The second leg of the Triple Crown is here! The 2026 Preakness Stakes takes place at 6:50 p.m. on Saturday May, 16th. There are so many different ways to bet on this big race. This is a preview of the best bets to make for the most exciting two minutes in sports.

Bettors can place wagers on the Preakness Stakes on DK Horse.

Preakness Stakes Preview

Unfortunately, Golden Tempo is continuing the bad trend of Kentucky Derby winners not racing in the Preakness. Not only will Golden Tempo not be in the field, but neither will second-place finisher Renegade or fourth-place finisher Chief Wallabee. The top three horses on the board here at the Preakness did not run at the Kentucky Derby. The best finisher at the Kentucky Derby to be racing again here is Ocelli, who finished in third place at Churchill Downs.

The 2026 Preakness Stakes Favorites

Here is a quick preview of the six horses with odds of 8/1 or better.

Iron Honor is the current favorite at 9/2. He is relatively untested, with just three career races. Iron Honor did win the Gotham Stakes, but finished in seventh place at the Wood Memorial. This is not uncommon for Chad Brown, however. His two previous Preakness winners, Cloud Computing and Early Voting, both had only had three races to their names prior to the Preakness. Flavien Prat is looking for his second career Preakness win.

Taj Mahal is 5/1 and has a chance to make real history. Taj Mahal is trained by Brittany T. Russell, and her husband, Sheldon Russell, will be the jockey on board the horse for the race. Just two weeks after Cherie DeVaux became the first female trainer to win the Derby, Russell could be the first female to win the Preakness. Taj Mahal has three career starts at Laurel Park and has won all three of those races. No other horse in this race is as familiar with the track as he is.

Chip Honcho is being jockeyed by Jose Ortiz, just a couple of weeks after he rode Golden Tempo to a Kentucky Derby victory. Ortiz last won the Preakness in 2022. Steven M. Asmussen is the trainer for Chip Honcho, who has trained two Preakness winners. Chip Honcho has not raced in nearly two months, but that long layoff could prove valuable.

Incredibolt is coming off a solid Kentucky Derby performance. He ended up finishing in sixth place at the Derby despite being caught up in a lot of traffic at the rail. If he had a better path, he could have made a real run at it. Jaime Torres will be the jockey for Incredibolt at the Preakness after doing so at the Derby as well.

Ocelli is coming off a great run at the Kentucky Derby. Despite going off at 70/1 odds, he had an incredible race and finished in third place. The biggest concern around Ocelli is that he has never won a race before. Ocelli was not expected to be a championship horse when he was bought and has already made an incredible return for his owners. After Joe Ramos rode Ocelli at the Derby, it will be Tyler Gaffalione jockeying Ocelli for the Preakness. Gaffalione won the 2019 Preakness with War of Will.

Napoleon Solo is a dangerous horse in this race. He has incredible speed and is the only Grade I winner in the field for this race. The worry is that Napoleon Solo can only handle short distances, as he finished in fifth place in each of his last two races after leading early. However, if he can jump out to the early lead and hold off the pack, Napoleon Solo has a real chance to win.

Preakness Stakes Pick, Best Bet

Incredibolt to win (5/1)

My pick to win the Preakness is Incredibolt. He had a really solid run at the Kentucky Derby, but ran into some bad luck in the traffic department. Despite the unlucky run, Incredibolt showed that he can run with the best of the best. Jaime A. Torres will be on board Incredibolt for the Preakness after doing so at the Derby as well. That is always a nice advantage to have that recent familiarity between horse and jockey. Torres will also feel confident here at the Preakness, having won this event in 2024 with Seize the Grey. There is no sure-fire option in the field, and Incredibolt is the horse that I trust the most.

Preakness Stakes FAQs

When and where is the 2026 Preakness Stakes?

The 151st running of the Preakness Stakes will take place on Saturday, May 16th, at Laurel Park Race Course in Maryland.

Where do you watch the 2026 Preakness Stakes?

All the coverage for the 151st Preakness Stakes can be found on NBC, NBCSN and Peacock.

What time is the 2026 Preakness Stakes?

The undercard begins at 1 p.m. ET, with those races airing on Peacock. The actual Preakness Stakes has a post time of 6:50 p.m.