2026 Preakness Stakes predictions, horses, odds, posts: Surprising picks via proven horse racing expert
Michelle Yu reveals her Preakness Stakes 2026 best bets for the annual Run for the Black-Eyed Susans on Saturday, May 16, at Laurel Park
The 2026 Preakness Stakes is set for 7:01 p.m. ET on Saturday at Laurel Park, Md. While there won't be a Triple Crown winner this year with Kentucky Derby champion Golden Tempo skipping the Preakness, this is still one of horse racing's biggest events and represents a chance for serious prestige. There are three holdovers from the Derby field -- Great White, Incredbolt and Ocelli -- and all are expected to contend for the win.
Iron Honor is the 9-2 favorite to win the 2026 Preakness Stakes. He's followed closely by Chip Honcho, Incredibolt and Taj Mahal at 5-1. Great White, who scratched moments before the Kentucky Derby, is getting 15-1 odds. Before making any 2026 Preakness Stakes picks, you'll want to see the 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions from SportsLine's Michelle Yu.
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She started off 2025 by correctly going all-in on Citizen Bull to win the Robert B. Lewis Stakes, and she also predicted Forever Young's win in the Saudi Cup, Journalism's win in the San Felipe Stakes, Sandman's win in the Arkansas Derby and Mindframe's win in the Churchill Downs Stakes. She also hit the exacta in the 2025 Kentucky Derby. In August she hit the Fierceness-Journalism exacta in the Pacific Classic, and in March 2026 she nailed the Renegade-Silent Tactic-Taptastic trifecta in the Arkansas Derby.
Now, with the 2026 Preakness Stakes post positions set and odds on the board, Yu is sharing her 2026 Preakness Stakes betting picks and 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions over at SportsLine. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions
One surprise: Yu is really high on Taj Mahal this week, saying that the brown colt is a "horse for the course" with three wins at the track, all of them by notable distance. Cherie DeVaux just became the first woman to ever train a Kentucky Derby winner with Golden Tempo, and Yu thinks Russell could now win the Preakness with Taj Mahal. See which other 2026 Preakness Stakes horses to back at SportsLine.
Another one of Yu's surprising Preakness Stakes picks: She is not taking Iron Honor as her top win contender. Chad Brown's horse does own two impressive wins this year, but those came at 3/4 miles and 1 mile. Iron Honor finished seventh in the 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial in his last appearance, and the Preakness is 1 3/16 miles.
"He really faltered when stretching out to nine furlongs," Yu said of Iron Honor. There are other horses catch Yu's eye compared to Iron Honor, who has yet to prove he can truly contend at this kind of distance. See which other horses to fade at SportsLine.
How to make 2026 Preakness Stakes picks
Instead, Yu's top pick is a horse who is in "super shape." She's also high on a massive double-digit longshot who is "sneaky." She's sharing which 2026 Preakness Stakes horses to back at SportsLine.
So who wins the 2026 Preakness Stakes? What double-digit longshot is a must-back, and how has Yu constructed her wagers? Visit SportsLine to see Yu's picks for the Preakness Stakes, all from the Santa Anita-based racing insider who has a long history of success in the Preakness Stakes, and find out.
2026 Preakness Stakes odds, post positions
| 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 |
