
Preakness 2026 Post Positions, Horse Odds, Prize Money Predictions and More
The 151st Preakness Stakes will take place on Saturday evening, and while things will look a little different, it should still make for a memorable race.
Due to renovations at Pimlico Race Course, this year's race will be held at Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland. It's a wider track with more gradual turns and a longer final stretch. It's likely to deliver a slightly different race than fans have become accustomed to seeing in the Preakness.
What will be familiar is the lack of Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo. Trainer Cherie DeVaux is opting to rest the horse, which has become a recent trend. Four of the last six Derby winners skipped the Preakness, eliminating the possibility of a Triple Crown win.
Fortunately, this year's Preakness field is loaded with legitimate contenders and should deliver a fun-filled evening of action. Here's a look at everything you need to know.
2026 Preakness Stakes
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When: Saturday, May 16
Post Time: 7:01 p.m. ET
Where: Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland
TV and Live Stream: NBC and Peacock
Prize Pool: $2 million
1st Place - $1.2 million
2nd place - $400,000
3rd place - $220,000
4th place - $120,000
5th place - $60,000
Post Positions and Odds
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1. Taj Mahal (5-1)
2. Ocelli (6-1)
3. Crupper (30-1)
4. Robusta (30-1)
5. Talkin (20-1)
6. Chip Honcho (5-1)
7. The Hell We Did (15-1)
8. Bull By The Horns (30-1)
9. Iron Honor (9-2)
10. Napoleon Solo (8-1)
11. Corona de Oro (30-1)
12. Icredibolt (5-1)
13. Great White (15-1)
14. Pretty Boy Miah (15-1)
*Odds from FanDuel Racing
Preview and Predictions
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While having Golden Tempo in the field would generate more pre-race buzz, there is no shortage of strong contenders. One finished third behind Golden Tempo and Renegade at the Derby.
Ocelli actually led late at Churchill Downs before being overtaken in the final stretch. In a shorter Preakness race, he might have been able to hold the lead. While Ocelli has never raced at Laurel Park, jockey Tyler Gaffalione won the 2019 Preakness atop War of Will.
One horse who does have extensive experience at Laurel Park is Taj Mahal. Trained by Brittany T. Russell and jockeyed by Sheldon Russell, Taj Mahal is undefeated in three races at the venue.
While Russell has never trained a Graded stakes winner, she could make history as the first female trainer to win the Preakness—just weeks after DeVaux became the first female Derby-winning trainer—if the home-field advantage pays off for Taj Mahal.
Taj Mahal had an impressive wire-to-wire win a the e Federico Tesio Stakes in April.
"Immediately, everybody started talking, just the way that horse won it," Maryland Jockey Club president and CEO Bill Knauf said, per Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press.
Iron Honor, who won the Gotham Stakes before finishing seventh at the Wood Memorial, is another early favorite. Trainer Chad Brown has produced two Preakness winners, while jockey Flavien Prat has won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness.
Fans shouldn't sleep on Incredibolt, despite a disappointing sixth-place finish at the Kentucky Derby. The Riley Mott-trained horse ran extremely well before getting caught in traffic down the stretch. A cleaner run by jockey—who won the 2024 Preakness atop Seize the Grey—could deliver a win, and outside positioning should help.
Prediction
1. Incredibolt
2. Taj Mahal
3. Ocelli
4. Iron Honor
5. Napoleon Solo


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