or via the MyWinners mobile app. In-venue betting is also open to all eligible customers aged 18 and older at nine Winners and MyWinners locations across Connecticut today.
Standard bet types available: Win, Place, Show, Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta, Daily Double, Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5. For reference, the 2025 Preakness trifecta returned $73.50 for a $1 ticket; the superfecta returned $303.40 for a $1 ticket. In a 14-horse field with a compressed top of the market, exotic payouts today could be significant.
Bet online at app.mywinners.com, on the MyWinners: Racing & Sports app on iOS or Android, or go here to find your nearest MyWinners or Winners venue in CT.
Frequently Asked Questions
More Preakness Stakes 2026 Coverage
Looking for more before you bet? We've got you covered:
Preakness Stakes 2026: Final Predictions and Best Bets — our race-eve win pick, each-way play and exotic recommendations
Preakness Stakes Pace Scenario 2026: Three Betting Cards Based on How the Race Is Run — fast, moderate and slow pace cases with specific ticket structures for each
2026 Preakness Stakes Contenders: Full Field Guide, Early Odds and Form — deep-dive profiles on all 14 runners
2026 Preakness Stakes Post Position Draw Reaction: Updated Picks and Revised Pace Scenario — how the draw changed everything
What Laurel Park Means for Preakness Betting: Track Bias, Pace Dynamics and What to Watch — the venue change explained for bettors
Does Post Position Matter at the Preakness Stakes? — gate-by-gate data and 2026 implications
How to Bet the Preakness Stakes in Connecticut — bet types, online vs. in-venue, and how to get started on MyWinners
