2026 Preakness Stakes predictions, horses, odds, posts: Surprising picks from proven horse racing expert

Top 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions

One surprise: Yu is really high on Taj Mahal this week, as the horse is 3 for 3 in his career at Laurel Park. At the Kentucky Derby, trainer Cherie DeVaux became the first woman to win the top race at Churchill Downs. Now Yu thinks another female trainer could be on the verge of making history in the Preakness. Brittany Russell is prepping Taj Mahal, and the colt has the resume to pull it off. That's why he is among the favorites at 5-1. All three of Taj Mahal's victories -- in fact, all of his races -- have come at Laurel Park, most recently the Federico Tesio Stakes, which he won by 8¼ lengths.

Taj Mahal "is certainly a horse for the course," said Yu, who has been impressed by his limited performances. "He isn't inching out these wins, he's winning going away." Taj Mahal got a bit of a bad break drawing the inside rail, but 12 horses have won the Preakness from that spot, and the horses just to the outside might not have the speed to squeeze him out. Yu thinks Russell could finally break her 0-for-32 run in graded stakes races on dirt and make history Saturday. "A woman won the Derby," she said, "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