2026 Preakness Stakes predictions, odds, field, location, track, time: Picks via proven horse racing expert

During last year's Preakness Stakes, the winner, Journalism, was the morning-line favorite before emerging victorious. Will we see the favorite win the 2026 Preakness Stakes? The 151st running is at Laurel Park, Md., rather than Pimlico Race Course due to construction. Iron Honor is the 9-2 favorite ahead of other top contenders like Chip Honcho, Ocelli and Incredibolt, with the latter two coming off strong performances at the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago.

With Iron Honor the favorite in the 2026 Preakness Stakes odds, should you back the Chad Brown trainee? What about Incredibolt, Chip Honcho or Ocelli, or perhaps a longshot? Post time is approaching at 7:01 p.m. ET. Before making any 2026 Preakness Stakes picks, be sure to see the 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions and best bets from SportsLine's elite horse racing expert Gene Menez.

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A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI's handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010.

In 2015, while writing for Sports on Earth, Menez accurately gave out the Kentucky Derby superfecta (American Pharoah, Firing Line, Dortmund and Frosted), which paid $1,268.20 for $2. Then in 2017, he tweeted out his Kentucky Derby picks, including Always Dreaming to win, and hit the Pick 4, which paid almost $6,900 on a $1 bet. In 2024, Menez gave out 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby. In last year's Kentucky Derby, he hammered the exacta and trifecta for a $1,045 payout. Anyone who has followed his horse racing betting advice could be way up.

Now, Menez has handicapped the 2026 Preakness Stakes field and revealed his picks. Go here to see them. 

Top 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions

One of Menez's surprising 2026 Preakness Stakes picks: Menez is fading Iron Honor, the 9-2 favorite. Iron Honor has won two of his three races this year, but his last performance was a seventh-place finish at the Wood Memorial that saw him fade down the stretch after a poor start. The Wood Memorial is 1 1/8 miles long, which was longer than the two races Iron Honor had won earlier this year. With the Preakness being a 1 3/16-mile long track, Menez is worried about Iron Honor's conditioning. See who to back at SportsLine.

Another stunner: Menez is high on The Hell We Did, a longshot at 15-1. He's won two of his four races this year and finished second in the other two. While Menez says The Hell We Did's past performances may not signal a Preakness Stakes winner at first glance, he points to the horse's pedigree, saying The Hell We Did "is bred to improve with the added distance."

"He will be making his third start off the layoff, which is normally a horse's best," Menez says. "He has been training at Laurel for two weeks and has been impressing trackside observers with how he has looked in the mornings. One even called him a 'monster.'" See which other horses to back at SportsLine.

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How to make 2026 Preakness Stakes picks, bets

Menez's top pick is a horse who was "brilliantly fast." He also is high on a double-digit longshot who is "finally fit." Menez is sharing which horse it is, along with his entire projected 2026 Preakness Stakes leaderboard, over at SportsLine.

Which horse wins the Preakness Stakes 2026, and which longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2026 Preakness Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Menez's picks for the Preakness Stakes, all from the expert who had a $1,045 payout at last year's race.

2026 Preakness Stakes odds