The 2026 Preakness Stakes features 14 horses expected at the starting gate on Saturday at 7:01 p.m. ET Laurel Park. It’s the biggest field for a Preakness Stakes since 2011. It includes only three racers that competed in the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago, but two of them finished in the Top 6 in Ocelli (third) and Incredibolt (sixth).
It’s a varied Preakness Stakes field featuring four graded-stakes winners along with five others who have wins in their career. Iron Honor is atop the 2026 Preakness Stakes odds board at 9-2, with Taj Mahal, Chip Honcho and the aforementioned Incredibolt all at 5-1. 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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There are 14 horses in the Preakness Stakes. That’s the most since 2011. In that year, Shackleford won the race in 1:56.47. Only three times since has the winning time been that slow. No trainer has multiple entrants in Preakness Stakes 2026. Three of them have won the coveted Woodlawn Vase. Chad Brown is a two-time winner in 2017 and 2022; he’s trained Preakness Stakes favorite Iron Honor. Steve Asmussen has wins in 2007 and 2009; he’s with 5-1 contender Chip Honcho. And Doug O’Neill won in 2012; he’ll be with Robusta, a 30-1 underdog.
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 in the 2026 Preakness Stakes. «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.
