The Triple Crown is off the table at the 2026 Preakness Stakes, but the prestige remains for the second jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown. Fans also will see the Preakness Stakes run at a different venue for the first time in more than a century. With renovations ongoing at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, the Preakness Stakes 2026 is set to be held at Laurel Park, about 30 miles southwest in Laurel, Md. The race is expected to return to Pimlico next year. The Grade I stakes race is the shortest of the Triple Crown runs at 1 3/16 miles — 1/16 a mile shorter than the Kentucky Derby — and offers a $2 million purse. Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo is out and looking ahead to the Belmont Stakes on June 6.

Post time for Preakness Stakes 2026 is set for 6:50 p.m. ET on Saturday. The Preakness Stakes 2026 odds have Iron Honor listed as the 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 top 2026 Preakness Stakes contenders. 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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She started off 2025 by correctly going all-in on Citizen Bull to win the Robert B. Lewis Stakes, and she 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. She also hit the exacta in the 2025 Kentucky Derby. In August she hit the Fierceness-Journalism exacta in the Pacific Classic, and in March 2026 she 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 is sharing her 2026 Preakness Stakes betting picks and 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions over at SportsLine. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.

Top 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions

One surprise: Yu is really 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 could be on the verge of making history in the Preakness. Brittany Russell is prepping Taj Mahal, and the colt has the resume to pull it off. That’s why he is among the favorites at 5-1. All three of Taj Mahal’s victories — in fact, all of his races — have come at Laurel Park, most recently the Federico Tesio Stakes, which he won by 8¼ lengths.

Taj Mahal “is certainly a horse for the course,” said Yu, who has been impressed by his limited performances. “He isn’t inching out these wins, he’s winning going away.” 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 horses just to the outside might not have the speed to squeeze him out. Yu thinks Russell could finally break her 0-for-32 run in graded stakes races on dirt and make history Saturday. “A woman won the Derby,” she said, “maybe one wins the Preakness too?” See which other 2026 Preakness Stakes horses to back at SportsLine.

Another one of Yu’s surprising Preakness Stakes picks: She is not taking Iron Honor as her top win contender. Yu says the Gotham Stakes winner “really faltered” in his last outing and isn’t convinced that this race’s length will play to Iron Honor’s strengths. She says trainer Chad Brown’s horse is “lightly raced.” Yu has identifed better value elsewhere in the field. See which other horses to fade at SportsLine.

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How to make 2026 Preakness Stakes picks

Instead, Yu’s top pick is a horse who is in “super shape.” She’s also high on a massive double-digit longshot who is “sneaky.” She’s sharing which 2026 Preakness Stakes horses to back at SportsLine.

So who wins the 2026 Preakness Stakes? What double-digit longshot is a must-back, and how has Yu constructed her wagers? Visit SportsLine to see Yu’s picks for the Preakness Stakes, all from the Santa Anita-based racing insider who has a long history of success in the Preakness Stakes, and find out. 

2026 Preakness Stakes odds, post positions