2026 Preakness Stakes Odds, Predictions, Best Bets

I explore the latest Preakness winner odds for 2026, analyze the leading contenders, and reveal my Preakness Stakes predictions and best bets!

Preakness Stakes 2026 Betting Odds

The following Preakness Stakes odds are courtesy of Lucky Rebel:

HORSE	ODDS
Taj Mahal	+500
Incredibolt	+500
Chip Honcho	+500
Iron Honor	+500
Ocelli	+700
Napoleon Solo	+1100
Talkin	+1200
Great White	+1600
Pretty Boy Miah	+2000
The Hell We Did	+2000
Corona de Oro	+2800
Robusta	+2800
Crupper	+4000
Bull by the Horn	+4000

With a couple of key horses bypassing the Preakness Stakes, there is a four-horse race atop the odds. Per the latest Preakness odds at top horse racing betting sites, Taj Mahal (+500), Incredibolt (+500), Chip Honcho (+500), and Iron Honor (+500) all have an implied probability of 16.7% to win.

Silent Tactic is dealing with a minor foot bruise that caused him to be scratched from the Kentucky Derby. The issue continues, and the favorite at the beginning of the week will also skip the Preakness. That uncertainty leaves us with a wide‑open race that should produce a tight finish in the stretch.

Ocelli (+700) and Napolean Solo (+1100) are next in line in the latest betting markets as of Friday afternoon. With the possibility of more trainers opting out, it’s worth continuing to monitor the board for further movement.

You can find up-to-date Preakness 2026 odds at Lucky Rebel by navigating to All Sports (A-Z) > Horse Racing & Props > Preakness Stakes.

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Preakness Stakes 2026 Format & Key Info

As renovations continue at Pimlico Racecourse, Laurel Park will step in as host of the 151st Preakness Stakes on Saturday, May 16. The Preakness is the second leg of the Triple Crown, following the Kentucky Derby, which was run two weeks earlier at Churchill Downs.

This year’s Triple Crown will conclude with the Belmont Stakes on June 6 at Saratoga Racecourse. And as was the case when Sovereignty skipped last year’s Preakness, there will be no Triple Crown bid this time either. Trainer Cherie DeVaux has announced that Golden Tempo will bypass the race to rest.

The Preakness Stakes is contested at 1 3/16 miles on dirt, with post time scheduled for 6:50 p.m. ET. The race is open to three-year-old colts, geldings, and fillies and offers a $2 million purse, including $1.2 million to the winning connections. Fans can watch live on NBC or stream the race on Peacock.

Preakness Stakes 2026 Favorites

The odds to win the Preakness Stakes give Silent Tactic the edge after he was scratched from the Derby, but there isn’t a clear favorite.

Let’s delve into the top contender’s chances, along with the other main favorites to win at Laurel this weekend:

Taj Mahal (+500)

Heading into the Preakness Stakes with plenty of momentum, Taj Mahal is a win contender you want on your radar. He’ll be making his graded stakes debut in the Preakness, but he’s dominated every horse in his path so far and appears to be getting stronger with each start.

Taj Mahal is a perfect three-for-three to begin his career, with consecutive victories in Black Type stakes. Most recently, he crushed the field by 8 ¼ lengths in a dominant performance in the Federico Tesio Stakes on April 18.

Taj Mahal and @SheldonRussell1 take them every step of the way to win the Federico Tesio Stakes at @LaurelPark for SF Racing (@TomRyanKY), @StarlightRacing, @MadaketStables, @StonestreetFarm, Bashor Racing, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital & Donovan. pic.twitter.com/8MGI7tgFFa

— Brittany Russell Racing Stable (@BTRracingstable) April 18, 2026

That effort followed a gritty win in the Miracle Wood Stakes two months earlier, where he edged Let’s Go Lando by a neck. Beyond the spotless record, Taj Mahal has shown steady, measurable improvement. He posted a speed figure of 85 in his early-February debut, then jumped to 93, and most recently a 97 in his Tesio blowout.

Triple Crown races are often decided by which horses peak at the right time, and Taj Mahal checks that box in a big way. With Laurel Park as his home track, he also benefits from familiarity with the surface and surroundings, eliminating the element of surprise in Maryland.

After Cherie DeVaux became the first woman trainer to win the Kentucky Derby, Brittany Russell’s Taj Mahal has a chance to keep the momentum going for the women of horse racing — this time on Russell’s home turf at Laurel Park.

Incredibolt (+500)

Incredibolt was a late entrant into the 2026 Preakness Stakes as he wasn’t supposed to run, but trainer Riley Mott decided to enter him on Monday.

