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

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — For the second straight major, Bryson DeChambeau is headed home early. This time, there wasn’t a dramatic collapse on Friday afternoon like at the Masters. Instead, DeChambeau did his damage with a Thursday 76 and never threatened to mount a charge in Friday’s second round. By the end of 36 holes, DeChambeau shot 7 over and missed the cut at the 2026 PGA Championship by three shots. 

DeChambeau entered the week desperate to make a statement about his place in the game’s hierarchy amid LIV Golf’s uncertain future; instead, he only added to the questions facing him as he tries to figure out what’s next in his career. As much as the big picture questions loom over him, what stands out is how his problems on the course are much more immediate. 

DeChambeau’s issues with his iron and wedge play were once again at the forefront of his struggles, finishing the week well outside the top 100 in strokes gained approach and around the green. What’s most concerning is that he doesn’t seem all that close to a breakthrough with those clubs, spending hours on the range this week trying to find a feel that just won’t come. 

The only good news for DeChambeau? Beyond finishing his 36 holes with three straight birdies, the next time we see him play in a major, it will be at the U.S. Open, where he’s a two-time champion. Perhaps that can bring him the positive vibes he needs, but Shinnecock Hills will be an exacting test of his ball-striking again and demand that he find the answers he currently doesn’t have. 

They say misery loves company, and DeChambeau has plenty of that at Aronimink this week. He is far from the only notable name to miss the cut, as he’s joined in the trunk-slamming club on Friday by a host of stars who just couldn’t crack the code of the Philly area gem. 

2026 PGA Championship cut line: Notables missing weekend

• Michael Block (+5)
• Sungjae Im (+5)
• Akshay Bhatia (+5)
• Russell Henley (+5)
• Tommy Fleetwood (+5)
• Robert MacIntyre (+5)
• Garrick Higgo (+5)
• Wyndham Clark (+5)
• J.J. Spaun (+6)
• Viktor Hovland (+6)
• Keegan Bradley (+6)
• Gary Woodland (+6)
• Tyrrell Hatton (+6)
• Bryson DeChambeau (+7)
• Adam Scott (+8)
• Max Homa (+12)

Block entered the day at even par, but he couldn’t recapture the magic from Oak Hill and slowly fell outside the cutline, ending his round with two closing bogeys. Henley, Fleetwood and Im came in with high hopes on a ball-strikers course but never found their A-game. Bhatia got off to a fast start but had it all go wrong after his first nine, while Hovland struggled from the jump and never seemed comfortable with the course. 

Higgo might be the accidental breakout star of the PGA Championship, as his two-stroke penalty for being late for his Thursday morning tee time became one of the stories of the day. Unfortunately for Higgo, that penalty cost him the weekend and a paycheck, which might not be worth the publicity he picked up. 

Abounding’s scratching has ended the uncertainty for Napoleonic’s participation in the Doomben 10,000, enabling the colt to line up in the premier Group 1 sprint contest.

After a week of tension, the three-year-old’s connections saw him shift from second emergency in the $1.5 million spectacle, with Beadman taking the first reserve spot Wednesday courtesy of Lady Of Camelot’s sting ray-related withdrawal.

Tom Charlton, trainer of Napoleonic, had an alternative scheme prepared but expressed delight at the confirmation, solidifying their three-race campaign including the Doomben 10,000 (1200m), Fred Best Classic (1400m) and Stradbroke Handicap (1400m).

“It’s important because he looks like he’s in a big race with a chance,” Charlton said.

“It has always been the plan, and it’s not normally a race where you get a full field. Normally a (benchmark rating) 103 three-year-old gets in, so it was a bit of a spanner in the works.

“But thankfully, we’re in.”

Napoleonic reached Brisbane Thursday by float, not having raced since holding his own in the Canterbury Stakes (1300m) against elite sprinters in March.

Charlton reported a smooth voyage following an impressive gallop earlier in the week under Doomben 10,000 jockey James McDonald.

