Michelle Yu reveals her Preakness Stakes 2026 best bets for the annual Run for the Black-Eyed Susans on Saturday, May 16, at Laurel Park
By Daniel Kohn May 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm ET • 3 min read 
Imagn Images The 2026 Preakness Stakes is rapidly approaching with post time at 6:50 p.m. ET on Saturday from Laurel Park in Laurel, Md., the temporary home for this race while Pimlico Race Course undergoes renovation. The purse is $2 million, and this Grade I race runs at 1 3/16 miles, making it the shortest race in the Triple Crown. Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo is not in the 2026 Preakness Stakes field.
The 2026 Preakness Stakes odds list Iron Honor (9-2) as the favorite. Other top 2026 Preakness Stakes contenders include Chip Honcho, Incredibolt and Taj Mahal, all at 5-1. Before making any 2026 Preakness Stakes picks, you'll want to see the 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions from SportsLine's Michelle Yu.
Claim the latest DK Horse promo code to win a share of $151,000 if you wager $5 on the winning horse:
She started off 2025 by correctly going all-in on Citizen Bull to win the Robert B. Lewis Stakes, and she also predicted Forever Young's win in the Saudi Cup, Journalism's win in the San Felipe Stakes, Sandman's win in the Arkansas Derby and Mindframe's win in the Churchill Downs Stakes. She also hit the exacta in the 2025 Kentucky Derby. In August she hit the Fierceness-Journalism exacta in the Pacific Classic, and in March 2026 she nailed the Renegade-Silent Tactic-Taptastic trifecta in the Arkansas Derby.
Now, with the 2026 Preakness Stakes post positions set and odds on the board, Yu is sharing her 2026 Preakness Stakes betting picks and 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions over at SportsLine. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions
One surprise: Yu likes Taj Mahal, one of the second favorites at 5-1. Taj Mahal has only run at Laurel Park, and he's done so extremely well, winning all three starts.
"This undefeated Brittany Russell trainee is certainly a horse for the course, having notched all three lifetime wins over this track," yu told SportsLine. "He cost more than $500,000 at auction, so expectations have always surrounded him, and so far he has lived up to them. He will get a class test on Saturday, but he deserves the opportunity. He isn't inching out these wins; he's winning going away. A woman won the Derby; maybe one wins the Preakness too?" See which other 2026 Preakness Stakes horses to back at SportsLine.
Another one of Yu's surprising Preakness Stakes picks: She is not taking Iron Honor as her top win contender. Iron Honor is the favorite at 9-2, but it's debatable if he has the credentials to earn such a distinction. Iron Honor started his career with back-to-back wins, including one at the Gotham Stakes.
He struggled mightily at the Wood Memorial in April, finishing seventh in the only race he's ever run at more than 1 mile. In a 2026 Preakness Stakes field with intriguing longshots and a logjam near the top of the odds board, Yu has found better values. See which other horses to fade at SportsLine.
How to make 2026 Preakness Stakes picks
Instead, Yu's top pick is a horse who is in "super shape." She's also high on a massive double-digit longshot who is "sneaky." She's sharing which 2026 Preakness Stakes horses to back at SportsLine.
So who wins the 2026 Preakness Stakes? What double-digit longshot is a must-back, and how has Yu constructed her wagers? Visit SportsLine to see Yu's picks for the Preakness Stakes, all from the Santa Anita-based racing insider who has a long history of success in the Preakness Stakes, and find out.
