2026 Preakness Stakes: Expert Jody Demling

2026 Preakness Stakes horses, odds, time, predictions: Expert who hit 11 winners reveals horse racing picks

Jody Demling, who has called 11 Preakness winners, reveals his 2026 Preakness Stakes horse race picks for Saturday, May 16 at Laurel Park with Golden Tempo not in the field

By Ross Kelly

May 16, 2026 at 6:29 pm ET • 3 min read

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Post positions are set for the Preakness Stakes 2026, and several Kentucky Derby runners are back for another shot at glory at Laurel Park. Ocelli (third in the Derby) and Incredibolt (sixth) are among the strongest 2026 Preakness Stakes contenders as Derby champion Golden Tempo passed on this race to prepare for Belmont.

The 2026 Preakness Stakes is scheduled for Saturday at 7:01 p.m. ET at Laurel Park, located about 30 miles south of the usual Pimlico venue. Iron Honor is the narrow 9-2 favorite in a wide-open field where nine of the 14 entrants are 15-1 or shorter 2026 Preakness Stakes odds. 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 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). The Chad Summers-trained entrant won his first two races, but has now taken fifth in the last two against top-tier competition at the Fountain of Youth Stakes and Wood Memorial.

This will be Solo's fifth track in five races. Napoleon Solo is known for getting off to hot starts. Can he hold on this time and win a Triple Crown race? Demling believes that the horse can at least come close, if not pull it out. "He finished fifth in the Wood Memorial and is not without a shot to hit the board," Demling told SportsLine.  See which other horses to back at SportsLine .

Another surprise: Despite Chip Honcho having a favorable post at No. 6, which has produced 17 winners through the years, Demling sees value elsewhere. Chip Honcho has not been trending well of late. After starting his career with two wins in his first three races, he dipped to fourth at the 2025 Gun Runner in December.

He did bounce back a bit in February, taking second at the 2026 Risen Star at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans. He slipped to fifth at the 2026 Louisiana Derby in March. He has not competed since. Trainer Steve Asmussen, 60, who has two Preakness Stakes wins in his career, has not won a Preakness race since 2009.  See which other horses to fade at SportsLine .

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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 .

2026 Preakness Stakes odds

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-horses-odds-time-predictions-expert-who-hit-11-winners-reveals-horse-racing-picks/)._