Majestic Prince: A Racehorse Who Lived Up to His Name
Incredibolt, Iron Honor, and Taj Mahal are three leading contenders in a wide-open 151st running of the Preakness Stakes May 16 at Laurel Park. (Eclipse Sportswire)
This year’s Preakness Stakes on May 16 will be remembered as unique when racing historians look back years from now. The 151st edition of the second jewel in U.S. horse racing’s Triple Crown will be held for the first, and probably only, time at Laurel Park in suburban Baltimore, Md.
Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, the traditional home of the Preakness, is currently undergoing a complete reconstruction of its facility, which began after the 150th Preakness in 2025 was won in memorable fashion by Journalism.
With the smaller Laurel Park as substitute host, attendance will be limited to around 4,800, and the buildup to the race took a hit when Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve upset winner Golden Tempo was withdrawn from consideration and pointed to the June 6 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets. Still, the Preakness will draw national attention, offering a $2 million purse and a spot in horse racing history to the winner. The 1 3/16-mile race will be televised live on NBC and streamed on Peacock, with a post time of 7:01 p.m. ET.
Bet two-day, multi-race wagers with 1/ST BET!
The Preakness anchors a sensational two days of racing and betting at Laurel Park that starts Friday, May 15 with the George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes for 3-year-old fillies and five other stakes races. The Maryland Jockey Club offers a Black-Eyed Susan/Preakness Stakes Double for bettors on Friday, with a $1 minimum bet and 21% takeout.
Also starting on Friday, MJC offers two special wagers: the Preakness All Stakes Two Day Pick 5 and the Preakness All Dirt Two Day Pick 5. Both bets have a 50-cent minimum and 12% takeout, and there is a mandatory payout for all three pools on May 16.
The races for the All Stakes Two Day Pick 5 are: Very One Stakes (Friday), George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (Friday), Gallorette Stakes (Saturday), Jim McKay Turf Sprint Stakes (Saturday), and Preakness Stakes (Saturday).
The races for the All Dirt Two Day Pick 5 are: Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes (Friday), Pimlico Special Stakes (Friday), Chick Lang Stakes (Saturday), Maryland Sprint Stakes (Saturday), and Preakness Stakes (Saturday).
A full, competitive 14-horse field is entered in the Preakness Stakes. Get information about each of the contenders plus gambling insights in our Cheat Sheet presented by 1/ST BET.
Jeffrey Snyder/Maryland Jockey Club
1. Taj Mahal (5-1 morning-line odds)
Jockey: Sheldon Russell
Trainer: Brittany Russell
Career record: 3 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $178,200
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 97
Pedigree: Nyquist – Oola Gal, by Quality Road
Color: Bay
Running style: Pacesetter/press the pace
Analysis: Taj Mahal carries the local hopes for Preakness 151 as he’s undefeated in three career starts, all on Laurel Park’s dirt track. He earned an automatic berth to the Preakness in mid-April by winning the 1 1/8-mile Federico Tesio Stakes by a commanding 8 ¼ lengths, setting the pace throughout while never seriously challenged. Most years, the Federico Tesio winner doesn’t get much respect from Preakness bettors, but this year will be very different and Taj Mahal should vie for post-time favoritism. Why? He’s won in dominant fashion and also by showing courage (a neck win in February’s one-mile Miracle Wood Stakes), his speed figures have increased from start to start, and he’s a son of Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, making him well-suited to added distance. It would be a great story if the Maryland-based husband and wife team of jockey Sheldon Russell and trainer Brittany Russell won the Preakness, and Taj Mahal gives them a good chance to do so. The main note of caution: even though this year’s Preakness field lacks star power, it still represents a higher level of competition than the local horses Taj Mahal has handled so far in his career. He should be one of several horses contesting the early pace Saturday provided he gets a clean break from the inside post position.
Bet Taj Mahal in the Preakness Stakes with 1/ST BET.
