The 2026 Preakness Stakes is expected to be a battle, with five horses listed at 6-1 or shorter in the Preakness Stake 2026 odds. The race is set for Saturday at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md., the first time the race won’t be held at Pimlico Race Course since 1908. Pimlico is being renovated, but the race is expected to be back in Baltimore next year. Iron Honor is the 9-2 morning-line favorite in the 2026 Preakness Stakes odds, followed closely by Taj Mahal (5-1), Chip Honcho (5-1), Incredibolt (5-1) and Ocelli (6-1).
Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo is skipping the 151st running of the Triple Crown’s second jewel, and only three horses that ran at Churchill Downs are in the field. Post time for the $2 million race is 6:50 p.m. ET. Other contenders in Preakness Stakes 2026 include Napoleon Solo (8-1), Great White (15-1), Pretty Boy Miah (15-1) and The Hell We Did (15-1). 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 Gene Menez.
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A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI’s handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010.
In 2015, while writing for Sports on Earth, Menez accurately gave out the Kentucky Derby superfecta (American Pharoah, Firing Line, Dortmund and Frosted), which paid $1,268.20 for $2. Then in 2017, he tweeted out his Kentucky Derby picks, including Always Dreaming to win, and hit the Pick 4, which paid almost $6,900 on a $1 bet. In 2024, Menez gave out 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby. In last year’s Kentucky Derby, he hammered the exacta and trifecta for a $1,045 payout. Anyone who has followed his horse racing betting advice could be way up.
Now, Menez has handicapped the 2026 Preakness Stakes field and revealed his picks. Go here to see them.
Top 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions
One of Menez’s surprising 2026 Preakness Stakes picks: He is fading the favorite, Iron Honor. The horse won his first two starts, which came at 3/4 mile and 1 mile. But then he attempted the 1 1/8 mile distance at the Wood Memorial and had a disastrous finish, placing seventh. The Preakness will be even longer than the Wood Memorial, making it hard to feel confident about his chances versus an even stronger field.
While Iron Honor’s sire, Nyquist, won the 2016 Kentucky Derby, he didn’t fare as well at that year’s Preakness. Just like Iron Honor, Nyquist was the Preakness favorite but placed third, which ended his undefeated racing career after winning each of his first eight races. There are just too many red flags for Iron Honor to justify backing him with Preakness Stakes bets. See who to back at SportsLine.
Another stunner: Menez is high on The Hell We Did, even though he is a longshot at 15-1. He has been training at Laurel Park for the past two weeks so he and his team can get a feel for the track. The Hell We Did finished second at the 2026 Lexington G3 at Keeneland his last time out. He has run at some lesser-known tracks but has never finished outside of the top two in four career starts.
Menez expects the son of 2020 Kentucky Derby winner Authentic and half-brother of 2024 Saudi Cup winner Senor Buscador to have a solid game plan Saturday. “He also should get the perfect trip behind the speed horses and in front of the late-running closers who are returning in two weeks,” Menez says. “And best of all, the price should be right.” The only question is the distance, but the horse racing expert says “this is a horse who’s moving in the right direction at the right time.” See which other horses to back at SportsLine.
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How to make 2026 Preakness Stakes picks, bets
Menez’s top pick is a horse who was “brilliantly fast.” He also is high on a double-digit longshot who is “finally fit.” Menez 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 longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2026 Preakness Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Menez’s picks for the Preakness Stakes, all from the expert who had a $1,045 payout at last year’s race.
