2026 Preakness Stakes odds, horses, futures: Uncanny bettor releases picks, best bets

The 2026 Preakness Stakes takes place on Saturday May 16 at 7:01 p.m. ET at Laurel Park in Maryland due to construction at Pimlico Race Course. This is the first Preakness since 1908 to be held somewhere other than Pimlico as Laurel becomes the fourth venue to host The Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown. 

Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo will not run as Iron Honor (9-2) is the favorite in the morning-line 2026 Preakness Stakes odds following Monday's post draw. Other favorites include Incredibolt, Taj Mahal and Chip Honcho, all at 5-1, while Ocelli is 6-1. 

Before making any 2026 Preakness Stakes picks for the annual Run for the Black-Eyed Susans, you NEED to see what our resident horse racing guru, Jody Demling, has to say, given his historical DOMINATION of this race.

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 those picks could be WAY UP! Join SportsLine here to see his picks for this year!

For the 2026 Preakness Stakes, we can tell you Demling is high on Napoleon Solo at 8-1. Another surprise: He's fading Chip Honcho, even though he's one of the favorites at 5-1. "Trainer Steve Asmussen felt like the Derby was too much for the son of Connect. But does he fit any better with this group?" Demling said. See who he's picking this year!

Demling is especially high on an EPIC double-digit longshot "with a chance" to win it all! He's including this horse in his 2026 Preakness Stakes bets, and so should you. You ABSOLUTELY NEED to see his 2026 Preakness Stakes picks before locking in any of your own!

Who wins the 2026 Preakness Stakes, and which HUGE longshot is a MUST-BACK? ... Join SportsLine right now to get Jody Demling's 2026 Preakness Stakes projected leaderboard, all from the expert who nailed 11 Preakness Stakes winners!