Jody Demling, who has called 11 Preakness winners, reveals his 2026 Preakness Stakes picks for Saturday, May 16 at Laurel Park with Golden Tempo not in the field
By Ross Kelly May 10, 2026 at 11:10 am ET • 2 min read 
Imagn Images The 2026 Preakness Stakes is now less than a week away as the 151st running of the Grade-I stakes race is set for Saturday, May 16. The first 150 runs were at Pimlico Race Course, but construction at that track moves the Preakness Stakes 2026 to Laurel Park, in Laurel, Md. Golden Tempo's connections announced earlier this week that he will skip the Preakness, making him the third Kentucky Derby winner in the past five years to follow that path. Bet on the Preakness at FanDuel Racing now. Claim your new user bonus here:
The early 2026 Preakness Stakes odds list Crude Velocity as the 4-1 favorite. Several other 2026 Preakness Stakes horses are bunched together after that such as Iron Honor (19-1), Taj Mahal (20-1) and Cherokee Nation (22-1). Before making any 2026 Preakness Stakes picks, be sure to see the 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions and best bets from SportsLine's elite horse racing expert Jody Demling.
A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling hit the top three finishers in the 2025 Kentucky Derby in the correct order. He also called 11 of the last 21 Preakness winners, including 2023, when he hit the winner, exacta, trifecta and superfecta. He hit the trifecta in the 2024 Preakness Stakes and nailed Journalism as the 2025 Preakness winner. Anyone who has followed him on horse racing betting sites could be way up.
Now, with the 2026 Preakness Stakes approaching and horse racing futures odds on the board, Demling is sharing his 2026 Preakness Stakes betting picks and 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions over at SportsLine. Go to SportsLine to see them.
Top 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions
One of Demling's surprising 2026 Preakness Stakes picks: He is high on Taj Mahal, even though he's a double-digit longshot at 20-1. The stars might align for Taj Mahal, an undefeated colt who has run all of his career races at Laurel Park.
He was extremely comfortable in wins at the Federico Tesio Stakes and the Miracle Wood Stakes over the past few months at Laurel. He won the Federico Tesio on a fast track, while he won the Miracle Wood in muddy conditions, showing impressive versatility. "Trainer Brittney Russell will saddle the local star; the son of Derby winner Nyquist is 3-for-3 with all of his races at Laurel Park," Demling said. "A home field advantage?" See which other horses to back at SportsLine. Bet on the Preakness at DK Horse. Sign up for DraftKings Racing here:
How to make 2026 Preakness Stakes picks, bets
Demling is also especially high on an epic double-digit longshot who's well-rested and the perfect fit for the Preakness. Anyone who backs this sleeper pick could hit it big. Demling is sharing which horse it is, along with his entire projected 2026 Preakness Stakes leaderboard, over at SportsLine.
Which horse wins the Preakness Stakes 2026, and which stunning longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2026 Preakness Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling's picks for the Preakness Stakes, all from the expert who has nailed the last three winners.
