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 following Monday's Preakness post draw
By Ross Kelly May 14, 2026 at 9:45 am ET • 3 min read 
Imagn Images For the eighth year in a row, there will not be a Triple Crown winner. With Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo sitting out the 2026 Preakness Stakes, Iron Honor has been instilled as the 9-2 favorite. Saturday's post time from Laurel Park in Laurel, Md., is set for 7:01 p.m. ET. It will be the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes, but it will not be run at its usual home of Pimlico Race Course, which is undergoing a $400 million renovation.
Among the other favorites are Taj Mahal, Incredibolt and Chip Honcho, all at 5-1. Ocelli is at 6-1, followed by Napoleon Solo at 8-1 and The Hell We Did, Great White and Pretty Boy Miah, all at 15-1. 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.
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Now, with the 2026 Preakness Stakes field now set, 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 Napoleon Solo, even though he's a longer shot at 8-1. The Chad Summers-trained colt is owned by Gold Square LLC. He has had a fast start to his career as he won the MSW dirt-fast race at Saratoga last August, and followed that up with a win at the G1 Champagne Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack in October.
Since then, however, he finished fifth at the 2026 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park in February, and was fifth at the 2026 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 4. Despite that dip in productivity, Demling is confident he can bounce back. Napoleon Solo was sired by Liam's Map, who had a successful career in 2014 and 2015, posting six wins and two second-place finishes. See which other horses to back at SportsLine.
Another surprise: He's fading Chip Honcho, even though he's one of the favorites at 5-1. He did finish second at the Risen Star Stakes and won the Gun Runner Stakes, but a fifth-place finish at the Louisiana Derby brings some concerns about his ability to compete against this field.
"Trainer Steve Asmussen felt like the Derby was too much for the son of Connect. But does he fit any better with this group?" Demling said. See which other horses to fade at SportsLine.
How to make 2026 Preakness Stakes picks, bets
Demling is also especially high on an epic double-digit longshot "with a chance" to win it all. 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.
