2026 Preakness Stakes: Elite Handicapper Michelle Yu's Surprising Picks

2026 Preakness Stakes predictions, horses, odds, posts: Surprising picks by elite handicapper

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 16, 2026 at 5:53 pm ET • 3 min read

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With Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo out of the 2026 Preakness Stakes, another year without a Triple Crown winner is guaranteed. This also increases the chances of a double-digit longshot breaking through and becoming the first horse since Rombauer (at 11-1 in 2021) to win the Preakness. The biggest underdog to ever win the Preakness was Master Derby in 1975 at a whopping 23-1.

Saturday's race from Laurel Park in Maryland has a post time set for 7:01 p.m. ET. Iron Honor is a 9-2 favorite to win in the 2026 Preakness Stakes odds, followed by Chip Honcho, Incredibolt and Taj Mahal at 5-1, Ocelli at 6-1 and Napoleon Solo at 8-1. Before making any 2026 Preakness Stakes picks, you'll want to see the 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions from SportsLine's Michelle Yu .

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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 is high on Taj Mahal this week. Taj Mahal is familiar with the track, which could go a long way in determining Saturday's winner on the 1 3/16-mile track. He is coming off a win at the 1 1/8-mile 2026 Federico Tesio at Laurel Park.

"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. Chad Brown's horse does own two impressive wins this year, but those came at 3/4 miles and 1 mile. Iron Honor finished seventh in the 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial in his last appearance, and the Preakness is 1 3/16 miles.

"He really faltered when stretching out to nine furlongs," Yu said of Iron Honor. There are other horses catch Yu's eye compared to Iron Honor, who has yet to prove he can truly contend at this kind of distance.  See which other horses to fade at SportsLine .

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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.

2026 Preakness Stakes odds, post positions

Post  Horse Odds Projection 1 Taj Mahal 5-1 SEE PICKS 2 Ocelli 6-1 SEE PICKS 3 Crupper 30-1 SEE PICKS 4 Robusta 30-1 SEE PICKS 5 Talkin 20-1 SEE PICKS 6 Chip Honcho 5-1 SEE PICKS 7 The Hell We Did 15-1 SEE PICKS 8 Bull By The Horns 30-1 SEE PICKS 9 Iron Honor 9-2 SEE PICKS 10 Napoleon Solo 8-1 SEE PICKS 11 Corono De Oro 30-1 SEE PICKS 12 Incredibolt 5-1 SEE PICKS 13 Great White 15-1 SEE PICKS 14 Pretty Boy Miah 15-1 SEE PICKS

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/2026-preakness-stakes-predictions-horses-odds-posts-surprising-picks-by-elite-handicapper/)._