Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo won’t be there, but one of the biggest Preakness Stakes fields this century will be in the starting gate for Saturday’s 151st running of the Preakness from Laurel Park in Maryland. That track replaces the Preakness’ traditional home of Pimlico, which is undergoing renovations.
A full field of 14 horses is entered for the second jewel of Thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown, the largest collection of Preakness Stakes horses since Shackleford defeated 13 others in the 2011 edition.
Here are a few of my tips that will help you cash those winning Preakness Stakes tickets for Saturday’s event.
Keys to picking the Preakness Stakes winner
- Laurel Park rarely runs races at the Preakness distance of 1 3/16 miles, so gauging a preferred running style this year is harder than usual. But there are a few trends that could carry over from Pimlico. First, focus on the front-runners or pace pressers. Only four horses since 2005 have come from more than four lengths back to win. That does, however, include last year’s winner in Journalism.
- Of the last 17 Preakness champions, 13 were in the front half of the field after the first half mile. Go deeper and you find 10 of the last 17 winners were in the first three spots. Three of the last four winners — Seize the Grey (2024), National Treasure (2023), and Early Voting (2022) — were in the Top 3 at the half-mile mark.
- That said, get a closer on your tickets. They may not win — Exaggerator (2016) was the last deep closer to prevail — but they tend to find their way onto the board. See Jesus’ Team (third at 41-1 in 2020), Everfast (second at 29-1 in 2019), Senior Investment (third at 31-1 in 2017), Tenfold (third at 26-1 in 2018), and Tale of Verve (second to American Pharoah in 2015 at 28-1). You get the idea.
- Don’t overbet Kentucky Derby horses. Lately, “new shooters” — horses who didn’t run in the Derby — tend to fare better. Not counting the pandemic October Preakness of 2020, four of the last five Preakness winners bypassed the "Run for the Roses."
- Be more precise in your wagers. The Kentucky Derby’s 20-horse free-for-all almost mandates bettors cover many horses in their vertical wagers. The Preakness Stakes’ smaller field allows for more precision wagering in exactas, trifectas, and superfectas.
- Look to the middle, as Post Nos. 4-7 have produced the most winners. Post No. 6 (17 winners) leads the field in wins and win percentage (14.9%). Post Nos. 4, 5, and 7 have 14 winners apiece. Conversely, Post No. 14 is the “Post of Death,” having never sent out a winner.
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2026 Preakness Stakes tiers
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Because of the smaller field, the Preakness is typically easier to handicap than the Kentucky Derby. That said, Journalism’s victory at even-money last year made him the first favorite to win the Preakness since Justify (2018). But following our keys above unlock certain horses we like above others.
Taj Mahal (+500 at FanDuel): You can win the Preakness from the rail; Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (2015), War of Will (2019), and National Treasure (2023) showed the way. This Nyquist colt is unbeaten in three races at Laurel Park, punctuated by an 8 1/4-length destruction of the Federico Tesio Stakes field in his two-turn debut. Could trainer Brittany Russell follow Derby-winning trainer Cherie DeVaux’s lead and make this the Triple Crown "Year of the Woman?"
Incredibolt (+500 at FanDuel): I liked him as a Derby sleeper and he finished a solid sixth, four lengths behind Golden Tempo. A Monday add to the field, Incredibolt gets a promotion up the predictive food chain despite being one of three Derby expats, having an outside post, and being a deep closer in a race typically unfriendly to that genus. The expected pace and a better trip should put him atop your tickets.
Iron Honor (+450 at FanDuel): Ever hear the phrase “tepid favorite?” It was created for horses such as Iron Honor, who failed to get into the Derby field after his underwhelming seventh-place finish as the favorite in a weak Wood Memorial (G2) field. One of three graded stakes winners in the field, the son of 2016 Derby winner Nyquist loses his blinkers, with Chad Brown seeking to tone down the aggressive running style and revert him back to his natural stalking style.
Contenders
As the odds for the favorite and second choices illustrate, this is a wide-open Preakness. The fact Laurel Park is a blank slate in terms of what we could see here means you could make an argument for any of these three to wear the Viking Poms, the stand-ins for Maryland’s state flower — the Black-Eyed Susan — traditionally draped upon the Preakness winner.
Chip Honcho (+500 at FanDuel): Props to the connections of this Connect progeny for not succumbing to Derby fever. Chip Honcho finished fifth in the Louisiana Derby (G2) after winning the Gun Runner Stakes and finishing second in the Risen Star (G2). Training up to the Preakness, getting Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Jose Ortiz, and his ability to handle the distance won’t be issues. What will be an issue is the expected fast pace of the Preakness, which works against Chip Honcho’s pressing style. He still belongs on your tickets.
Ocelli (+600 at FanDuel): Yes, Ocelli is technically a contender, thanks to his third-place Kentucky Derby finish by a length at 70-1. Yes, it was impressive watching him actually lead the Derby in deep stretch, before Golden Tempo and Renegade passed him. And yes, even as a deep closer, he could hit the board again. But now you’re asking us to take 6-1 in a Grade 1 on a winless horse who went off at 70-1 two weeks ago? This is an underlay masquerading as a contender.
Sleepers
Unlike the Kentucky Derby, where Golden Tempo jumped off the page as the sleeper, the Preakness is devoid of such clarity and ease. But even with the Preakness' penchant for front-running winners, this year’s expected pace and history demand you put a stalker or closer at a high price somewhere on your tickets. Here’s three that I think belong.