Eclipse Sportswire
2. Ocelli (6-1)
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Trainer: Whit Beckman
Owners: Ashley Durr, Anthony Tate, and Front Page Equestrian
Career record: 7 starts – 0 wins – 1 second – 4 thirds
Career earnings: $609,800
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 99
Pedigree: Connect – Zalia, by Scat Daddy
Color: Bay
Running style: Closer
Analysis: A maiden (a horse without a career win) has not prevailed in the Preakness since 1888 … that’s a long time. If there ever was a year in the race’s modern history for such a rare event to happen, however, it’s this one. Ocelli is 0-for-7 lifetime, although as noted on America’s Best Racing’s X account, he actually did win a training race not offered for wagering at age 2 in Aiken S.C. The Connect colt ran well in his first three official starts during fall and winter, finishing second once and third twice, but appeared overmatched when moved up to stakes company with two sixth-place efforts. However, in his last two starts Ocelli has been much better, finishing third by 1 ¼ lengths at odds of 28.21-1 odds in the 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct and then third by a length as a 70.50-1 longshot in the 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby May 2. Ocelli briefly led late in the Kentucky Derby and almost pulled off a massive upset, and trainer Whit Beckman told reporters the colt came out of the Derby in great shape and will try again, with 2019 Preakness winner Tyler Gaffalione remaining in the saddle. He won’t be anywhere near 70-1 odds in the Preakness, and an effort similar to his race under the Twin Spires, with the aid of a fast early pace, might be good enough to get Ocelli to the Laurel winner’s circle and end a 138-year drought.
Bet Ocelli in the Preakness Stakes with 1/ST BET.
Eclipse Sportswire
3. Crupper (30-1)
Jockey: Junior Alvarado
Trainer: Donnie Von Hemel
Owner: Robert Zoellner
Career record: 6 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 3 thirds
Career earnings: $210,665
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 91
Pedigree: Candy Ride – She’s All In, by Include
Color: Bay
Running style: Press the pace/stalker
Analysis: Crupper fits the profile of several other Preakness Stakes contenders – a horse who has run well overall in his young career without ever authoring a performance that would put him among the top of his age group. He has finished in the top three in all four starts this year, all coming at Oaklawn Park and around two turns. The son of elite sire Candy Ride stepped his form up a notch in his most recent start, a gate-to-wire win in the 1 1/8-mile Bathhouse Row Stakes at Oaklawn in mid-April, gaining an automatic Preakness Stakes berth. He responded to a challenge on the turn and kept on gamely through the stretch to hold off a late bid from another contender and prevail by a half-length under first-time rider Junior Alvarado. Alvarado, who won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes last year aboard Sovereignty, retains the mount for the Preakness and should have this colt forwardly placed again. He’s bred to handle extra distance, and if he can take a similar jump in class Saturday he’s got a good chance at boosting payouts in exotic bets such as the exacta and/or trifecta.
Bet Crupper in the Preakness Stakes with 1/ST BET.
Eclipse Sportswire
4. Robusta (30-1)
Jockey: Rafael Bejarano
Trainer: Doug O’Neill
Owner: Calumet Farm
Career record: 6 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $83,500
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 93
Pedigree: Accelerate – Urbane Legend, by Into Mischief
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Press the pace/stalker
Analysis: Robusta joins Incredibolt and Ocelli in the trio of horses wheeling back from the Kentucky Derby to compete in the Preakness two weeks later. He comes in off of a nonthreatening 14th-place finish among 18 total starters, checking in 17 ½ lengths behind Golden Tempo. The California-based colt had joined the Kentucky Derby trail with a very good runner-up finish in the San Felipe Stakes Presented by DK Horse going 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita Park in early March, when he lost by a head, but then folded after contesting the pace in the 1 1/8-mile Santa Anita Derby and finished seventh by 16 lengths before making an unsuccessful trip to Churchill Downs. Robusta is bred to handle the 1 3/16-mile Preakness distance, but his form is headed in the wrong direction for 2012 Preakness-winning trainer Doug O’Neill, to put it mildly. Look for him to be part of what could be a solid early pace under first-time rider Rafael Bejarano. Were Robusta to pull off the improbable upset, he would become the ninth Preakness winner for Calumet Farm. Calumet leads all owners in this race’s history with eight wins, the first seven coming when owned by the Wright family during the 20th century and the eighth occurring in 2013 when Oxbow won for Brad Kelley, who purchased the storied Kentucky farm a year earlier.
Bet Robusta in the Preakness Stakes with 1/ST BET.
