The 2026 Preakness Stakes field is now set following the Preakness post draw on Monday evening. Those who followed the Kentucky Derby will recognize several names, most notably Ocelli. He finished a surprising third at the Kentucky Derby, and is now running the Preakness Stakes 2026, which will be held at Laurel Park in Maryland with construction ongoing at Pimlico Race Course. Other Derby horses running the Preakness Stakes on Saturday at 6:50 p.m. ET include Incredibolt and Robusta.
None of them are favored, however, in the 2026 Preakness Stakes odds. That distinction goes to Iron Honor at 9-2, with Incredibolt at 5-1 and Ocelli at 6-1. Robusta is a Preakness Stakes longshot at 30-1. 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.
Claim the latest DK Horse promo code to win a share of $151,000 if you wager $5 on the winning horse:
Now, with the 2026 Preakness Stakes horses finalized, 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 picks for Taj Mahal, Incredibolt, Iron Honor
One of Demling’s surprising 2026 Preakness Stakes picks: He is not picking Taj Mahal to hit the board despite being tied with Chip Honcho and Incredibolt for the second-lowest odds at 5-1. He’s a perfect 3-for-3 in his career, with all his wins coming at Laurel Park. That comfort level around this track is a big factor in why he’s among the favorites. Level of competition, however, is a question mark since he hasn’t faced the caliber of horses that many who were on the Derby trail have, so Demling does not have him as a top-3 pick in his early Preakness predictions.
Demling has also locked in his picks for Iron Honor, the 9-2 morning-line favorite. He broke his maiden with a fast run at Aqueduct Racetrack last December and then followed that up with a win at the Gotham Stakes in late February. He looked like a top 3-year-old at the time, but then had a poor seventh-place showing at the Wood Memorial despite entering that race as the favorite. He’s shown the speed to take a race of this caliber, but bettors must decide how much stock to put in his poor run last time out.
Bet the Preakness Stakes at 1/ST BET, where you can get up to $500 in wagering credits ($20 per $100 wagered):
Demling will also evaluate the chances of Incredibolt winning the Preakness Stakes after running in the Kentucky Derby. Incredibolt entered the Derby with 23-1 odds and finished in sixth place. Wins at the Virginia Derby and the Street Sense Stakes sandwiched a sixth-place run at the Holy Bull, so he’s another horse that has shown some boom-or-bust tendencies leading up to the Preakness Stakes. See which other horses to back at SportsLine.
How to make 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions, bets
Demling is also especially high on an epic double-digit longshot who “will run better than his odds.” 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.
