Preakness Stakes 2026: Ranking the field 1st to last
Preakness 2026 will commence without the Kentucky Derby winner for the second year in a row. Racing fans have every right to be upset at this maddening trend, but at least this year's Preakness offers a fantastic wagering opportunity.
Journalism won last year's Preakness Stakes at even money. This year's morning-line favorite is 9-2, and with five horses vying for favoritism, the favorite may go off every bit of 9-2 or more. A full field and no standout will lead to exotic wagers paying well no matter what the result is. With that in mind, I rank the entire Preakness Stakes field below from first to last.
1st, Incredibolt (5-1). On pure talent alone, this colt ranks near the top of this field. But when one factors in the expected race flow, the son of Bolt d'Oro stands out. He is one of the few runners in this field who is proven around two turns and is a confirmed closer in a race that is filled with early speed. He will have no problem with the distance and will be flying past a bunch of tired horses late. Incredibolt was an intriguing Kentucky Derby long shot after completing the fastest final three-furlongs of anyone in the field in their final prep. He outran his odds and ran on decently to be sixth in the Kentucky Derby, and Ocelli is the only Kentucky Derby runner who finished ahead of him who returns for the Preakness. Many question the quality of the Virginia Derby field he defeated, but it is important to note Ocelli was well behind him that day. He is a two-time stakes winner in a field lacking accomplished runners, and his class and style should be too much for his rivals to overcome.
2nd, Chip Honcho (5-1). This race is full of runners who are trying to prove they can go two turns and can handle a step up in competition. He is one of only three horses in this field who has a stakes win around two turns. It is not a coincidence that those three horses are right at the top of my rankings. His runner-up performance in the Grade 2 Risen Star is by far the most impressive effort by anyone in this field. He narrowly lost to a top horse in Paladin while finishing more than five lengths clear of eventual Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo. I feel that huge effort left him a tired horse when he returned to fade in the Louisiana Derby (G2). He now has been given plenty of time to regroup as Jose Ortiz jumps aboard. He will have to contend with plenty of other early speed, but I do not think he needs the lead and he should be able to outlast the other front-runners.
3rd, Taj Mahal (5-1). As the local prep for this race, the Federico Tesio Stakes winner often tries his hand in the Preakness Stakes. The prep winner usually is considered a bit of an afterthought in this race, but this year's winner should not be ignored. This pricey son of Nyquist always has had lofty expectations, and he has shown he can win from on the lead or off the pace. From the rail draw, he likely will be sent to the lead and might be the speed of the speed. He will take these as far as he can over a track that he knows very well, with three wins over the surface. He has not defeated much thus far in his career, but this is not the strongest renewal of the Preakness Stakes and this horse could be good enough to win for the home team.
4th, Iron Honor (9-2). We have seen this move work to perfection before for Chad Brown, and that is the main reason this colt might go off as the Preakness favorite. Cloud Computing and Early Voting were both lightly raced horses who lost the Wood Memorial (G2), skipped the Kentucky Derby and won the Preakness Stakes. Iron Honor follows the same pattern, and it is not hard to make a case for this colt as he removes blinkers for this start. His first two starts were fast, and he did not have an ideal trip in the Wood Memorial when fading to seventh. He has a nice style and without the blinkers should sit a stalking trip in a race loaded with speed. He most prove he can handle the distance and the level of competition, but his raw ability and his connections make him a logical contender.
5th, The Hell We Did (15-1). This well-bred half-brother to Senor Buscador should be able to handle routing even though he has yet to win beyond six furlongs. He ran a decent second when stretching out for the first time in the Lexington Stakes (G3), and he should be able to build off of that effort. He pressed the pace that day but showed he was very effective from off of the pace in his prior start when visually impressive at Sunland Park. He takes a step up in competition but could be sneaky at a big price with Luis Saez aboard.
6th, Corona de Oro (30-1). This colt is interesting at a big price in the Preakness. His Lexington Stakes was a bit disappointing, but his prior two efforts put him squarely in the mix from a speed-figure perspective. He made the lead by default in the Lexington, but he might be better sitting just off of the pace and he will sit that trip with John Velazquez aboard on Saturday. Trainer Dallas Stewart has been known to fill out the exotics of Triple Crown races with large long shots. The concern with this runner is that his two races with Lasix have been his best efforts. He will not get Lasix on Saturday. For this reason, I would not include him on tickets if he was 3-1, but at 30-1, it is easy to be more forgiving.
7th, Ocelli (6-1). The maiden's form prior to the Kentucky Derby made him a deserving 70-1 in the race and now bettors will get less than one-tenth of that price in the Preakness. He ran a fantastic race in the Kentucky Derby as he even took the lead at one point in the lane, but he seems to be the type of horse who is unable to repeat such a gigantic effort two weeks later. The race sets up nicely for his closing style, but off of that effort, I would not bet him back in a maiden race on Saturday, let alone in the Preakness.
8th, Napoleon Solo (8-1). Watching this horse run feels like watching a basketball game with Lakers' fans. There is talent, but every time he comes up short there is a new excuse. He was short off a layoff for the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2), and apparently he was still short after missing a work for the Wood Memorial last time. He also set the pace in a Wood Memorial that fell apart. Those excuses hold some merit, but it is also possible that he has not progressed as a 3-year-old and that he is much better around one turn. He tired when involved in a fast early pace in the Wood Memorial, and the pace in this race does not appear to be any slower while the distance is even further. Look for him to factor next out when shortening up.
9th, Great White (15-1). This large gray horse is tough to gauge. He was scratched at the gate in the Kentucky Derby and enters this race off of a poor effort in his only dirt start in the Blue Grass (G1). It is possible that he can not handle the dirt. It is also possible that tactics were to blame for his poor performance as he went to the lead for the first time before fading badly. He certainly will be off the pace in this race, and if he runs back to his John Battaglia Memorial Stakes win then he could factor. He is an interesting price play, but there are a bit too many unknowns for my liking.
10th, Talkin (20-1). Irad Ortiz Jr. hops aboard this long shot, but it is hard to make a case for him. He had good form in his first two starts around one turn, but he has not progressed as the distances have increased. He sat good trips in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and Blue Grass and was empty late in both starts. Someone had to run third in a weak renewal of the Blue Grass, but he was never competitive and is hard to trust in this spot.
11th, Robusta (30-1). Doug O'Neill will attempt to win his second Preakness, but unlike I'll Have Another, this colt is an outsider. He ran a solid race in the San Felipe Stakes (G2), but his subsequent efforts in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and Kentucky Derby have left a lot to be desired. Like many others in this field, he does his best running on or near the lead, and he might find himself aurther back than he is accustomed to early on.
12th, Pretty Boy Miah (15-1). From a speed-figure perspective, this gelding offers nice value at 15-1, but it is hard to envision him sitting a favorable trip. He is marooned in post 14 and has speed in a race full of front-runners. He will have to be ridden hard out of the gate to secure position and is likely to get caught up in fast fractions while stretching out beyond a one-turn mile for the first time.
13th, Bull by the Horns (30-1). Saffie Joseph Jr. is always dangerous, but aside from the trainer angle it is hard to make a case for this colt who has yet to run a Beyer Speed Figure higher than 70. His lone win outside of the maiden ranks came at Turfway Park over its synthetic surface.
14th, Crupper (30-1). This colt took a large step up to win against stakes company last out at Oaklawn. His prior form left plenty to desire, and he took advantage of a perfect trip when winning last time. He is too slow and does not have the right style to factor.