Eclipse Sportswire
5. Talkin (20-1)
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Trainer: Danny Gargan
Career record: 5 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 1 third
Career earnings: $288,625
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 88
Pedigree: Good Magic – Rote, by Tiznow
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker
Analysis: Talkin won his career debut last summer near the end of Saratoga’s summer meet and was immediately elevated to stakes competition, running second by 6 ½ lengths to Napoleon Solo in the one-mile Champagne Stakes at Aqueduct. Since then, he’s not shown much in three more Kentucky Derby preps, checking in ninth in the Remsen Stakes, fifth in his 2026 debut in the ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby, and then third by 12 ¾ lengths most recently in the 1 1/8-mile Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland in early April. The colt’s speed figures have stalled in the mid-80s, and even in a pedestrian Preakness Stakes field, he’ll have difficulty making an impact in the race unless major improvement occurs. Two positives are his pedigree, which is suited for two-turn races, and the fact that he’ll get the services of leading jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. for the first time Saturday. Look for Ortiz to position Talkin in midpack behind several front-runners, which could be a good position to angle out and attempt to surge past those horses at the top of the stretch. He’ll need to run the best race of his career by far in order to pull an upset.
Bet Talkin in the Preakness Stakes with 1/ST BET.
Anne M. Eberhardt/BloodHorse
6. Chip Honcho (5-1)
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Owners: Leland Ackerley Racing, James Sherwood, Jode Shupe, and John Cilia
Career record: 6 starts – 2 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $280,475
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 98
Pedigree: Connect – Miss My Rose, by Magician
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Press the pace/stalker
Analysis: Chip Honcho figures to be one of the top three or four betting favorites in Preakness 151 based on the company he kept at Fair Grounds over the winter and spring. He competed in all four of that track’s Kentucky Derby prep races, winning the Gun Runner Stakes, finishing fourth in the Lecomte Stakes, finishing a good runner-up to Paladin in the Fasig-Tipton Risen Star Stakes, and then ending with a disappointing fifth-place effort in the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby. Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo came out of the Fair Grounds prep series to make history, and now this colt trained by two-time Preakness Stakes winner Steve Amsussen will attempt to do the same. He’s got a forwardly placed running style that should work well on Laurel Park’s dirt track. Perhaps best of all, he gets the services of this year’s Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Jose Ortiz, who will ride Chip Honcho for the first time. Look for Ortiz to park Chip Honcho in a stalking position just behind the early leaders before making a bid for the lead on the far turn or top of the stretch.
Bet Chip Honcho in the Preakness Stakes with 1/ST BET.
Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
7. The Hell We Did (15-1)
Jockey: Luis Saez
Trainer: Todd Fincher
Owner: Peacock Family Stable
Career record: 4 starts – 2 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $134,818
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 95
Pedigree: Authentic – Rose’s Desert, by Desert God
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker
Analysis: The Hell We Did might be somewhat overlooked in pari-mutuel wagering come post time Saturday evening in the Preakness, making him a longshot worth considering. He comes in off of a runner-up finish to Trendsetter in the 1 1/16-mile Stonestreet Lexington Stakes mid-April at Keeneland, where he was outkicked by that longshot winner in the stretch but finished three-quarters of a length in front of Corona de Oro. Prior to the Lexington, The Hell We Did made three starts on the Southwest racing circuit, winning his debut at Remington Park, finishing second in a stakes at Zia Park, and then romping by 13 lengths in his 3-year-old debut in March at Sunland Park. All three of those races were held at six furlongs, which makes The Hell We Did’s two-turn debut in the Lexington look even better. He has an excellent pedigree for handling route races as a son of 2020 Kentucky Derby winner Authentic and a half-brother (same dam [mother], different sire [father]) to five stakes winners, the best of which is Saudi Cup winner Senor Buscador. He’s certainly eligible to improve in his second start at a route distance with Luis Saez staying aboard after the Lexington, and if he does a Preakness upset is within reach.
Bet The Hell We Did in the Preakness Stakes with 1/ST BET.
Eclipse Sportswire
8. Bull by the Horns (30-1)
Jockey: Micah Husbands
Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr.
Owners: Peachtree Stable and Mark Corrado
Career record: 5 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 2 thirds
Career earnings: $187,115
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 83
Pedigree: Essential Quality – No Sweat, by Blame
Color: Gray or roan
Running style: Closer
Analysis: Bull by the Horns was withdrawn from the Peter Pan Stakes May 9 to run in the Preakness instead. He profiles as a longshot contender who, aside from a seventh-place finish in the Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes in late February, has been competitive in his young career. He comes in off of a rallying half-length win in the 1 1/16-mile Rushaway Stakes March 21 at Turfway Park, which was held on an all-weather surface. Bull by the Horns also owns a win on dirt, a 6 ½-length score in a one-turn mile maiden race at Gulfstream Park last fall. His speed figures are modest, but this year’s Preakness field is not one for the ages. If he can move forward off of the Rushaway win in his return to dirt, this son of 2021 Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality has a shot to finish in the Preakness top three at high odds.
