A Preakness branded starting gate is seen on track prior to the 151st Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park on May 16, 2026 in Laurel, Maryland. For the first and only time, Laurel Park is hosting the Preakness Stakes which is the second race of the Triple Crown jewel due to the traditional home of the race of the Pimlico Race Course undergoing complete renovations. Getty Images Post experts handicap Saturday’s 151st running of the Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park. Post time is approximately 7:01 p.m.
1. Taj Mahal: Is it too late for trainer Cherie DeVaux to change her mind? Is it just me or are we convinced this field of B-listers would’ve made Golden Tempo a Triple Crown threat at Saratoga? That said, one of these thoroughbreds will win the middle jewel.
We are going with the speedy Taj Mahal. Three starts. Three wins. All at Laurel. Won the Federico Tesio by open lengths, leading at every call. Finished with energy, suggesting the Nyquist-sired colt gets the distance. Brittany Russell trains. Her husband, Sheldon, rides. Would have been the moneyline favorite if not for the deadly one post. Still may be when they leave the gate.
2. Incredibolt: Stretch runner will have his table set. There is plenty of speed in here so “Lightning” will get an honest pace to chase. The Virginia Derby winner stormed down the lane at Churchill Downs but finished four lengths back of the faster-closing Golden Tempo. Jaime Torres rode Seize The Grey to victory in the 2024 Preakness.
3. Chip Honcho: Has speed. Has Derby winner Jose Ortiz and, according to Steve Asmussen, has a problem with large crowds. The huge gathering at Churchill Downs would have overwhelmed him before the fans finished singing “My Old Kentucky Home.” Ready to perform on Laurel’s smaller stage.
1. Taj Mahal: Hard to argue with the record here. Taj Mahal has won all three races he’s ever entered, and all of them have come at Laurel Park. His last victory was a head-turning romp in a stakes race April 18.
2. Napoleon Solo: The only horse that has a chance to go gate-to-wire, it will all come down to whether Napoleon Solo can handle the distance. Looked like a rising star as a 2-year-old before a minor injury slowed his roll.
A general view of the front stretch and grandstand is seen prior to the 151st Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park on May 15, 2026 in Laurel, Maryland. Getty Images 3. Talkin: Looks like he will be a trendy horse among the wiseguys, and he gets a huge upgrade with Irad Ortiz Jr. on board for the Preakness.
1. Incredibolt: Was a last-minute entry into the Preakness and we’ll bet on this being a wise decision involving the 3-year-old colt. He didn’t have the extra stamina needed to win the Kentucky Derby, finishing sixth, but trainer Riley Mott liked how he ran, and there’s some momentum to chase here.
2. Iron Honor: Enters as the favorite, and trainer Chad Brown makes this horse an intriguing favorite to back. A seventh-place finish in the Wood Memorial, though, gives reason for pause, especially after Brown opted to skip the Derby.
3. Napoleon Solo: There are a wide range of outcomes for Napoleon Solo, with last year’s highs being followed by this year’s low and trainer Chad Summers telling BloodHorse that “everything has gone wrong as a 3-year-old.” Still, that ceiling from last year makes this a worthwhile bet in a wide-open field.
