The 2026 Preakness Stakes arrives at a defining crossroads for the sport, with the race temporarily relocating from Pimlico Race Course to Laurel Park as construction reshapes the historic Baltimore venue. Kentucky Derby champion Golden Tempo is not racing in the second jewel of the Triple Crown, opening the door for a new horse to carve its name into Preakness Stakes history. With no dominant standout in the field, the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes figures to be one of the most wide-open editions in recent memory and a prime opportunity for horse racing bettors to cash big on exotics.
Iron Honor enters as the 9-2 morning-line favorite, though the Chad Brown trainee carries the burden of a seventh-place Wood Memorial effort in his last start. Three horses sit just behind him in the 2026 Preakness Stakes odds at 5-1: Taj Mahal, Chip Honcho, and Incredibolt. 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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The 2026 Preakness Stakes is the 151st running of the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, and history shows just how unpredictable the race can be. The favorite has won 49% of the time, meaning longshots and mid-tier prices hit the board with regularity. Of the 150 previous winners, 144 have been male horses, with just six fillies ever claiming victory, the most recent being Swiss Skydiver in 2020. The Preakness Stakes 2026 won’t add to that total as the entire 14-horse field consists of male horses, including 12 colts and two geldings.
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. “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.
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.
