Preakness Stake 2026 odds, post positions: Iron Honor, Incredibolt, Taj Mahal predictions from racing expert

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. Chad Brown's Preakness horse finished a distant seventh at the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on April, bogged down by traffic and post placement. His prior two races, he won them both, rolling the competition with speed figures that project very well for Preakness Stakes 2026. Demling believes in Brown, who is taking the blinkers off Iron Honor, and has taken similarly experienced horses to Preakness success.

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Demling has evaluated Incredibolt's chances. Incredibolt is coming off a sixth-place finish at the May 2 Kentucky Derby. The Riley Mott-trained colt has posted three wins in his career, but has also finished fourth once and sixth twice. He is the son of Bolt d'Oro, who finished 12th at the 2018 Kentucky Derby.

Incredibolt opened his career with a fourth-place finish last August at the MSW at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky. He followed that up with back-to-back wins. He took first at the MSW race at Churchill Downs, and was first at the 2025 Street Sense in October. After a sixth-place finish at the 2026 Holy Bull, he registered his last win at the 2026 Virginia Derby in March. 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