2026 Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park: Picks and Predictions
The 2026 Preakness Stakes runs Saturday at Laurel Park, the second jewel of the Triple Crown displaced from Pimlico while construction continues at its traditional home. Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo is not in the field of 14, and few runners come back from the Run for the Roses, leaving a wide-open Preakness with no major players from the Derby division. The race goes off at 7:01 p.m. Eastern with $2 million on the line. Daily Racing Form handicappers David Aragona and Mike Beer split on top, with Aragona on undefeated No. 1 Taj Mahal and Beer taking a shot with No. 7 The Hell We Did.
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Aragona's pick is No. 1 Taj Mahal, trained by Brittany Russell, off a Federico Tesio Stakes win at this track in his last start.
"There might even be further upside with this horse," Aragona says, citing a more consistent training schedule after Taj Mahal was rerouted from the Wood Memorial. Beer agrees the colt took a step forward but stops short of the win pick.
Beer goes with No. 7 The Hell We Did, trained by Todd Fincher, a lightly raced colt who stretched out in the Lexington Stakes and finished second behind Trendsetter.
"This horse can do better," Beer says, expecting a more patient ride than the front-end pressure the colt absorbed in the Lexington.
Aragona is less impressed given Trendsetter came back fourth in the Peter Pan but agrees the colt has more to find.
The 9-2 morning-line favorite is No. 9 Iron Honor, trained by Chad Brown, who is removing blinkers after three starts. Beer credits the co-top 95 Beyer that Iron Honor earned on debut and a mild trip excuse for the Wood Memorial but would not bet him as the favorite or even the second or third choice. Aragona has distance questions and says Iron Honor has a lot to prove for a morning-line favorite.
Both handicappers respect No. 10 Napoleon Solo, trained by Chad Summers. Beer identifies him as the speed of the race likely to go to the lead, while Aragona calls him the horse he is most afraid of. No. 12 Incredibolt, trained by Riley Mott, ran a career-top 89 Beyer in a sixth-place Kentucky Derby finish, and Aragona makes the class-relief case directly.
The handicappers' verdict
David Aragona's picks
No. 1 Taj Mahal
No. 12 Incredibolt
No. 10 Napoleon Solo
No. 2 Ocelli
Mike Beer's picks
No. 7 The Hell We Did
No. 10 Napoleon Solo
No. 9 Iron Honor
No. 12 Incredibolt
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