Top Expert Jody Demling Predicts 2026 Preakness Stakes Winners

Preakness Stake 2026 odds, posts, date: Iron Honor, Taj Mahal, Incredibolt predictions via top expert

Jody Demling, who has called 11 Preakness winners, reveals his picks for 2026 Preakness Stakes horses such as Iron Honor, Taj Mahal and Incredibolt

By Daniel Lewis

May 12, 2026 at 9:05 pm ET • 4 min read

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The 151st edition of the Preakness Stakes is right around the corner, with the race set for Saturday, May 16, at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md., as Pimlico Race Course undergoes renovations. Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo will not be in the 2026 Preakness Stkaes field, leaving Justify (2018) as the most recent Triple Crown winner for at least another year. It's still a strong field of 2026 Preakness Stakes horses, however, with Gotham Stakes winner Iron Honor listed as the favorite at 9-2 in the 2026 Preakness Stakes odds.

Four other horses -- Incredibolt, Chip Honcho, Taj Mahal and Ocelli -- are all at 6-1 or lower. 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 horses finalized, 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 picks for Taj Mahal, Incredibolt, Iron Honor

One of Demling's surprising 2026 Preakness Stakes picks: He has Taj Mahal outside the top 5 on his projected leaderboard despite him being tied with Chip Honcho and Incredibolt for the second-lowest odds at 5-1. He's a perfect 3-for-3 in his career, with all his wins coming at Laurel Park. That comfort level around this track is a big factor in why he's among the favorites. Level of competition, however, is a question mark since he hasn't faced the caliber of horses that many who were on the Derby trail have, so Demling does not have him as a top-3 pick in his early Preakness predictions.

Demling has also locked in his picks for Iron Honor, the 9-2 morning-line favorite. He broke his maiden with a fast run at Aqueduct Racetrack last December and then followed that up with a win at the Gotham Stakes in late February. He looked like a top 3-year-old at the time, but then had a poor seventh-place showing at the Wood Memorial despite entering that race as the favorite. He's shown the speed to take a race of this caliber, but bettors must decide how much stock to put in his poor run last time out.

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Demling has also evaluated the chances of Incredibolt, who is 5-1 on the morning line. Incredibolt finished 11th in Kentucky Derby qualifying points after winning the Virginia Derby and the Street Sense Stakes. He went on to finish a respectable sixth in the Kentucky Derby. Against a weaker field at the Preakness Stakes, he's certainly a win contender. He also finished sixth at the Holy Bull Stakes, however, so there are some red flags that come up at this price.

"A last-minute entry by trainer Riley Mott, the son of Bolt d'Oro didn't run a bad Derby," Demling told SportsLine." He was bumped and ran on to finish sixth. Mott says he's training well and he wouldn't show up if he didn't think he has a big chance."  See what horses Demling is backing at SportsLine .

How to make 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions, 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/preakness-stake-2026-odds-posts-date-iron-honor-taj-mahal-incredibolt-predictions-via-top-expert/)._