“He worked very well with Linebacker on Tuesday. James came in and rode him, which makes our life easy because he knows where we’re at, and he was very pleased,” Charlton said.

“We can’t fault the preparation thus far.”

Napoleonic co-holds the second betting spot for the Doomben 10,000 betting at $6.50 with Grafterburners, with Jimmysstar leading at $3.50.

Visit leading betting sites for Doomben 10,000 odds.

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters’ Andrei Caracut during a game vs San Miguel Beermen in the 2026 PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals. –PBA IMAGES

Rain or Shine knows the second game of a twice-to-beat bonus isn’t as safe as the first one.

Not with the Painters paired with powerhouse San Miguel Beer in the quarterfinals of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

“We earned the twice-to-beat advantage, but we knew that if we got to Sunday, we wouldn’t be able to beat SMB,” coach Yeng Guiao said after his team’s 113-104 victory over the Beermen on Sunday at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo City.

The Sunday schedule would have materialized had Rain or Shine lost in its quarterfinal opener. There, the Painters would have been the one facing pressure.

“This was our best chance to beat SMB. We took care of business today,” Guiao said. “We felt that this was our best chance to get to the semis.”

Caracut shines

Rain or Shine used a 13-3 run to dig itself out of a four-point hole and take a 99-93 lead at the 6:13 mark of the final quarter, with Andrei Caracut capping that exchange with a huge triple.

It wouldn’t be the last big shot that the Painters got from Caracut.

Jericho Cruz and Bennie Boatwright helped push San Miguel closer, 99-97, but Rain or Shine showed how unwilling it was to get dragged to a Sunday decider when it responded with nine straight points, which featured a triple from Caelan Tiongson and a four-pointer from Caracut, to pull away for good, 108-97, 2:35 remaining.

“I just became consistent [through] practice,” said Caracut, who finished with 29 points, six rebounds and five assists.

“We’re happy because it’s been a while since Rain or Shine defeated SMB in a series, but we still need to work. The semis won’t be easy,” he added.

Jaylen Johnson had 23 points and 12 rebounds to lead the No. 3 seed, but he got a lot of help from his teammates. Tiongson also had 23 points, while Adrian Nocum finished with 18 points and six rebounds.

Forced deciders

Bennie Boatwright finished with 24 points and seven rebounds while June Mar Fajardo tallied 12 points and 12 rebounds in the San Miguel loss. CJ Perez added 19 points for the Beermen.

Rain or Shine, the first team to make the semifinals after two higher seeds were forced into deciders on Wednesday.

The Painters await the winner of the Barangay Ginebra-Phoenix matchup, which got going at press time.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has released the fixtures for the Round of 64 of the 2026 President Federation Cup for both men’s and women’s competitions after a draw held at the NFF Secretariat in Abuja.

Speaking at the draw, NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said the process followed the usual format and confirmed that no team received a bye in this year’s competition. He added that the federation is committed to fairness and transparency in the tournament.

Dr Sanusi also confirmed that Asaba, the capital of Delta State, will host the grand finale of this year’s competition.

The competition remains a straight knockout format, with defending champions Kwara United placed as number one seed, while last season’s runners-up Abakaliki FC were drawn at number 64.

Women’s fixtures highlights

Some of the key women’s Round of 64 fixtures include:

• **Rivers Angels vs NAF Queens
• Abia Angels vs Ikukuoma Queens
• FC Robo Queens vs Rangers Women
• Remo Stars Ladies vs Onimarg FC
• Delta Queens vs Royal Queens
• Nasarawa Amazons vs Osklean FC

Men’s fixtures highlights

In the men’s category, standout fixtures include:

• Kwara United vs Sporting Supreme U19
• Akwa United vs Wilbros FC
• Bendel Insurance vs Katsina United Jnr
• Bayelsa United vs OISA FC
• Rivers United vs G12 FC
• Enyimba FC vs El Sharma FC
• Sunshine Stars vs Niger Tornadoes

Akwa United target third title

Nigeria Premier Football League side Akwa United will begin their campaign for a third President Federation Cup title against Wilbros FC on Tuesday, 19 May 2026, at the Enyimba Stadium in Aba.