Bet Bull by the Horns in the Preakness Stakes with 1/ST BET.
Walter Wlodarczyk/NYRA
9. Iron Honor (9-2)
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Trainer: Chad Brown
Owners: St. Elias Stable, William Lawrence, and Glassman Racing
Career record: 3 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $229,250
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 91
Pedigree: Nyquist – Orencia, by Blame
Color: Bay
Running style: Press the pace/stalker
Analysis: Iron Honor is the (very) slight morning-line Preakness favorite at 9-2 odds due to his accomplished connections and also bettors’ expectation that he’ll rebound from a disappointing seventh-place finish in the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct in April. He entered the Wood undefeated, albeit in only two starts, and was the 2.95-1 favorite in a large field. Iron Honor was bumped early and stalked the pace all the way into early stretch before tiring, finishing 4 ¼ lengths behind upset winner Albus. Ocelli finished third in the Wood Memorial at odds of 28.21-1 odds, and Iron Honor will face that colt again in the Preakness after Ocelli nearly won the Kentucky Derby as a 70.50-1 longshot. Iron Honor’s Wood effort was better than it looks on paper, and he won Aqueduct’s one-mile Gotham Stakes by a length one race prior. Trainer Chad Brown has two Preakness wins on his résumé with Cloud Computing and Early Voting, both lightly raced, talented New York-based runners that bypassed the Kentucky Derby and peaked in the Preakness. Iron Honor fits that bill and is a win threat on Saturday, with 2021 Preakness-winning jockey Flavien Prat riding for the first time. He’ll race with blinkers removed Saturday after wearing them in his three prior starts.
Bet Iron Honor in the Preakness Stakes with 1/ST BET.
Jeffrey Snyder/Maryland Jockey Club
10. Napoleon Solo (8-1)
Jockey: Paco Lopez
Trainer: Chad Summers
Owner: Gold Square
Career record: 4 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $360,250
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 99
Pedigree: Liam’s Map – Atomic Blonde, by Scat Daddy
Color: Gray or roan
Running style: Press the pace
Analysis: Napoleon Solo was one of the leading 2-year-olds of 2025, finishing his debut season 2-for-2 with an impressive 6 ½-length blowout win in the one-turn mile Champagne Stakes in New York. He’s been brought along patiently so far at age 3 but has disappointed in his two starts, finishing a well-defeated fifth in the Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park in February and then fifth again in the 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct in April. He actually ran well in the Wood, setting a contested early pace and holding on until midway through the stretch before tiring to finish 2 ¾ lengths behind winner Albus and 1 ½ lengths behind third-place Ocelli, whom he’ll meet again in the Preakness. Napoleon Solo might be best-suited to shorter races but will get another two-turn try in the Preakness, and Paco Lopez, who was aboard for the first time in the Wood, retains the mount. Look for Lopez to be aggressive with Napoleon Solo out of the starting gate and contest the early pace. Can he put it all together in his third start of the year? It’s not out of the question facing an average Preakness field.
Bet Napoleon Solo in the Preakness Stakes with 1/ST BET.
Eclipse Sportswire
11. Corona de Oro (30-1)
Jockey: John Velazquez
Trainer: Dallas Stewart
Career record: 5 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 2 thirds
Career earnings: $92,450
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 91
Pedigree: Bolt d’Oro – Lemon de Oro, by Lemon Drop Kid
Color: Bay
Running style: Press the pace
Analysis: Corona de Oro was the fourth also-eligible for the Kentucky Derby and almost made the field but was locked out when only three contenders were withdrawn before the May 1 deadline. Now he’s in the Preakness as a longshot who has steadily improved through three starts at age 3 this year and will need to reach a higher level to pull the upset. He made his first two starts of 2026 at Fair Grounds, including a 4 ½-length romp in a 1 1/16-mile maiden race, and then finished third in the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes at Keeneland in April held at the same distance. Corona de Oro contested the pace in the Lexington and tired in the stretch, but he was only three lengths behind upset winner Trendsetter, who returned to finish third in the May 9 Peter Pan Stakes. Look for this colt to be among the flight of early runners in the Preakness, and a step forward could help him hang around long enough in the stretch to finish in the top four. Hall of Famer John Velazquez, who won the 2023 Preakness aboard National Treasure, gets in the saddle for the first time.
