The first Preakness Stakes was run in 1873, and the 151st edition will take place on Saturday at Laurel Park. That makes the Preakness the youngest of the Triple Crown races, in addition to being the shortest. Fourteen horses will compete over 1 3/16 miles of a dirt track at the 2026 Preakness Stakes. The slight favorite is Gotham Stakes winner, Iron Honor, but just one favorite has prevailed over the last seven runnings entering the Preakness Stakes 2026.
Iron Honor is priced at 9-2, just ahead of three horses who are at 5-1 in Taj Mahal, Incredibolt and Chip Honcho. There are also several horse racing longshots, per the 2026 Preakness Stakes odds, such as Talkin (20-1), Corona De Oro (30-1) and Crupper (30-1). With so much to consider while making your 2026 Preakness Stakes picks, a little expert help can go a long way.
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The Preakness Stakes 2026 field consists of 14 horses, 12 of which are colts. The two outliers are not fillies, however, as they are geldings instead, and they’ll be side-by-side at the starting gate. Great White has the No. 13 post, with Pretty Boy Miah far outside at No. 14. They are hoping to become the eighth gelding to win the Preakness Stakes, with the last being Funny Cide (2003). The first came 150 years ago when Shirley won the 1876 Preakness, which was just the fourth running of the race.
Given all the history of the race, there’s a method to picking which horses to focus on for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets in a Preakness Stakes like this, and SportsLine expert Jody Demling knows what it is. He can help you make the best 2026 Preakness Stakes picks possible.
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.
Now, with the 2026 Preakness Stakes post positions set and odds on the board, Demling is sharing his picks and 2026 Preakness Stakes betting predictions over at SportsLine. Go here to see them.
Top 2026 Preakness Stakes expert picks
Here’s a refresher on these types of bets from SportsLine’s Jody Demling:
Preakness Stakes Exacta: Pick the first- and second-place finishers in the correct order. A $2 exacta returned $33.80 at the 2025 Preakness Stakes with Journalism and Gosger.
Preakness Stakes Trifecta: Pick the first-, second- and third-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 trifecta returned $73.50 at the 2025 Preakness Stakes with Journalism, Gosger and Sandman.
Preakness Stakes Superfecta: Pick the first-, second-, third- and fourth-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 superfecta returned a colossal $303.40 at the 2025 Preakness Stakes with Journalism, Gosger, Sandman and Goal Oriented.
While Iron Honor is the 9-2 favorite, Demling is high on Napoleon Solo (8-1), despite the colt not being among the top five favorites. “The son of Liam’s Map will likely be near the front of the pack; he finished fifth in the Wood Memorial and is not without a shot to hit the board,” Demling told SportsLine. He is also building his tickets around an epic double-digit longshot “with a chance” to win it all”, spicing up his 2026 Preakness Stakes exotics. You can see his picks here.
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How to make 2026 Preakness Stakes bets
Demling has specific recommendations for exacta, trifecta and superfecta wagers so you can cover all your bases at the Preakness Stakes 2026. He’s sharing them over at SportsLine.
So which horses do you take, and in what combinations? Visit SportsLine to get Demling’s picks for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets for the 2026 Preakness Stakes.
