2026 Preakness Stakes odds: Expert picks for Iron Honor, Taj Mahal, Incredibolt, more
Several Kentucky Derby-qualified horses have bypassed the race, with their connections directing them instead to the 2026 Preakness Stakes. This includes Iron Honor, Chip Honcho and Talkin, as the 2026 Preakness Stakes differs from the Derby in both distance and field size. The former is 1/16 of a mile shorter than the Derby, while the Preakness is limited to a maximum of 14 horses, compared to 20 for the Kentucky Derby. These horses’ connections will find out if they made the right decision when the 2026 Preakness Stakes takes place Saturday at Laurel Park.
Iron Honor finds itself 9-2 favorite, closely followed by a trio of thoroughbreds. The latest 2026 Preakness Stakes odds have Chip Honcho, Incredibolt and Taj Mahal all at 5-1 to use in horse racing betting. Talkin is 20-1 as it seeks its first win since August. Before making any picks for the 2026 Preakness Stakes, be sure to check out the 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions and best bets from SportsLine’s elite horse racing expert Jody Demling.
A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing, speaking and betting on races for years, Demling has reached the top three 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 won the trifecta of the 2024 Preakness Stakes and named Journalism the winner of the 2025 Preakness. Everyone who followed him horse racing betting sites could be very high.
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Now that the 2026 Preakness Stakes horses are finalized, Demling shares his 2026 Preakness Stakes betting picks and 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions on SportsLine. Go to SportsLine to see them.
Top 2026 Preakness Stakes Picks for Taj Mahal, Incredibolt and Iron Honor
One of Demling’s surprising picks for the 2026 Preakness Stakes: He places Taj Mahal outside the top 5 of his projected ranking, although he is tied with Chip Honcho and Incredibolt for the second-lowest odds at 5-1. He’s a perfect 3-for-3 in his career, with all of his wins coming at Laurel Park. This level of comfort on this track is a big factor in why it is among the favorites. The level of competition, however, is a question mark since he hasn’t faced the caliber of horses that many of those on the Derby trail possess, so Demling doesn’t have him among the top 3 picks in his early Preakness predictions.
Demling also locked in his picks for Iron Honor, the 9-2 morning line favorite. Sired by 2016 Kentucky Derby champion Nyquist, Iron Honor won his first two starts, which put him on the radar. However, he suffered a major failure in his last race, placing seventh at the Wood Memorial. This led to his connections bypassing the Kentucky Derby, despite qualifying, as Iron Honor will make his first start outside of Aqueduct this Saturday.
The horse is trained by two-time Preakness winner Chad Brown and will be ridden by former Preakness champion Flavien Prat. The 2026 Preakness will be the first time Brown and Flat team up together in this race, as neither finished in the money in their last respective Preakness stars. Iron Honor is hoping for a better finish than Nyquist at the 2016 Preakness, with the latter finishing third despite being the favorite.
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Demling also rated the chances of Incredibolt, which is 5-1 on the morning line. One of three Kentucky Derby survivors, Incredibolt placed sixth at Churchill Downs as he alternated wins and sixth-place finishes in his last four starts. He triumphed in the G3 Street Sense Stakes and the Virginia Derby while finishing sixth, out of six horses, in the G3 Holy Bull Stakes. Incredibolt is trained by Riley Mott, who will make his Preakness debut, but the horse’s jockey, Jamie Torres, won the 2024 Preakness aboard Seize the Gray. Find out which horses Demling supports on SportsLine.
How to make 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions and bets
Demling also performs particularly well on an epic double-digit long shot “with a chance” to win it all. Anyone who supports this sleeper pick could win big. Demling shares which horse it is, along with his entire projected 2026 Preakness Stakes standings, on SportsLine.
Which horse wins the 2026 Preakness Stakes and which stunning longshot is a must-see? Check out the latest 2026 Preakness Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling’s Preakness Stakes picks, all from the expert who has called the last three winners.
2026 Preakness Stakes Odds