Bet Corona de Oro in the Preakness Stakes with 1/ST BET.
Eclipse Sportswire
12. Incredibolt (5-1)
Jockey: Jaime Torres
Trainer: Riley Mott
Owner: Pin Oak Stud
Career record: 6 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $498,681
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 95
Pedigree: Bolt d’Oro – Sapphire Spitfire, by Awesome Again
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Stalker
Analysis: The Preakness Stakes received a boost May 11 when trainer Riley Mott said Kentucky Derby sixth-place finisher Incredibolt would be entered in the field. The Bolt d’Oro colt ran well in the Kentucky Derby, rallying wide and recovering from a midstretch bump by Derby runner-up Renegade to finish gamely. He was a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby at odds of 23.70-1 coming in off of a dominant four-length win in the 1 1/8-mile Virginia Derby Presented by New Kent County in March at Colonial Downs. Incredibolt won’t be overlooked in the Preakness, however, and he figures to be one of the top two or three betting choices. He has an ideal stalking running style for this race based on its pace scenario, as he projects to settle in midpack behind a handful of speed horses, possibly saving ground, before angling out under jockey Jaime Torres for a closing charge. Torres, who won the 2024 Preakness Stakes aboard Seize the Grey in his first appearance in the classic, has ridden Incredibolt in all six of his starts, including a two-turn stakes win going 1 1/16 miles last fall at Churchill Downs.
Bet Incredibolt in the Preakness Stakes with 1/ST BET.
Eclipse Sportswire
13. Great White (15-1)
Jockey: Alex Achard
Trainer: John Ennis
Owners: Three Chimneys Farm and John Ennis
Career record: 4 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $202,495
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 91
Pedigree: Volatile – Kelly Bag, by Uncle Mo
Color: Gray or roan
Running style: Stalker
Analysis: Great White gets a do-over in the Preakness Stakes after he flipped just before entering the gate for the Kentucky Derby and unseated jockey Alex Achard, a scary moment for 150,000-plus fans at Churchill Downs and millions watching on TV. He had drawn into the Kentucky Derby as an also-eligible and received some betting support as a longshot in the 20-1 range (down from 50-1 on the morning line) but was scratched after the incident. Trainer John Ennis told reporters that Great White has made a full recovery and will start in the Preakness, and he could once again be an underlay (a horse whose odds are lower than they should be based on form) due to fans supporting him after his unfortunate Derby and also because of his massive size, flashy coat, and name. In order to make an impact in the Preakness, this colt will need to improve significantly from his lone career dirt start, a fifth-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile Toyota Blue Grass Stakes held in early April at Keeneland, where he was defeated by 22 ¼ lengths after setting the early pace. He won twice in three starts before the Blue Grass, including a stakes victory, but those wins came on the all-weather track at Turfway Park.
Bet Great White in the Preakness Stakes with 1/ST BET.
Adam Coglianese/NYRA
14. Pretty Boy Miah (15-1)
Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr.
Trainer: Jeremiah Englehart
Owners: Team Penney Racing, Echo Racing, Flower City Racing, Anthony Bruno, and Christopher Meyer
Career record: 4 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $95,800
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 96
Pedigree: Beau Liam – Tryingtolookpretty, by Mineshaft
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Pacesetter/press the pace
Analysis: Pretty Boy Miah will make his stakes debut in the Preakness after four starts at Aqueduct this year. He will be a longshot in the race but should not be discounted as his speed figures are competitive with more stakes-tested horses entered and he comes in off of back-to-back open-length wins. After three starts at sprint distances, including a 6 ½-length victory going 6 ½ furlongs in late March, the Beau Liam gelding stretched out to a one-turn mile and was just as impressive, taking a starter allowance race by 3 ¾ lengths. In both of those starts, Pretty Boy Miah pressed the early pace and then took the lead on the turn before drawing clear midway through the stretch. Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. was aboard for those starts and should attempt a similar trip aboard Pretty Boy Miah as he stretches out to two turns for the first time, which will require horse and rider to get out of the starting gate well from the far outside post and use some early speed to move over and save ground. We’ll find out if Pretty Boy Miah can handle the jump up in class plus stretching out in distance Saturday. If so, he could outrun his odds in the Preakness.
Related News
most popular
