The 2026 Preakness Stakes will look different with the event moving from Pimlico Race Course to Laurel Park, but it may also sound different as well. That’s because attendance is capped at just 4,800 patrons for The Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, while last year’s Preakness at Pimlico had roughly 63,000 fans. A quieter setup could aid many horses in the Preakness Stakes 2026 field as most are used to racing in front of smaller crowds rather than the tens of thousands that the Preakness normally attracts.
Iron Honor is the 9-2 favorite as he’ll make his first start outside of Aqueduct Racetrack. Others near the top of the 2026 Preakness Stakes odds board include Taj Mahal (5-1), who is a half-brother of Iron Honor, as well as Chip Honcho and Incredibolt, both also at 5-1. The 151st running of the Preakness will take place on Saturday at 7:01 p.m. ET. 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 Preakness Stakes 2026 is the 151st running of The Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, but not all 151 have been at the same distance. There have been seven different distances in Preakness Stakes history, with it moving to 1 3/16 miles in 1925. The inaugural race in 1873 was at 1 1/2 miles, and the shortest length of the race took place at 1 mile in 1909-10. The 2026 Preakness Stakes will be the 102nd edition to take place at its current distance, with Secretariat (1973) holding the time record at this length of 1:53.00.
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.
