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 15, 2026 at 9:00 pm ET • 3 min read 
Imagn Images The 2026 Preakness Stakes will have a different vibe. Not only will be the race be at a new location at Laurel Park, but longtime trainer Bob Baffert will not have a horse in this year's Preakness. Due to renovations at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, the 151st running of the Preakness has been moved approximately 30 miles southwest to Laurel, Md. Baffert has won the Preakness a record eight times, including four since 2010.
Baffert will go without a starter in the race for the first time since 2022 when he was under suspension. Iron Honor enters as the 9-2 favorite at the 2026 Preakness, which has a post time of 6:50 p.m. ET on Saturday. 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: Demling is high on Napoleon Solo (8-1). Despite having the sixth-best odds to win and running from post No. 10, Demling likes what he sees from the Chad Summers-trained colt in a wide open Preakness field. The last horse to leave from post No. 10 and win the Preakness was Real Quiet in 1998.
Napoleon Solo, who won his first two races, is coming off back-to-back fifth-place finishes. On April 4, he took fifth at the dirt-fast 2026 Wood Memorial. He was also fifth at the 2026 Fountain of Youth this past February. His wins were at the MSW race at Saratoga in August, and at the 1-mile 2025 Champagne G1 at Aqueduct Racetrack in October. 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. The horse is 0 for 3 over his last three starts, with just one of those being an ITM finish. He finished fifth in his last race at the Louisiana Derby, which is the exact same distance as the Preakness Stakes. Chip Honcho will also have to adjust to extended rest, and potentially rust, as he'll be coming off nearly a two-month break after racing once a month from October 2025 thru March 2026.
The horse is trained by two-time Preakness winner Steve Asmussen, but it's been a while since Asmussen was in the winner's circle. The Hall of Famer last won in 2009, while he's 0 for 13 with Preakness starters since then. He's had as many horses finish ninth or worse (four) as he's had ITM finishes over this stretch as Demling as steering clear of Chip Honcho with Preakness Stakes picks. 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.
