The $2 million Preakness Stakes, which will be run the usual 1 3/16 miles at Laurel Park as the rebuilding of Pimlico continues, drew a full field of 14 3-year-olds. The third-, sixth- and 14th–place finishers from Kentucky Derby 2026 return in two weeks for the second leg of the Triple Crown. The field is the largest size since 2011, which also had 14 go to the starting gate.
The Preakness field has one Grade 1 and two Grade 3 winners along with five others with a stakes victory, two who were first in an allowance, three with only a maiden score and one seeking his initial trip to the winners’ circle. Twelve of these 3-year-olds appeared in an official points qualifier on the Derby trail, and five of them were winners of a prep race.
Here are the odds and analysis for the Preakness with the official morning line. Post time for the Preakness, which will be run as race 13 of 14, is 7:01 p.m. EDT.
1. Taj Mahal, 5-1. Nyquist – Brittany Russell / Sheldon Russell – 3: 3-0-0 – $178,200. Taj Mahal is undefeated in three starts at Laurel, including a front-end runaway trip in the Federico Tesio which locked up a Preakness spot for him. In February he won by a neck in the Miracle Wood with another gate-to-wire effort. Brittany Russell was the leading trainer by wins for the ;ast three years in Maryland. Win contender.
2. Ocelli, 6-1. Connect – Whit Beckman / Tyler Gaffalione – 7: M-1-4 – $609,800. Ocelli is still seeking his first victory despite having the lead in the stretch in the Kentucky Derby and finishing third, just a length behind the top two. He was also third in the nine-furlong Wood Memorial (G2), where he also rallied from far back in the early stages of the race. Ocelli is by far the leading money winner. He earned a guaranteed spot in this Preakness field when he hit the board in the Derby. Tyler Gaffalione won this race in 2019 with War of Will. The one to beat.
3. Crupper, 30-1. Candy Ride – Donnie Von Hemmel / Junior Alvarado – 6: 2-0-3 – $210,665. Crupper is another one to get a guaranteed shot at the second leg of the Triple Crown, and his came from his victory in the Bath House Row at Oaklawn last month. He broke his maiden in his fourth career start at the Arkansas track and then was third in an allowance. His two victories came after pressing the pace and getting to the front in the early going. Toss.
4. Robusta, 30-1. Accelerate – Doug O’Neill / Rafael Bejarano– 6: 1-1-0 – $83,500. Robusta finished 14th in the Kentucky Derby after a last-place finish in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). Aside from his maiden win in his second start, which was at Santa Anita in January, he was a second in the San Felipe (G2) after pressing the pace. O’Neill has a Preakness victory with I’ll Have Another in 2012. Toss.
5. Talkin, 20-1. Good Magic – Danny Gargan / Irad Ortiz Jr. – 5: 1-1-1 – $288,625. Talkin gets a significant rider upgrade with Irad Ortiz, who became available when Silent Tactic was not entered. Since his debut victory at Saratoga, Talkin made four starts on the Derby trail with a second in the Champagne (G1) and a third in the Blue Grass (G1) although in both he was far behind the winner. He did not contend in the Remsen (G2) or the Tampa Derby (G3). Top pick.
6. Chip Honcho, 5-1. Connect – Steve Asmussen / Jose Ortiz – 6: 2-2-0 – $280,475. Chip Honcho gets a change to the Kentucky Derby winning jockey Jose Ortiz. Ortiz took Golden Tempo from last to first with a perfectly timed ride. With Chip Honcho he has a horse who prefers to run on or near the lead. He won the Gun Runner at Fair Grounds in December and then was fourth, second and fifth in the other Derby prep races in New Orleans. The fifth-place finish was behind Golden Tempo in the Louisiana Derby (G2), which was run at the Preakness distance. Asmussen won the Preakness in 2007 and 2009 with Curlin and Rachel Alexandra. Ortiz won in 2022 with Early Voting. Toss.
7. The Hell We Did, 15-1. Authentic – Todd Fincher / Luis Saez – 4: 2-2-0 – $134,818. The Hell We Did broke his maiden at Remington Park in October, was second in the Zia Park Juvenile and then won an allowance at Sunland Park in March. Last seen, he enjoyed Keeneland, where he was a contentious second the entire race in the Lexington (G3) going around two turns for the first time. Toss.
