2026 Gotham Stakes: Win, place and trifecta picks from horse racing guru

Nine aspiring 3-year-old horses will attempt to follow the path of the great Secretariat when the starting gate opens in the 2026 Gotham Stakes on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. In 1973 Secretariat won the Gotham en route to winning the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown. He is the only horse in the history of the Gotham to have raced in the Gotham and won the Derby. For Saturday the Chad Brown-trained Iron Honor has been installed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite in the 2026 Gotham Stakes odds. Crown the Buckeye (4-1), Hammond (5-1), Balboa (6-1) and Right to Party (8-1) round out the top five favorites among the nine horses in the 2026 Gotham Stakes field. Post time for the Gotham Stakes 2026 is 5:18 p.m. ET.

Before locking in any 2026 Gotham Stakes bets, you NEED to see what longtime horse racing guru Jeff Hochman has to say.

Hochman has shown a profit in 22 of the past 39 Triple Crown races. One example of his best picks was Big Brown in the 2008 Kentucky Derby at odds of 2-1. More recently, he swept the 2022 Triple Crown, capped off by Mo Donegal's easy win in the Belmont Stakes. In 2023, he cashed the Preakness with National Treasure. In 2024, he successfully tabbed Straight No Chaser to win, place and show in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship at odds of 3-2.

Hochman delivered exceptional handicapping results during the summer 2025 racing season at two of the country's premier tracks, Saratoga and Del Mar. His combined 65.7% win rate across the two tracks represents elite-level performance that significantly exceeds industry benchmarks for professional handicappers. Join here to see what he's picking for Saturday's Gotham Stakes.

While a slew of horses could hit the board in the 2026 Gotham Stakes, Hochman has studied the field and revealed his picks. 

One surprise: Hochman's top pick is not Iron Honor, even though he is the 6-5 morning-line favorite. "He faces a major test stretching out from a six-furlong sprint to a tough one-turn mile in graded stakes company against proven rivals," Hochman says. He prefers another horse over Iron Honor.

Hochman's top pick is a horse coming off a "prominent" performance. He also is high on a double-digit longshot with an "adaptable running style." 

You ABSOLUTELY NEED to see which horses they are before making any 2026 Gotham Stakes picks of your own.

So which horse wins the 2026 Gotham Stakes? Which double-digit longshot is a must-back? And how has Hochman constructed his wagers? ... Join SportsLine now to get Jeff Hochman's 2026 Gotham Stakes picks, all from the expert who was red-hot at Saratoga and Del Mar last summer!