How to Bet on the Preakness Stakes in Connecticut
The 2026 Preakness Stakes arrives on Saturday, May 16 with a wide-open field and genuine wagering value — and without the weight of a Triple Crown bid hanging over it. Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo has bypassed the Preakness to target the Belmont Stakes, which means there is no unbeaten superstar to back at a short price. What Connecticut bettors get instead is a competitive, correctly priced field of fresh horses and Derby skippers running at Laurel Park for the first time in the race's history. That is good news for anyone who wants a real bet.
If you live in Connecticut and want to get money down on the Preakness, you have two fully legal routes: wager online through a state-licensed advance deposit wagering platform, or bet in person at a licensed retail venue. Both options are regulated by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection and both route your wager into the official pari-mutuel pool. This guide covers how both work, what bet types to use, and how to read the odds.
Is It Legal to Bet on the Preakness Stakes in Connecticut?
Yes. Pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing is fully legal in Connecticut, and the state authorises both online and retail betting through licensed operators. The Preakness Stakes, run at Laurel Park on the third Saturday in May, falls within that licensed framework. Connecticut bettors wager into the official pari-mutuel pool, which means your bet sits alongside wagers from across the country in the same pool.
The key requirement is that you use a Connecticut-licensed operator. MyWinners holds a Connecticut ADW licence and operates licensed retail venues across the state, so any Preakness wager placed through MyWinners is fully compliant with state and federal law.
Why the 2026 Preakness Is Worth Betting
When a Kentucky Derby winner takes a shot at the Triple Crown, the Preakness often becomes a chalk-heavy favourite race — the dominant horse shortens dramatically and the value drains out of the card. That is not the situation in 2026.
Golden Tempo, who won the Derby at +2300, has passed on the Preakness to give connections time to prepare for the Belmont Stakes. The door is open for a fresh field of three-year-olds — horses who bypassed Churchill Downs entirely or came out of the Derby looking for a second chance on a different track. Laurel Park adds another layer of intrigue: this is the first Preakness in history not held at Pimlico, and the different track configuration will suit some running styles better than others. These are exactly the conditions that produce interesting wagering markets and genuine upsets.
How to Bet the Preakness Stakes Online in Connecticut
Online wagering is the fastest way to place a Preakness bet, and you can do it from anywhere inside Connecticut using a phone, tablet or laptop. The Preakness Stakes is Race 12 at Laurel Park on Saturday, May 16, with a post time of approximately 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
Create an account with a Connecticut-licensed ADW operator such as MyWinners. You must be at least 18 and complete identity verification, which includes confirming Connecticut residency.
Verify your location. ADW platforms use geolocation to confirm you are physically inside Connecticut at the moment you wager. This is a regulatory requirement, not an optional check.
Fund your account using a debit card, bank transfer, or another supported deposit method. Most deposits clear instantly.
Navigate to the Laurel Park race card and find Race 12 — the Preakness Stakes. Post time is approximately 7:00 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, May 16.
Choose your bet type, select your horse or horses, set your stake, and confirm. Your wager is locked into the official pari-mutuel pool the moment you confirm.
Watch the race. Winnings are credited to your account automatically once the result is declared official.
How to Bet the Preakness Stakes at a Connecticut Venue
If you want to watch the race on a big screen with a crowd and talk through your bets with staff, MyWinners operates nine licensed retail venues across Connecticut, all of which carry the Preakness simulcast.
Find your nearest Winners venue. MyWinners has nine locations across the state. Online wagering is restricted to Connecticut residents, but in-venue betting is open to anyone aged 18 or over.
Bring valid photo ID. All customers must be at least 18 to wager and venues will check identification on entry.
Pick up a race program or use the in-venue screens to study the field. Programs include past performances, morning line odds, and trainer and jockey records.
Approach a betting window or self-service terminal. Tell the teller the track, race number, stake, bet type and horse number in that order. For example: Laurel Park, Race 12, ten dollars to win on the three.
Keep your ticket safe. Winning tickets are cashed at the same window or terminal once the result is official.