The three-year-old finished sixth at the Kentucky Derby, posting a speed figure of 89. He went off from the No.11 post position and was comfortably midpack, but Incredibolt couldn’t find the closing kick of the frontrunners.

Virginia Derby winner INCREDIBOLT (Bolt d’Oro), last seen finishing sixth in the GI Kentucky Derby, runs back this Saturday in the second leg of the Triple Crown ⚡️ The GI @PreaknessStakes at Laurel Park. pic.twitter.com/QsC87Szayo

— TDN (@theTDN) May 13, 2026

Incredibolt had a 111 speed figure when he won the Virginia Derby back in March, so the speed is there some days. Jockey Jaime Torres will have to get Incredibolt out of the gate quicker to get some room and build up to a faster speed. However, I don’t know if he can keep up with Taj Mahal.

Ocelli (+700)

One of the biggest surprises of the Kentucky Derby was the effort by Ocelli. The heavy longshot showed third in a shocking performance from Whitworth Beckham’s colt. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione was able to get the most out of Ocelli to put him in third.

Despite going winless in seven races to start his career, Ocelli is showing tremendous gains as of late. After finishing sixth in back-to-back events in the Sam F. Davis Stakes and Virginia Derby, Ocelli turned his fortunes around for third in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) on his graded debut and then impressed in the Kentucky Derby.

He was battling until the very end, with Ocelli falling by 2 ¾ lengths and a neck at the wire. Ocelli was 15th at the ¾ pole and second heading into the stretch run for the 70-1 longshot. With a speed figure of 99, Ocelli reached the apex of his career in Louisville, and I’m not optimistic that he can duplicate that form again.

Celebration was epic even after they realized they didn’t win.

(Ocelli connections in red hats, Golden Tempo in the box to their right) https://t.co/Buoa0oKF4z pic.twitter.com/c6xDLmU7Y3

— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) May 3, 2026

Now, will Ocelli be able to carry this form into Maryland? History is against Ocelli winning the Preakness Stakes. Note that he would be the first since 1888 to break his maiden in the Preakness! That’s a lot of years and a large sample size against Ocelli, but if he can run how he did at Churchill Downs, then it could get interesting.

I’m just not overwhelmingly confident that Ocelli is going to find that same trip in a race that should have some early pace.

Preakness Stakes 2026 Longshot Bets

We are still waiting on multiple horses to confirm they’ll be running, but there are two longshots to consider for our Preakness Stakes 2026 best bets. In what is a wide-open race, I suggest adding these two horses to your horse racing betting strategy at Laurel Park:

1. Napoleon Solo (+1100)

After finishing fifth in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and Wood Memorial Stakes (G2), some of the early excitement around Napoleon Solo has faded recently. That said, when Napoleon Solo is on, he can be one of the best horses in this beatable field.

Chad Summers’ colt won back-to-back races to open his career, including striking in the Champagne Stakes (G1) in his first graded race. That was Napoleon Solo at his best, with a 6 ½ length win at Belmont in October.

Despite the back-to-back losses, Napoleon Solo’s effort in recent workouts suggests he’s ready to tackle the Preakness Stakes. He is on the heels of a tidy workout with a time of 1:10.00 at six furlongs. If everything comes back together for Napoleon Solo, he should be in the mix.
2. Talkin (+1200)

As one of the best bets to win the Preakness Stakes, Danny Gargen’s Talkin is a value play at +1200. I predicted his odds would shorten by post time, which they did as you could have gotten Talkin at +2200 at the beginning of the week.

After opting to skip the Kentucky Derby, Talkin should be fresh and ready to run in the Preakness Stakes. He was in strong form in the Toyota Blue Grass (G1) in his latest outing to nearly get the win against a tough field.

Talkin secured third place in a solid bid with Joel Rosario piloting in the $1.25 million race. Further Ado dismantled the competition, but Talkin was just 1 ¾ lengths off the pace to place second.

It won’t be an easy trip for Talkin, but if he can improve on his latest start, then he should have a big chance. At +1200, there’s strong value in play as one of the best Preakness Stakes picks.

Preakness Stakes 2026 Predictions and Best Bet

I like Taj Mahal’s progress and he is on track to reach peak form in the Preakness Stakes. Although he hasn’t faced elite competition, Taj Mahal’s latest performance in the Federico Tesio Stakes would put him clear of this field at Laurel Park.

Considering that Silent Tactic, Golden Tempo and Crude Velocity are not running, there aren’t those top-tier horses in the Preakness this year. It’s a fairly weak group without Crude Velocity in the starting gate, who was the clear favorite before Baffert decided to point him elsewhere.

At +500 odds, Taj Mahal carries the best value for our 2026 Preakness Stakes best bets.

The Bet

Taj Mahal

+500

Bet Now!

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