Iron Honor enters the 2026 Preakness Stakes as the 9-2 favorite. That bodes well for the Chad C. Brown-trained colt as the favorite has won 74 of the previous 150 Preakness Stakes races. The last favorite to win was Journalism in 2025. It snapped a six-year drought where the favorite did not win.
Saturday’s Preakness Stakes 2026 from Laurel Park has a post time of approximately 6:50 p.m. ET. Besides Iron Honor, other favorites include Chip Honcho, Incredibolt and Taj Mahal, all at 5-1, Ocelli at 6-1 and Napoleon Solo at 8-1 in the 2026 Preakness Stakes odds. Before making any 2026 Preakness Stakes picks, be sure to see the 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions and best bets from SportsLine’s elite horse racing expert Jody Demling.
A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling hit the top three finishers in the 2025 Kentucky Derby in the correct order. He also called 11 of the last 21 Preakness winners, including 2023, when he hit the winner, exacta, trifecta and superfecta. He hit the trifecta in the 2024 Preakness Stakes and nailed Journalism as the 2025 Preakness winner. Anyone who has followed him on horse racing betting sites could be way up.
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Now, with the 2026 Preakness Stakes field now set, Demling is sharing his 2026 Preakness Stakes betting picks and 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions over at SportsLine. Go to SportsLine to see them.
Top 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions
One of Demling’s surprising 2026 Preakness Stakes picks: Demling is high on Napoleon Solo (8-1). Despite having the sixth-best odds to win and running from post No. 10, Demling likes what he sees from the Chad Summers-trained colt in a wide open Preakness field. The last horse to leave from post No. 10 and win the Preakness was Real Quiet in 1998.
Napoleon Solo, who won his first two races, is coming off back-to-back fifth-place finishes. On April 4, he took fifth at the dirt-fast 2026 Wood Memorial. He was also fifth at the 2026 Fountain of Youth this past February. His wins were at the MSW race at Saratoga in August, and at the 1-mile 2025 Champagne G1 at Aqueduct Racetrack in October. See which other horses to back at SportsLine.
Another surprise: Demling is fading Chip Honcho (5-1). Despite Chip Honcho running from post No. 6, which has the most Preakness winners with 17, Demling has concerns with the Steven M. Asmussen-trained colt. Demling sees Chip Honcho trending poorly and sees better value elsewhere.
After posting two wins to end 2025, including the Gun Runner in December, he has not fared as well. He placed fourth at the 2026 Lecomte in January. After bouncing back and taking second at the 2026 Risen Star in February, he dipped to fifth at the 2026 Louisiana Derby in March. He has not raced since. See which other horses to fade at SportsLine.
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How to make 2026 Preakness Stakes picks, bets
Demling is also especially high on an epic double-digit longshot “with a chance” to win it all. Anyone who backs this sleeper pick could hit it big. Demling is sharing which horse it is, along with his entire projected 2026 Preakness Stakes leaderboard, over at SportsLine.
Which horse wins the Preakness Stakes 2026, and which stunning longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2026 Preakness Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling’s picks for the Preakness Stakes, all from the expert who has nailed the last three winners.