Preakness Stakes Bet Types Explained
The Preakness is expected to draw a field of between 10 and 14 runners — large enough to make exotic bets competitive but manageable enough to structure your tickets efficiently. Here is a quick guide to the main bet types available.
| Bet Type | What You Need | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Win | Your horse to finish 1st | First-time bettors, strong single selections |
| Place | Your horse to finish 1st or 2nd | Adding safety to a strong selection |
| Show | Your horse to finish 1st, 2nd or 3rd | Lower payout, higher chance of cashing |
| Exacta | 1st and 2nd in exact order | Bigger payouts, manageable cost |
| Trifecta | 1st, 2nd and 3rd in exact order | High payout potential in big fields |
| Superfecta | 1st through 4th in exact order | Large fields, major payout potential |
| Daily Double | Winners of two consecutive races | Building multi-race sequences |
| Pick 3 / Pick 4 | Winners of 3 or 4 consecutive races | Experienced bettors, high carryover pools |
If you are placing your first Preakness bet, a straight win wager on a single horse is the clearest starting point. Once you are comfortable with how pari-mutuel betting works, exactas and trifectas offer significantly larger payouts because they require precision across multiple finishers.
Reading Preakness Stakes Odds
Pari-mutuel odds are displayed as a ratio — for example, 5-1 or 8-1 — and they represent the payout relative to your stake, not including the return of your original bet. Common examples:
+500 (5-1): a $2 win bet returns $10 in profit, plus your $2 stake back — total payout $12.
+300 (3-1): a $2 win bet returns $6 in profit plus your $2 stake back — total payout $8.
+1000 (10-1): a $2 win bet returns $20 in profit plus your $2 stake back — total payout $22.
Unlike fixed-odds betting, these odds are not locked in when you place your bet. They move right up until post time because they reflect the live distribution of money in the pool. The morning line published in the program is the track handicapper's estimate of where the public will bet — treat it as a starting point, not a guarantee. Always check the live tote board before confirming your wager.
Online vs In-Venue: Which Should You Choose?
Both options give you access to the same official pari-mutuel pool, so the underlying odds and final payouts are identical whichever route you choose. The decision comes down to how you want to experience Preakness Day.
| Online (MyWinners) | In-Venue (Winners CT) | |
|---|---|---|
| Bet from home | ✓ | ✗ |
| Who can bet | Anyone 18+ (21+ in some states) | Anyone 18+ — no state residency required |
| Same pari-mutuel pool | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bet to post time | ✓ | ✓ |
| Race day atmosphere | ✗ | ✓ |
| Teller assistance | ✗ | ✓ |
Many Connecticut bettors do both — open an online account for early wagering on the undercard, then head to a venue for the main event itself. With MyWinners, your online and in-venue play operate under the same account.
Get Set for Preakness Day With MyWinners
MyWinners is Connecticut's licensed pari-mutuel wagering platform for both online and in-venue play. Whether you want to bet from your phone or watch the race at a Winners venue, your Preakness wager goes into the official pool, your account is regulated under Connecticut law, and your winnings are paid out once the result is declared official.
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
Yes. Connecticut authorises pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing through licensed operators for both online and retail play. The Preakness Stakes falls within that licensed framework. You must be at least 18 years old and bet through a Connecticut-licensed operator such as MyWinners.
Yes. The Preakness is a Maryland Jockey Club race, not a CDI event, so MyWinners can accept online wagers from customers physically located in any licensed ADW state — not just Connecticut. You must be at least 18, have a verified MyWinners account, and be physically present in a licensed state at the time of the wager. Geolocation confirms this automatically.
Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore is undergoing a major reconstruction project. The 2026 Preakness has been relocated to Laurel Park, approximately 20 miles south of Pimlico, for this year only. The race is expected to return to a rebuilt Pimlico in 2027.
No. In-venue wagering at Winners locations is open to anyone aged 18 or over, regardless of where you live. Online wagering through MyWinners is also open beyond Connecticut — the Preakness is a Maryland Jockey Club race, so MyWinners can accept online bets from customers physically in any licensed ADW state.
Minimum stakes vary by bet type. Straight win, place and show bets typically carry a $2 minimum. Exotic bets such as the trifecta and superfecta often allow $0.10 or $0.50 minimums per combination, which makes wider coverage affordable without a large outlay.
