The 2026 Preakness Stakes is part of a Triple Crown season that will look different than years past. Both the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes are being run at temporary venues this year. The 2026 Preakness Stakes will be held at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md., a historic first for a race that has never left Pimlico Race Course. It is the largest Preakness Stakes field since 2011, with 14 3-year-olds set to compete over the classic 1 3/16-mile distance for a share of the $2 million purse. The 151st running of the Preakness will take place on Saturday at 7:01 p.m. ET.
Kentucky Derby 2026 winner Golden Tempo will not return for the second jewel of the Triple Crown, but three Derby starters, Incredibolt, Ocelli and Robusta, are back in the mix. The 2026 Preakness Stakes odds have Iron Honor as the 9-2 morning-line favorite, with Incredibolt, Chip Honcho, and Taj Mahal all listed at 5-1, and Ocelli just behind at 6-1. 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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Few races in American sports carry the kind of scheduling quirks found in the Preakness Stakes historical record. On two occasions, May 12, 1917, and May 13, 1922, the Preakness Stakes and the Kentucky Derby were held on the same day. The race was also moved off its traditional third Saturday in May slot in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the entire Triple Crown season back, and the Preakness was ultimately run in October. Now in 2026, the race adds yet another footnote to its storied history, marking the first time the Preakness Stakes has ever been run outside of Pimlico Race Course.
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 in the 2026 Preakness Stakes. “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 |
