Post time for Saturday’s 2026 Preakness Stakes will be at approximately 6:50 p.m. ET. The race will be held at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md., for the first time due to $400 million renovations at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. The 14-horse field has been pulled from the top-five finishers in the Kentucky Derby and the top graded stakes earners. The last favorite to win the Preakness was Journalism in 2025, which snapped a six-year streak of the favorite not winning the race.
This year’s favorite is Iron Honor (9-2) at post No. 9. Other favorites include Chip Honcho, Incredibolt and Taj Mahal, all at 5-1, and Ocelli (6-1). Napoleon Solo is at 8-1, followed by Great White, Pretty Boy Miah and The Hell We Did, all at 15-1. 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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If history is any indication, Chip Honcho (5-1) is in good position to earn a 2026 Preakness Stakes victory. The colt will have the sixth post position at the start of Saturday’s race. Since the starting gate was introduced at the Preakness in 1909, the sixth position has had the most winners (17) and the best winning percentage (14.9%). Rombauer (2021) was the last horse from the No. 6 post to win the Preakness Stakes.
The posts with the second-most wins are Nos. 4, 5 and 7, all with 14 victories. That bodes well for Robusta (30-1) at No. 4, Talkin (20-1) at No. 5 and The Hell We Did (15-1) at No. 7. The two horses trying to buck history are Great White (15-1) at post No. 13 and Pretty Boy Miah (15-1) at post No. 14. Only one horse — Rachel Alexandra (2009) — from post No. 13 has a win, while no horse was triumphant from post No. 14.
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.
Bet the Preakness Stakes at 1/ST BET, where you can get up to $500 in wagering credits ($20 per $100 wagered):
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.
2026 Preakness Stakes odds, futures, horses, post positions
| 1 |
Taj Mahal |
5-1 |
SEE PICKS |
| 2 |
Ocelli |
6-1 |
SEE PICKS |
| 3 |
Crupper |
30-1 |
SEE PICKS |
| 4 |
Robusta |
30-1 |
SEE PICKS |
| 5 |
Talkin |
20-1 |
SEE PICKS |
| 6 |
Chip Honcho |
5-1 |
SEE PICKS |
| 7 |
The Hell We Did |
15-1 |
SEE PICKS |
| 8 |
Bull By The Horns |
30-1 |
SEE PICKS |
| 9 |
Iron Honor |
9-2 |
SEE PICKS |
| 10 |
Napoleon Solo |
8-1 |
SEE PICKS |
| 11 |
Corono De Oro |
30-1 |
SEE PICKS |
| 12 |
Incredibolt |
5-1 |
SEE PICKS |
| 13 |
Great White |
15-1 |
SEE PICKS |
| 14 |
Pretty Boy Miah |
15-1 |
SEE PICKS |