Wilbros FC, an NLO side, qualified as runners-up of the Rivers State FA Cup, while Akwa United entered the competition as champions of the Akwa Ibom State FA Cup.

Akwa United previously won the competition in 2015 and 2017.

Head coach Paul Offor said his team is fully focused on progressing to the next round.

“The boys have been working really hard for this game. We have prepared very well for the game against Wilbros FC. Our target is to progress to the next round. We will take each round as it comes,” Offor said.

“The Federation Cup is one tournament Akwa United has a rich history in after winning the title twice in 2015 and 2017, so we will give it our best effort.”

The 2021 NPFL champions are expected to rely on their experience as they aim for another strong run in the national competition.

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — In some ways, it should come as zero surprise that Justin Thomas is in the mix at the PGA Championship.

Thomas is a two-time winner at this event, after all; he won the 2017 PGA at Quail Hollow and the 2022 edition at Southern Hills. He’s among this generation’s very best golfers. Of course, he’s inside the top 10 at Aronimink’s halfway mark.

But here’s what’s strange: in 15 majors since that 2022 win, Thomas has logged exactly one finish inside the top 30. He’s missed seven cuts in that span. It defies logic that the 16-time PGA Tour winner would be an also-ran in the game’s biggest events, but that’s been his frustrating reality.

“Just got to get back to work and try to get better,” Thomas said at the conclusion of last year’s Open Championship, where he finished T34.

And that’s why Thomas’ back-to-back rounds of one-under 69 to start this week’s PGA meant a little something extra.

“A lot of satisfaction for sure,” Thomas said after Friday’s round. “I felt like — I was very comfortable getting there. I think that’s what I’m probably more proud of or happy about than the scores itself was I didn’t put any extra pressure on myself these first couple days. I didn’t feel like I made this moment bigger than it was.”

That was a window into Thomas’ mind; it’s clear that he’s been trying to solve the riddle, and sometimes trying too hard, and then trying not to try too hard. So he was proud to stay the course even after two bogeys in his first three holes on Friday.

“It’s just, I really have felt like I’m doing a lot of things well and swinging well and playing well and been putting it well. So, just go out and play,” he said. “It sounds so easy when you say it, but it’s one of the hardest things to do in this sport, in my opinion.

“So I’m very, very pleased and proud of myself for doing that these first couple days and, yeah, just kind of playing what the course kind of gives me. So just try to do more of that this weekend.”

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The Minnesota Vikings finally answered their WR3 question last week with the free agency acquisition of Jauan Jennings. The move looks like a good fit for both parties, and I’m predicting a successful year for Jennings in Minnesota.

Jennings Could Thrive in Kevin O’Connell’s Offense

Jennings agreed to a one-year deal that includes a base salary of $8 million, which can rise to $13 million. It was a bigger splash than I was expecting from the Vikings. I thought they might roll with the cheap option of promoting Tai Felton up the depth chart. The move for Jennings makes sense, though.

He brings something different to Kevin O’Connell’s offense. His predecessor, Jalen Nailor, brought speed and the ability to stretch the field. Jennings is a big physical WR at 6’3 “and 212 lbs, with great hands. Jennings will be a great target in both the underneath and intermediate areas of the field.

He should also be a great target in the red zone, and this is where my bold prediction comes in. With Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison occupying the minds of opposing teams, there should be plenty of space for Jennings to work.

O’Connell likes to take advantage of the spaces his two-star players create, and he has the perfect guy to do that in Jennings. Now, O’Connell has a target, T.J. Hockenson, who will make it tough for defenses looking to slow down Jefferson and Addison.

My bold prediction is Jennings leads the Vikings in touchdowns in 2026.

Jennings Career So far

Jennings joins the Vikings after spending the first six seasons of his career with the 49ers. This past season, the 28-year-old  caught 55 passes for 643 yards and nine touchdowns in 15 games. For reference, Jordan Mason led the Vikings last season with just six touchdowns, and the departed Nailor led the team in touchdown catches with just four. Of course, Minnesota will be hoping for more consistency and better luck with injuries at the quarterback position this year.