Corona de Oro (+3000 at FanDuel): He was the next-horse-up for a Kentucky Derby spot that didn’t materialize, which puts him in a Preakness that represents a significant vault up the class pyramid for this Bolt d’Oro colt. Included in his 5: 1-1-2 record are four consecutive in-the-money finishes, punctuated by a third in the Lexington Stakes (G3). While Corona de Oro set the pace in his last two races, he won’t here. Don’t miss the fact trainer Dallas Stewart finds ways to get his charges into Triple Crown superfectas; see 50-1 Derby runner-up Golden Soul in 2013 and 37-1 Derby runner-up Commanding Curve in 2014.
Crupper (+3000 at FanDuel): Another colt jumping into uncharted class waters who should benefit from a fast pace. This Candy Ride colt did win his two races — including last month’s Bathhouse Row Stakes at Oaklawn Park — by pressing the pace, but he’ll be further back this time out. That allows him to save energy and perhaps sneak into the bottom of the trifecta or superfecta at a healthy price. Think of Crupper as the ultimate value pick down-ticket.
Talkin (+2000 at FanDuel): Unlike his two counterparts above, this pace-presser has run in the spotlight, witnessed by his third in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1), his fifth in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2), and his second in the Champagne Stakes (G1). Four horses since 2018 — Good Magic (2018), War of Will (2019), Rombauer (2021), and Essential Quality (2021), have hit the Preakness board coming out of the Blue Grass. Speaking of Good Magic, his progeny will benefit from the pace-management skills of Irad Ortiz, Jr, one of the world’s best riders.
Horses to avoid
Like the Kentucky Derby, the easiest way to handicap the Preakness is to eliminate the horses who likely can’t win: either due to running style or a simple lack of tactical speed this event demands. Here are three horses you can leave off your tickets:
Napoleon Solo (+800 at FanDuel): This Liam’s Map colt has the coolest name in the field. He also has the most manic-depressive record in the field. As a 2-year-old, Napoleon Solo was unbeaten, including winning the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes by 6 1/2-lengths. As a 3-year-old, he hasn’t finished better than fifth in two Derby preps, finishing a combined 14 1/2-lengths back. The value here is nonexistent, given his chances and running style vis-à-vis the expected pace. Can he sustain his front-running speed over 9.5 furlongs in a race built for that style? I'm not seeing it.
Bull by the Horns (+3000 at FanDuel): So we have a colt who was utterly destroyed in the Fountain of Youth (G2), finishing seventh by nearly 20 lengths. Then, he goes and wins a minor stakes race on the Turfway Park synthetic by a half-length. The best — and only positive thing — we can say here is his deep-closing style should keep him out of last place.
Pretty Boy Miah (+1500 at FanDuel): We’ll start with the fact this Beau Liam colt is leaving the Preakness Post of Death: Post No. 14. And despite winning his last two races — by nearly four lengths and by 6 1/2 — Pretty Boy Miah has yet to run two turns, go further than a mile, or run against stakes company, much less Grade 1 company. Now, throw in his pressing style against others who do it better, and it’s an easy toss.
Three best bets for the 2026 Preakness Stakes
$5 exacta: No. 1 Taj Mahal and No. 12 Incredibolt over No. 1 Taj Mahal, No. 6 Chip Honcho, No. 9 Iron Honor, and No. 12 Incredibolt
Cost = $30
A $5 exacta will cost you $30, while covering the Top 4 horses in the field.
$4 exacta: No. 1 Taj Mahal and No. 12 Incredibolt over No. 2 Ocelli, No. 3 Crupper, No. 5 Talkin and No. 11 Corona de Oro
Cost = $32
For $32 on a $4 exacta play, you get our Top 2 picks with a contender and all the live longshots underneath.
$2 trifecta: No. 1 Taj Mahal and No. 12 Incredibolt over No. 1 Taj Mahal, No. 2 Ocelli, No. 3 Crupper, No. 5 Talkin, No. 6 Chip Honcho, No. 9 Iron Honor, No. 11 Corona de Oro, and No. 12 Incredibolt over No. 3 Crupper, No. 5 Talkin, and No. 11 Corona de Oro
Cost = $48
Yes, we’re swinging for the fences with this $2 trifecta that will cost you $48. It covers every likely board hitter, contender and sleeper in some fashion.
Preakness Stakes betting for beginners
Below are some Preakness betting ideas for folks new to horse racing ahead Saturday's big event.
The most fun bets for:
- A first-time bettor: For $25, make a $5 win bet on Incredibolt, a $2 win bet on Taj Mahal, a $5 exacta box bet on Taj Mahal and Incredibolt ($10) and a $1 straight exacta with Taj Mahal and Incredibolt over Taj Mahal, Ocelli, Crupper, Corona de Oro, and Incredibolt ($8).
- Someone with only $10 to bet: Let’s once again get exotic with a $1 exacta box ($6) with Incredibolt, Taj Mahal, and Crupper. Take the other $4 and make a $2 exacta wager with Incredibolt over Taj Mahal and Corona de Oro.
- Someone who wants to cheer for two horses: If there’s two horses you like, the exacta is the bet for you. Box your two favorites for twice the ticket price. For example, a two-horse, $5 exacta box is $10. This gives you double the chances to win, because if your horses finish 1-2 or 2-1, you cash.
- Someone who loves underdogs: Jump aboard the Taj Mahal bandwagon. Yes, at 5-1, he’s technically not an underdog. But his trainer, Brittany Russell, has led the Maryland trainer standings the last three years and is trying to follow in the bootprints of Jena Antonucci (trainer of 2023 Belmont Stakes winner Arcangelo) and Cherie DeVaux (trainer of this year’s Kentucky Derby champion, Golden Tempo) by being the first female trainer to win the Preakness.
