2026 Preakness Stakes odds: Expert picks for Iron Honor, Taj Mahal, Incredibolt, more
Positions for the 2026 Preakness Stakes have been drawn and several familiar faces from the Kentucky Derby will return for the rematch. Ocelli, who finished third in the Run for the Roses, leads the Derby contingent, joined by Incredibolt and Robusta. Meanwhile, surprise Derby champion Golden Tempo passes up this race, skipping the Preakness to prepare for the Belmont Stakes.
The 151st Preakness is scheduled for Saturday at 6:50 p.m. ET at Laurel Park, about 30 miles south of the usual location, Pimlico Race Course. Iron Honor is the favorite at 9-2 in the 2026 Preakness Stakes odds, but nine of the 14 horses in the field are 15-1 or lower. 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’s 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. Chad Brown’s Preakness horse finished seventh at the Grade 2 Wood Memorial in April, bogged down by traffic and post placement. His previous two races he won both, rolling the competition with speed numbers that project very well for the 2026 Preakness Stakes. Demling believes in Brown, who takes the blinders off of Iron Honor and has taken equally experienced horses to Preakness success.
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Demling also rated the chances of Incredibolt, which is 5-1 on the morning line. Incredibolt ran strong at the Kentucky Derby, finishing four lengths behind and sixth. In six career races, Incredibolt has won three.
Trainer Riley Mott was pleased with the Derby run and it sets up for a productive run at the Preakness Stakes. This is a factor Demling takes into consideration. “I like horses that turn around as well as horses that bounce out of the Derby,” Demling writes on SportsLine. “There’s some good juju here.” 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
