Tonight, thousands of 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 features only three competitors from this year’s Kentucky Derby, and none of them are race winner Golden Tempo.
So, who will win the 2026 “Run for the Black-Eyed Susan”? Our goal is to help your betting decisions with our rankings of the 14 competitors in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes and some good win, place and show options.
14.Robusta (30-1)
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 (30-1)
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 (30-1)
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. Gold Crown (30-1)
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.
Since The Hell We Did is a sleeper pick on Saturday, De Oro is a possible choice for a show bet in the race.
10. Talkin’ (20-1)
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 (15-1)
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. White has the size and talent, but seems too risky.
8. Napoleon Solo (8-1)
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 an option for a spot or a show, let alone a long-shot option to win.
7.Oceli (6-1)
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 choice again this weekend.
6. Pretty Boy Mia (15-1)
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.
5. Incredibolt (5-1)
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.
4. Chip Honcho (5-1)
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.
However, being trained by a two-time Preakness winner is a major reason why Honcho is a secret choice to win in the Preakness. Also making him a strong position pick.
3. The Hell We Did (15-1)
Todd Fincher-trained colt The Hell We Did is an interesting option to consider for riskier punters. Although he has had intermittent difficulties leading the way in races, he has looked very good in his first four races, with two second-place finishes and two first-place finishes. He is a legitimate choice to secure a surprise win on Saturday, and should be considered for all Place and Show bets.
2. Iron Honor (9-2)
Elite trainer Chad Brown has a horse in Saturday’s race, and he is the current favorite 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. But many people believe that they are given tough competition in the beginning itself and are thrown out of the game.
Honor is the safest bet to win, place or perform in the 2026 Preakness Stakes.
1. Taj Mahal (5-1)
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.
Palace is a strong spot or show bet on a Saturday night, especially under the guidance of one of the game’s top coaches. However, we’re going a little further and picking him to win the stakes.
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