Overall in San Francisco, the former seventh-round pick compiled 210 receptions for 2,581 yards and 22 touchdowns, including a career-high 975 receiving yards in 2024. Jennings is capable of stepping up to a larger role, which he regularly did for a 49ers team that always seemed to be plagued by injuries. 

The Vikings offense became more dangerous with Jennings in it, thanks to his ability to pick up yards after the catch and his great run-blocking. There is plenty of competition to be the Vikings’ leading touchdown scorer in 2026, but as the guy who teams will perhaps fear least, the stage is set for Jennings to take the crown.

Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.

Pep Guardiola says he has been ‘f****** fun’ as he continues to keep people guessing over his future.

The Manchester City manager was in a playful mood when asked if Saturday’s FA Cup final could be his last trip to Wembley with the club.

There has been speculation all season that Guardiola could stand down as City manager this summer after a decade in charge in which he has so far won 19 trophies.

The Spaniard has repeatedly pointed out he still has another year remaining on his contract, but he has also stopped short of explicitly committing himself beyond this season.

Asked at a press conference on Friday if he had achieved greatness in his time at City, Guardiola flexed his biceps before answering with a smile: “Yes, of course, 19 titles in 10 years is not bad!

“They know, they don’t need to wait (for) when I’m leaving, they know I’ve been fun. I’ve been f****** fun!

“So, 19 titles – fighting for the 20 in 10 years – it’s not bad, honestly.”

He was then asked if Saturday would be his Wembley swansong with City.

After it was indicated this would be the final question of the press conference, he responded in a jokey tone.

He said: “No way! I have one more year (on my) contract.”

He then headed sharply for the exit.

Earlier in the meeting, Guardiola had been asked about reports that two of his backroom staff in Lorenzo Buenaventura and Xabi Mancisidor were set to leave.

Again responding with humour, he declined to comment on whether the developments had any implications for his own future.

“I extended the contracts of all of them for three more years,” he said sarcastically.

Asked if this was really the case, he said: “No.”

He later said he would have no problem if the coaches wanted to move on.

He said: “As with the players, if you’re not happy you just have to knock on the sporting director’s door and get an agreement with another club. What sense is there to stay?

“It’s the same with the backroom staff. You have to follow your dreams. You cannot stay in your comfort zone. You have to go for it – life is too short.”

Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez has rated Naoya Inoue’s performance against Junto Nakatani ahead of their potential undisputed showdown early next year.

The super-bantamweight king retained his titles against Nakatani earlier this month, claiming a unanimous decision victory at a sold-out Tokyo Dome.

While not being the most action-packed affair, the pair engaged in a high-intensity chess match that seemed to be favouring the challenger between rounds eight and 10.

In response, though, Inoue was able to demonstrate his elite-level adaptability, making the necessary adjustments to outpoint the three-weight world champion.

This saw him make a seventh successful defence of his undisputed crown at 122lbs, where he has reigned supreme for the best part of two years.

Someone who could pose a threat to his supremacy, meanwhile, is Rodriguez, who looks to become a three-division world champion in his next outing.

The 26-year-old will face WBA bantamweight champion Antonio Vargas on June 13, having unified the super-flyweight division with back-to-back stoppages over Phumelela Cafu and Fernando Martinez.

Like Inoue, ‘Bam’ is considered a top five pound-for-pound operator, with preliminary talks for their possible blockbuster encounter having already taken place.

In the meantime, Rodriguez must remain in the win column, but tells Fight Hub TV that he gives ‘The Monster’ an A-plus rating for his performance against Nakatani.

“I believe he did a great job – A-plus performance. He beat another [top] pound-for-pound fighter in Nakatani, so I think that’s one of his best wins.”

Clearly, there is a tremendous amount of respect between ‘Bam’ and Inoue, who, at the age of 33, is perhaps approaching the closing stages of his illustrious career.