Photo:
Carlos J. Calo / Eclipse Sportswire
The Preakness Stakes 2026 post position draw Monday produced a field of 14 for Saturday’s 151st running at Laurel, with Iron Honor installed as the 9-2 morning line favorite from post 9.
The race moved to Laurel for 2026 amid a $400 million Pimlico rebuild, with attendance capped at about 4,800. Saturday marks 1/ST Racing’s final Preakness as operator before Churchill Downs Inc. closes its $85 million purchase of the intellectual property rights to the Preakness and the Friday-card Black-Eyed Susan (G2). The Maryland Jockey Club will run both races at Pimlico starting in 2027 under a CDI license.
The field reshuffled repeatedly in the run-up. Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo passed on the Preakness last week to point for the Belmont Stakes on June 6. Bob Baffert’s undefeated Pat Day Mile (G2) winner Crude Velocity will instead target the Woody Stephens (G1) at Aqueduct on the Belmont undercard. Smoovin Saturday and Express Kid came off consideration over the weekend. Mark Casse ruled out Silent Tactic on Monday, with the Arkansas Derby (G1) runner-up unable to recover from the bruised left front foot that scratched him from the Kentucky Derby.
Chad Brown saddles Iron Honor, the Gotham (G3) winner who tries to bounce back from a seventh-place finish in the Wood Memorial (G2). The Nyquist colt, owned by St. Elias Stable and William Lawrence, draws Flavien Prat.
“I like the horse, I like the spot for him but based on his last start, I was surprised he was made the morning line favorite,” Brown said. “But I am not surprised that he fits in this race.”
Taj Mahal landed the rail at 5-1 for trainer Brittany Russell, who sends out the local hope after a Federico Tesio score in his last start for SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables and Stonestreet Stables. Her husband Sheldon Russell has the call.
“It wasn’t what I was hoping for, but it is what it is,” Brittany Russell said. “He’s a good gate horse and we’ll just have to play it as it unfolds.”
Russell said she was pleased to see her colt at 5-1.
“I thought, ‘Cool, he’s getting some respect.’ That’s nice to see.”
Sheldon Russell said the rail does not worry him given the colt’s gate manners.
“He’s a good gate horse. He’s classy in there. He doesn’t mess around so I’m not really worried with him being the first one in there. He broke so sharp last time. If he were to do the same thing again, he’d put me in a great spot.”
Steve Asmussen’s Chip Honcho is 5-1 from post 6 after a productive winter campaign. The son of Connect won the Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds in December and ran second in the Risen Star (G2) in February, finishing 5 1/2 lengths in front of eventual Derby winner Golden Tempo. A fifth-place run in the Louisiana Derby (G2) prompted Chip Honcho’s connections — Lee Ackerley, James Sherwood, Jode Shupe and John Cilia — to skip the Kentucky Derby. He completed his preparations Sunday with a half-mile in 50.2 seconds at Churchill Downs, galloping out five furlongs in 1:02.6 and six in 1:15.2. José Ortiz, fresh off a Kentucky Oaks win aboard Always a Runner, takes the mount.
Asmussen had told his assistants ahead of the draw that posts five through seven would suit Chip Honcho on the Laurel oval.
“I said, ‘5 through 7.’ So got the six. That’s perfect.”
Third-place finisher Ocelli leads the Kentucky Derby contingent at 6-1 from post 2 for trainer Whit Beckman, with Tyler Gaffalione retaining the call. Also a son of Connect, Ocelli earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form, at Churchill Downs.
“Our most effective running style dictates sitting back off the pace, so being in the two-hole we can just kind of break and save some ground going into that first turn,” Beckman said. “In the Derby, we had to cut over quite a bit just to get to the first turn.”
Incredibolt joined the field Monday and was installed at 5-1 from post 12. Trainer Riley Mott confirmed plans to ship the Bolt d’Oro colt to Maryland. Owned by Pin Oak Stud, Incredibolt finished sixth in the Derby, beaten four lengths by Golden Tempo, after a four-length romp in the Virginia Derby last out. He will train at Churchill Downs on Tuesday before a 10-hour van ride to Laurel. Jaime Torres, aboard for all six of Incredibolt’s career starts, retains the mount. Torres captured the 2024 Preakness aboard Seize the Grey.
“Anytime you are in a Triple Crown race and you have odds of 5-1, it is a great opportunity,” Mott said. “We are going to look to try and get the job done.”
Mott added that post 12 should suit the colt’s tactical style.
Robusta rounds out the Derby returnees from post 4. The Doug O’Neill-trained Calumet Farm colt finished 14th at Churchill Downs and gets Rafael Bejarano.
Napoleon Solo joins Iron Honor and Incredibolt as the field’s three graded stakes winners. The Champagne (G1) victor last fall finished fifth in the Wood Memorial for Chad Summers and Paco Lopez. Talkin picked up Irad Ortiz Jr. after the rider lost the Silent Tactic mount; the Good Magic colt was third in the Blue Grass (G1) for Danny Gargan, who drew post 5.