8. Bull by the Horns, 30-1. Essential Quality – Saffie Joseph Jr. / Micah Husbands – 5: 2-0-2 – $187,115. Bull by the Horns rallied from last in the Rushaway at Turfway Park in March after a start in the Fountain of Youth (G2), where he was not a factor. He broke his maiden at Gulfstream Park as a 2-year-old. He reunites with jockey Micah Husbands, who has ridden him three times. Bull by the Horns has been training in Florida. Gets the right pace scenario.
9. Iron Honor, 9-2. Nyquist – Chad Brown / Flavien Prat – 3: 2-0-0 – $229,250. Iron Honor gets a rider change to Flavien Prat, which gives Chad Brown his top jockey choice. Prat and Brown have dominated the NYRA circuit in recent years. Iron Honor won his first two starts beginning in December and moving to the Gotham (G3), both times with pace-pressing trips. In April he broke from the far outside in a full field in the Wood Memorial (G2), which produced a troubled trip and a seventh-place finish, after which Brown announced that the Preakness would be his goal. Brown won the Preakness in 2017 with Cloud Computing and in 2022 with Early Voting. Prat won in 2021 with Rombauer. The lukewarm favorite.
10. Napoleon Solo, 8-1. Liam’s Map – Chad Summers / Paco Lopez – 4: 2-0-0 – $360,520. Napoleon Solo won both of his races as a 2-year-old, including the impressive victory by more than six lengths in the Champagne (G1). In two starts on the Derby trail this year he finished fifth. As reported by BloodHorse, minor ailments, including a bruised hoof, kept him from training effectively. Only recently was back in top form as a pair of very fast recent six-furlong breezes indicates. He will be one of the horses seeking the lead early on Saturday. Pace compromised.
11. Corona de Oro, 30-1. Bolt d’Oro – Dallas Stewart / John Velazquez – 5: 1-1-2 – $92,540. Corona de Oro broke his maiden in his fourth try, where he led every step of the way at Fair Grounds in March. He was last seen making his stakes debut in the Lexington, where he set the pace and ended up in third. John Velazquez had a Preakness win in 2023 with National Treasure. Toss.
12. Incredibolt, 5-1. Bolt d’Oro – Riley Mott / Jaime Torres – 6: 3-0-0 – $498,681. Incredibolt was a last-minute addition to the Preakness after he finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby. He raced in the heart of the Derby field and had to alter course while closing from 14th to finish sixth. He won twice on the Derby trail in the Street Sense (G3) as a 2-year-old and then in Virgina Derby in March. Rider Jaime Torres won the Preakness two years ago with Seize the Grey for D. Wayne Lukas. Win contender.
13. Great White, 15-1. Volatile – John Ennis / Alex Achard – 4: 2-0-0 – $202,495. Great White was last seen flipping behind the starting gate before the Kentucky Derby after he drew in from the also-eligible list at the last minute. He was a distant fifth in the Blue Grass after flashing some early speed. Both of Great White’s victories were at Turfway Park in his debut and then the John Battaglia on the Derby trail. Toss.
14. Pretty Boy Miah, 15-1. Beau Liam – Jeremiah Englehart / Ricardo Santana Jr. – 4: 2-1-0 – $95,800. Pretty Boy Miah is named for his trainer and is the winner of his last two starts. He broke his maiden in his third try by more than six lengths at Aqueduct and then won an allowance by almost four lengths with a front-end effort. Toss.
Summary: Two weeks ago in the Kentucky Derby, a moderately fast pace set the stage for the stretch battle between Golden Tempo and Renegade. Those two rallied from the back of the field to pass the 16 other 3-year-olds and finish one-two.
By my count, 10 of the horses in the 2026 Preakness field have a preference to race on or near the lead in the early stages of their races. They cannot all get to the lead, and no doubt the trip out of the gate will force some of them to race from farther behind than preferred. A fast pace should be expected, once again setting the race up for the late runners – Bull by the Horns (30-1), Incredibolt (5-1), Ocelli (6-1) and Talkin (20-1).
It is not very often that you can get one of the country’s best jockeys in a big race like the Preakness on a horse who is 20-1 morning line. Talkin closed well in his first two races last year. In the Champagne he was second on a day when Napoleon Solo ran off from the field. In his 2026 debut in the Tampa Derby, Talkin was too close to the early pace. Most recently his running line is distorted because Keeneland-loving Further Ado distanced the rest of the field. Talkin will be the top pick, but I would use him with the other three closers in the exacta and trifecta.
