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Jockeys ride horses during a race on Black-Eyed Susan Day prior to the 150th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 16, 2025.

The field for the 2026 Preakness Stakes is officially set with a star-studded lineup. On Monday, post positions were drawn while streaming on Preakness.com and Preakness Stakes’ official YouTube channel.

Scheduled for Saturday, May 16 at approximately 6:50 p.m. in Laurel, Maryland, the 151st edition of the race will once again spotlight some of the sport’s top horses as they compete in the second leg of the Triple Crown.

Noticeably absent is 2026 Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo, who opted out of the race last week to focus on health ahead of Belmont Stakes.

“Golden gave us the race of a lifetime in the Kentucky Derby, and we believe the best decision for him moving forward is to give him a little more time following such a tremendous effort,” Cherie DeVaux Racing said.

“His health, happiness, and long-term future will always remain our top priority.”

Post Position Results

Here’s a look at where each competitor will be placed on race day, per USA Today:

1. Taj Mahal
2. Ocelli
3. Crupper
4. Robusta
5. Talkin
6. Chip Honcho
7. The Hell We Did
8. Bull By The Horns
9. Iron Honor
10. Napoleon Solo
11. Corona De Oro
12. Incredibolt
13. Great White
14. Pretty Boy Miah

Multiple Horses Drop Out Before Preakness Draw

Several horses initially listed among the early betting favorites will no longer compete in Preakness. Crude Velocity, who opened with the best odds in the field at 4-1, was withdrawn after Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert opted against a quick turnaround following the colt’s dominant victory in the Grade II Pat Day Mile.

Instead, Baffert plans to target the Grade I Woody Stephens Stakes in June and potentially the Grade I Haskell Stakes later this summer.

Talk To Me Jimmy, who opened at 50-1 in early odds, also will not run. Trainer Rudy Rodriguez confirmed the colt will remain in New York for Saturday’s Grade III Peter Pan Stakes, citing a smaller and more manageable field as the preferred option following the horse’s eighth-place finish in the Grade II Wood Memorial.

Cherokee Nation, Silent Tactic and Express Kid were also included in early odds projections, but were absent from Monday’s official post-position draw.

Ocelli Chasing Rare Piece of History

Only three horses from the 2026 Kentucky Derby will be competing in Maryland: Ocelli (3rd place), Incredibolt (6th) and Robusta (14th).

If Ocelli can pull off the upset at Laurel Park, he would become the first maiden horse to win the Preakness Stakes since 1888.

Despite his winless record, Ocelli has quietly become one of the sport’s most unlikely success stories. The colt, owned by Ashley Durr, Anthony Tate and Kevin Page’s Front Page Equestrian, has earned more than $600,000 through consistency alone, posting a record of 0-1-4 across seven starts. Most recently, Ocelli nearly broke through on the sport’s biggest stage, briefly taking the lead in the Kentucky Derby stretch before fading late after early traffic trouble.

Trainer Whit Beckman admitted he initially hesitated about sending Ocelli to the Preakness so soon after the demanding Derby effort, but the colt came out of the race well enough to remain under consideration before ultimately making the field.