Gene Menez revealed his Preakness Stakes 2026 picks for the second leg of the Triple Crown on Saturday, May 16 at Laurel Park in Maryland
By Daniel Kohn May 14, 2026 at 3:01 pm ET • 3 min read 
Imagn Images The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing reaches its middle leg on Saturday at Laurel Park. That's when and where the 2026 Preakness Stakes will take place, marking exactly two weeks after the Kentucky Derby. After the Preakness Stakes 2026, there is a three-week break before the Triple Crown reaches its conclusion with the Belmont Stakes. There will be no Triple Crown pursuit this year as Derby winner Golden Tempo is bypassing the 2026 Preakness Stakes.
With him out, there is an open field of thoroughbreds to place horse racing bets on. Six of the 14-horse field for Saturday has single-digit Preakness Stakes odds, headlined by the favorite Iron Honor (9-2). Others include Taj Mahal (5-1), Chip Honcho (5-1) and Napoleon Solo (8-1). 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 Gene Menez.
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A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI's handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010.
In 2015, while writing for Sports on Earth, Menez accurately gave out the Kentucky Derby superfecta (American Pharoah, Firing Line, Dortmund and Frosted), which paid $1,268.20 for $2. Then in 2017, he tweeted out his Kentucky Derby picks, including Always Dreaming to win, and hit the Pick 4, which paid almost $6,900 on a $1 bet. In 2024, Menez gave out 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby. In last year's Kentucky Derby, he hammered the exacta and trifecta for a $1,045 payout. Anyone who has followed his horse racing betting advice could be way up.
Now, Menez has handicapped the 2026 Preakness Stakes field and revealed his picks. Go here to see them.
Top 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions
One of Menez's surprising 2026 Preakness Stakes picks: He is fading the favorite, Iron Honor. The horse won his first two starts, which came at 3/4 mile and 1 mile. But then he attempted the 1 1/8 mile distance at the Wood Memorial and had a disastrous finish, placing seventh. The Preakness will be even longer than the Wood Memorial, making it hard to feel confident about his chances versus an even stronger field. While Iron Honor's sire, Nyquist, won the 2016 Kentucky Derby, he didn't fare as well at that year's Preakness. Just like Iron Honor, Nyquist was the Preakness favorite but placed third, which ended his undefeated racing career after winning each of his first eight races. There are just too many red flags for Iron Honor to justify backing him with Preakness Stakes bets. See who to back at SportsLine.
Another stunner: Menez is high on The Hell We Did, even though he is a longshot at 15-1. "He also should sit the perfect trip behind the speed horses and in front of the late-running closers who are returning in two weeks," Menez told SportsLine. Menez is using The Hell We Did prominently in his wagers.
The Hell We Did is fresh off a second-place finish at the 2026 Lexington G3 at Keeneland. He was first at the March 2026 SUN ALW at Sunland Park, N.M. The Hell We Did placed second this past November at Zia Park Juvenile. He started his career with a win at the MSW at Remington Park in Oklahoma City in October. See which other horses to back at SportsLine.
How to make 2026 Preakness Stakes picks, bets
Menez's top pick is a horse who was "brilliantly fast." He also is high on a double-digit longshot who is "finally fit." Menez 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 longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2026 Preakness Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Menez's picks for the Preakness Stakes, all from the expert who had a $1,045 payout at last year's race.
