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The second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown is set for Saturday with the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes. For the third consecutive year, the Preakness Stakes will feature a purse of $2 million. At 1 3/16-miles long, it is the shortest of the Triple Crown races. Post time from Laurel Park, Md., is set for 7:01 p.m. ET.

This year’s Kentucky Derby winner, Golden Tempo, is skipping the Preakness Stakes 2026. Among the race favorites include Iron Honor at 9-2, and Chip Honcho, Incredibolt and Taj Mahal, all at 5-1. Also expected to contend are Ocelli (6-1) and Napoleon Solo (8-1). 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. 

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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 has Taj Mahal outside the top 5 on his projected leaderboard despite him 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. The Chad C. Brown-trained colt is highly regarded because of his fast start to his career. In his first race back in December, Iron Honor cruised to the win at the dirt-fast MSW at Aqueduct in Queens, N.Y. In February, he followed that up with another win at the 2026 Gotham Stakes.

Disappointment and concern followed, however, when he placed seventh at the 2026 Wood Memorial. The Wood Memorial has historically been a major prep race for the Triple Crown. Several former winners of the race have gone on to win the Preakness Stakes, but few have contended after finishing out of the running at the Wood Memorial. That in itself has raised red flags for Demling going into Saturday’s race. 

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Demling has evaluated Incredibolt’s chances. Incredibolt is coming off a sixth-place finish at the May 2 Kentucky Derby. The Riley Mott-trained colt has posted three wins in his career, but has also finished fourth once and sixth twice. He is the son of Bolt d’Oro, who finished 12th at the 2018 Kentucky Derby.

Incredibolt opened his career with a fourth-place finish last August at the MSW at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky. He followed that up with back-to-back wins. He took first at the MSW race at Churchill Downs, and was first at the 2025 Street Sense in October. After a sixth-place finish at the 2026 Holy Bull, he registered his last win at the 2026 Virginia Derby in March. See what horses Demling is backing at SportsLine. 

How to make 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions, 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 just in 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.

2026 Preakness Stakes odds

Post Horse  Odds Projection
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