“I’m pleased with the post-position draw. I wanted to be somewhere in that realm,” Gargan said. “I like that José Ortiz and Irad are next to each other, so I think they’ll get a good break.”
Great White returned to the Triple Crown trail after a gate incident at Churchill Downs. The John Ennis trainee drew into the Kentucky Derby off the also-eligible list, then flipped behind the gate and was pulled moments before post time. Ennis confirmed the Preakness entry Monday after a Saturday work in Lexington. The colt drew post 13.
“It’s not the best, but we will be fine,” Ennis said.
Dallas Stewart’s Corona de Oro comes in off a third-place finish in the Lexington (G3) and John Velazquez will ride. The Hell We Did, second in the Lexington (G3), gets Luis Saez for Todd Fincher from post 7.
“It’s a good spot, right in the middle,” Fincher said. “It gives us a chance to check the pace out and see if we want to be a part of it or close to it or what. I like it.”
Donnie Von Hemel’s Crupper enters off a win in the Bathhouse Row at Oaklawn with Junior Alvarado from post 3.
“There are a lot of horses that have shown speed in there, and I know we were forwardly placed last time, also,” Von Hemel said. “We’ll just have to try to get away good. For a Preakness, that’s a lot of horses.”
Pretty Boy Miah crosses over for Jeremiah Englehart after a starter allowance score, with Ricardo Santana Jr. up from post 14.
“It wasn’t really what we wanted but, hey, that’s why it’s horse racing,” Englehart said. “Our horse has good tactical speed, so hopefully we break cleanly and are able to get away from there and get out early to get a good position.”
Saffie Joseph Jr.’s Bull by the Horns won the Rushaway at Turfway Park and reunites with Micah Husbands from post 8.
No.
Silks
Horse / Sire
Rating
Trainer / Jockey
Last Start
Morn. Line
1
Taj Mahal
Nyquist
7.09
Brittany Russell
Sheldon Russell
1st (121), 2026 Federico Tesio LS
5-1
Last Race
1st (121), 2026 Federico Tesio LS
2
Ocelli
Connect
7.05
D. Whitworth Beckman
Tyler Gaffalione
3rd (108), 2026 Kentucky Derby G1
6-1
Last Race
3rd (108), 2026 Kentucky Derby G1
3
Crupper
Candy Ride
6.77
Donnie Von Hemel
Junior Alvarado
1st (102), 2026 Bathhouse Row LS
30-1
Last Race
1st (102), 2026 Bathhouse Row LS
4
Robusta
Accelerate
6.60
Doug O’Neill
Rafael Bejarano
14th (88), 2026 Kentucky Derby G1
30-1
Last Race
14th (88), 2026 Kentucky Derby G1
5
Talkin
Good Magic
7.41
Danny Gargan
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
3rd (110), 2026 Blue Grass G1
20-1
Last Race
3rd (110), 2026 Blue Grass G1
6
Chip Honcho
Connect
7.56
Steven Asmussen
Jose Ortiz
5th (103), 2026 Louisiana Derby G2
5-1
Last Race
5th (103), 2026 Louisiana Derby G2
7
The Hell We Did
Authentic
6.84
Todd Fincher
Luis Saez
2nd (111), 2026 Lexington G3
15-1
Last Race
2nd (111), 2026 Lexington G3
8
Bull By The Horns
Essential Quality
6.89
Saffie Joseph, Jr.
Micah Husbands
1st (100), 2026 Rushaway LS
30-1
Last Race
1st (100), 2026 Rushaway LS
9
Iron Honor
Nyquist
7.49
Chad Brown
Flavien Prat
7th (94), 2026 Wood Memorial G2
9-2
Last Race
7th (94), 2026 Wood Memorial G2
10
Napoleon Solo
Liam’s Map
7.14
Chad Summers
Paco Lopez
5th (96), 2026 Wood Memorial G2
8-1
Last Race
5th (96), 2026 Wood Memorial G2
11
Corona de Oro
Bolt d’Oro
5.47
Dallas Stewart
John Velazquez
3rd (110), 2026 Lexington G3
30-1
Last Race
3rd (110), 2026 Lexington G3
12
Incredibolt
Bolt d’Oro
7.61
Riley Mott
Jaime Torres
6th (104), 2026 Kentucky Derby G1
5-1
Last Race
6th (104), 2026 Kentucky Derby G1
13
Great White
Volatile
7.26
John Ennis
Alex Achard
5th (98), 2026 Blue Grass G1
15-1
Last Race
5th (98), 2026 Blue Grass G1
14
Pretty Boy Miah
Beau Liam
Jeremiah Englehart
Ricardo Santana, Jr.
1st (116), Aqu Str (4/25/26-R3)
15-1
Last Race
1st (116), Aqu Str (4/25/26-R3)
