On Saturday, horse racing fans will gather at Laurel Park Race Track to see which competitor will win the second leg of the 2026 Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes. This year's field includes a deep list of favorites, mystery horses and just one contender from the Kentucky Derby.
But who will win this year's "Run for the Black-Eyed Susans"? We'd like to answer that with our ranking of the Preakness Stakes horses for casual fans.
14. robusta
Doug O'Neill-trained colt Robusta is one of only three horses competing in the Kentucky Derby, which will also take to the track at Laurel Park on Saturday. However, he is one of the biggest long shots in this year's race due to his recent form.
Before running in the Derby, Robusta finished seventh at Santa Anita ahead of the competition he faced in Kentucky. He then finished 14th among 19 horses at Churchill Downs. It would be surprising for Robusta to reach the top three.
13. Bull by the horns
The colt Bull By The Horns, owned by Peachtree Stable and Mark Corrado, has had an up-and-down career in his first five races. While he placed first at Florida in his second race in November, he came seventh in the Fourth of Youth in February and finished well behind many Derby horses.
Although he won the 2026 Rushway in March, he has struggled on fast dirt tracks, as he will this weekend.
12. Crupper
After a sixth-place finish to start his career, the Robert Zoellner-trained colt Crupper is on the rise. He has won two of his last three races, including a win at Bathhouse Raw last month. However, the three-year-old is entering the Preakness Stakes as a major underdog due to the weak competition he has met so far.
11. Golden Crown
Three-year-old Corona de Oro has been a solid but unspectacular horse in his first five races. In March, the Dallas Stewart-trained colt earned his first career win. However, last month, he finished behind fellow Preakness competitor The Hell We Did at the 2026 Lexington.
We Do is not a favorite on Saturday, so this bodes well for De Oro's chances of finishing the show this weekend.
10. talking
After winning on his debut in August last year, the Danny Gargan-trained colt Talkin has fallen short since then. Which also includes finishing ninth at the 2025 Remsen in December.
He got a chance to face Derby and Stakes level competition in his last two starts and peaked with a third-place finish in the Blue Grass last month. That's why Talkin' is a big underdog on Saturday.
9. Great White
The John Ennis-trained colt Great White has been all over the map in his first four races. The three-year-old won his debut match in December and the John Battaglia Memorial in February. However, White finished fifth in his other two races, including the Blue Grass in April.
This unpredictability is the main reason why he remained a weak player on Saturday. Furthermore, despite being an impressive specimen, losing his composure minutes before entering the post at Kentucky adds to that unpredictable reputation.
8. Napoleon Solo
After starting his career with consecutive wins including the October 2025 Champagne, Gold Square horse Napoleon Solo has not looked good since. In February, he faced tough competition at the Fountain of Youth and finished fifth.
Then last month, he went head-to-head again in the Preakness and Derby-level contests and again came in fifth. Solo gave bookmakers no reason to think he could be a show option on Saturday.
7. Chip Honcho
At the end of 2025, the Steve Asmussen-trained colt Chip Honcho was looking like a potential contender for this year's Triple Crown. However, in 2026, he surprisingly struggled in three of his races. While there he finished second in the 2026 Risen Star in February, came fourth in the Lecomte in January, and came fifth in the high-level competition in the Louisiana Derby in March.
6. The Hell We Did
The Todd Fincher-trained colt The Hell We Did is another horse for consideration for risky punters. Although he suffered intermittent problems a few days before the race, he still looked very good in his first four races, taking two second places and two first places. But like Pretty Boy Mia, Saturday will be her chance to prove that she is an elite talent despite little competition so far.
5. Pretty Boy Mia
Jeremiah Englehart-trained horse Pretty Boy Mia is an intriguing underdog for Saturday's Preakness Stakes. Although he finished fourth at Aqueduct in February, he has been strong in his other three races this year. Which also includes consecutive wins in their last two.
The big question is whether his success is based on his athletic talent or the competition he has faced so far in his career.
4. eyes
Ouseley, a horse trained by D. Whitworth Beckman, received a chance at the 2026 Kentucky Derby after several horses, including Right to Party, were eliminated from the race. Although Ouseley had six championships on his resume, he had no wins to his name.
Nevertheless, to the surprise of many the colt finished third at Kentucky. After that, Occelli's showing can't be doubted and should be considered a rock-solid show option this weekend.
3. Incredible
The colt Incredibolt, trained by Riley Mott, has had a checkered career. That's why he was last in the betting odds for the Kentucky Derby after finishing sixth in the G3 Face off in January. However, he turned heads by winning the Virginia Derby in March, leading some to wonder if he might perform better than expected in the Derby.
He did not do so and finished sixth. However, oddsmakers still rate the colt highly, and he is viewed as one of the favorites in Saturday's Preakness Stakes.
2. Iron Honor
Elite trainer Chad Brown has one horse in Saturday's race, and that's Iron Honor. Honor looked very good in his first two races as he took consecutive first-place finishes to start his career. However, at the Wood Memorial in April, he surprisingly finished seventh. Yet, many believe that they are given a hard time early on and are pushed out of the game.
Nevertheless, the talented colt is the favorite heading into the Preakness.
1. Taj Mahal
Brittany Russell-trained colt Taj Mahal enters the 2026 Preakness Stakes as the top selection for good reason. While the three-year-old only has three races on his resume, he has still performed excellently. 2026 Federico Tesio won all three, including. Castle is a safe win and/or bet to make on a Saturday night, especially under the guidance of a top trainer.
2026 Preakness Stakes Odds and Predictions
Here are the current betting odds for the 2026 Preakness Stakes. This year's race will take place on May 16 at 6:50 pm ET.
- Krupper 30-1
- robusta 30-1
- Bull by the Horns 30-1
- Gold Crown 30-1
- talking 20-1
- Great White 15-1
- pretty boy mia 15-1
- The Hell We Did 15-1
- Napoleon Solo 8-1
- ocelli 6-1
- Chip Honcho 5-1
- Incredibolt 5-1
- Taj Mahal 5-1
- Iron Honor 9-2
2026 Preakness Stakes Prediction
Heading into the 2026 Preakness Stakes, Iron Honor is a popular choice to win it all. However, we are going with Taj Mahal to take the win as the horse has an elite trainer and has been running very well in recent races.
