Chad Brown-trained horse Iron Honor heads into the 2026 Preakness Stakes as the current favorite. However, one racing insider believes there are two other legitimate contenders to win Saturday’s race.
The second leg of this year’s Triple Crown comes this weekend with the 151st edition of the Preakness Stakes. This year differs from recent editions as only three Kentucky Derby competitors will be at Laurel Park on Saturday, and none of them are race winner Golden Tempo.
Before Saturday’s race, Iron Honor, a horse trained by two-time Preakness winner Chad Brown, is the favorite. And according to racing insider Byron King, we may be getting the best version of the three-year-old colt yet.
“[Iron Honor] “It is projected as a slight 9-2 favorite due to the success of trainer Chad Brown, who has won this race twice before with new horses, excluding the Kentucky Derby,” King reported. player. “Iron Honor is racing with his “blinkers off”, which usually helps the horse settle and relax, and many believe he will run much better than his seventh-place finish in the Wood Memorial.
“…I quite like Iron Honor. Especially with the “blinker off” angle, which shows the horse is more experienced.”
Other horses to watch in the 2026 Preakness Stakes, including The Hell We Did
For bettors, this is useful information, but they also want to know about horses with long odds that can yield big returns on wins, places, and show stakes. King suggests that some of the Preakness competitors offer upside, especially if they are locally bred in Maryland.
“You have a lot of horses in the 5-1 to 15-1 range where you can make a case for them,” King said. “Some of the tried and true methods of picking a Derby winner are not in place this year. The home track edge may also be greater because the race is at Laurel Park instead of Pimlico this year.”
Racing Insider believes that a local contender, the Brittany Russell-trained colt Taj Mahal, is a contender for good reason. However, he has concerns about how he will be able to handle a more talented field.
“Taj Mahal is based in Maryland, so he has the ‘home track edge,'” says King. “He has shown early speed in previous long-distance races, but in this field he faces too much speed and gets pulled into the inside post position. I would be surprised if he wins, as it is a big step up from beating the Laurel Stakes horses to winning the Preakness.”
When it comes to sleeper picks in this year’s stakes, the name king tops is the Todd Fincher-trained colt The Hell We Did.
King said, “I also like a horse named The Hell We Did. He finished second in the Lexington Stakes and has great pedigree as a half-brother to Saudi Cup winner Senor Buscador.”
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