Preakness Stakes 2026 Entries & Odds

The 151st running of the Preakness Stakes (Grade I), the second jewel of the Triple Crown, is set for Saturday, May 16, 2026 at Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland.

When is the Preakness Stakes?

The Preakness Stakes is on Saturday, May 16, 2026

Where is the Preakness Stakes?

In 2026 the Preakness Stakes will be raced at Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland

When is the field drawn for the Preakness Stakes?

Post positions are scheduled to be drawn Monday, May 11 at Pimlico.

Where can I bet and watch the Preakness Stakes?

Wager and watch the Preakness Stakes via your OTB player account with OffTrackBetting.com or just watch the race live on TV with NBC with a post time of 6:45 p.m. ET.

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Iron Honor Early Preakness Favorite at 9-2

Golden Tempo will be the second straight Kentucky Derby winner not to run in the Preakness which will be held at Laurel Park for the first time on Saturday, May 16. The field for the 2026 Preakness Stakes is set after Monday's (May 11) post position draw determined the starting gate assignments for the 151st running of the race.

Iron Honor, drawing the No. 9 post position and the morning-line favorite for the Preakness at 9-2 odds, could become the 75th winner of the race to leave the starting gate as the betting favorite. Historically, the post-time favorite has won the Preakness Stakes about 49% of the time.

Three horses in the Preakness field of 14 runners also competed in this year's Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs in Louisville - Ocelli, Robusta and Incredibolt. This edition of the Middle Jewel of Triple Crown draws first largest field since 2011.

Trained by five-time Eclipse Award honoree Chad Brown, Iron Honor is coming off a seventh-place finish in the April 4 Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct, where he had scored back-to-back victories prior to his disappointing effort in the 1 1/8-mile Wood. He won his Dec. 13 debut at six furlongs before taking the one-turn mile Gotham (G3), both at Aqueduct.

"I like the horse, I like the spot for him, but based on his last start, I was surprised he was made the morning-line favorite," Brown said. "But I am not surprised that he fits in this race."

Brown voiced no issues with Post 9.

"Right in the middle, we should not have any excuse from there," he said.

Brown, who saddled Preakness winners Cloud Computing (2017) and Early Voting (2022), named Flavien Prat to ride Iron Honor for the first time.

Undefeated Taj Majal, who has launched his career with three straight victories at Laurel Park, is one of three Preakness entrants priced at 5-1 on the morning line.

The son of Nyquist, who drew Post 1, is trained by Brittany Russell, Maryland's leading trainer, and will be ridden by her husband, Sheldon Russell, who has been aboard for all three wins.

Taj Mahal, who will represent an ownership group that includes SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC and Stonestreet Stables, earned an automatic entry into the Preakness with an 8 ¼-length front-running victory in the April 18 Federico Tesio at Laurel Park. Prior to earning his first win around two turns in the Tesio, Taj Mahal debuted with a rallying 4 ¼-length score going six furlongs and won the one-turn mile Miracle Wood.

"It wasn't what I was hoping for, but it is what it is. He's a good gate horse and we'll just have to play it as it unfolds," Brittany Russell said of Post 1. "You know, it's funny. I said to myself the only spot I was hoping not to be was the rail. It's OK. It's all good.

"When I saw that [5-1 odds] I thought, 'Cool, he's getting some respect,'" she added. "That's nice to see."

Incredibolt (Pin Oak Stud LLC), who finished sixth in the May 2 Kentucky Derby (G1) following a troubled trip, drew Post 12 for the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown and was priced at 5-1 on the morning line.

The Riley Mott-trained son of Bolt d'Oro won the 1 1/8-mile Virginia Derby prior to his gutsy performance in the 18-horse Derby. He captured the Street Sense (G3) at Churchill Downs last fall.

"I hope we run the way they like us in the odds. Anytime you are in a Triple Crown race and you have odds of 5-1, it is a great opportunity," Mott said. "We are going to look to try and get the job done."

Mott isn't overly concerned with Post 12.

"I would imagine it will be fine," he said. "The horse has shown he can be fairly tactical at times."

Jaime Torres, who rode Seize the Grey to a 2024 Preakness victory, has the mount.

Chip Honcho drew Post 6 and was also rated at 5-1 on the morning line.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, who saddled Rachel Alexandra (2009) and Curlin (2007) for Preakness victories, Chip Honcho enters the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown off a disappointing fifth in the March 21 Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds, where he had previously won the Gun Runner and finished a close-up second in the Risen Star (G2).

"When the 13 was like first and the 14 went away, I [thought] 'I can live with any of the rest.' It was 6, 10, 11 the last three. But 6 is perfect. [Assistant trainers] Darren [Fleming], Scott [Blasi] and I had talked about it today, with it being at Laurel, where would you want? I said, '5 through 7.' So got the 6. That's perfect,'" Asmussen said.

Chip Honcho will be ridden by Jose Ortiz, who scored his first Preakness win aboard Early Voting and who guided Golden Tempo to an upset victory in the Kentucky Derby.

Ocelli (Ashley Durr, Anthony Tate and Front Page Equestrian LLC), who held the lead n the stretch run of the Kentucky Derby at odds of 70-1 before settling for third, has been priced at 6-1 on the morning line for an eighth attempt to break his maiden. The Whit Beckman-trained son of Connect, who had finished third in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, drew Post 2 for the Preakness, which hasn't been won by a maiden since 1888.

"I'm perfect with that," Beckman said. "I think our most effective running style dictates sitting back off the pace. So being in the [inside], we can just kind of break and save some ground going into that first turn, and kind of let the race develop in front of us. In the Derby, we had to cut over quite a bit [from post position No. 17] just to get to the first turn."

Tyler Gaffalione, who won the 2019 Preakness aboard War of Will, will have the return mount aboard Ocelli.

Gold Square LLC's Napoleon Solo, a Grade 1 winner at 2, drew Post 10 for his third attempt to break through with a win this year. The Chad Summers-trained 2025 Champagne (G1) winner, who is priced at 8-1 on the morning-line, set a pressured pace in the Wood Memorial before fading to fifth in his most recent start.

Paco Lopez has the mount on the son of Liam's Map.

Talkin (Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, R. A. Hill Racing Stable, Pine Racing Stables, Legendary Thoroughbreds, and Belmar Racing and Breeding LLC), who finished a distant third in the Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland last time out, will make his first Triple Crown start from Post 5. The Danny Gargan-trained son of Good Magic, who is rated at 20-1 on the morning line, picked up the services of jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. upon the Monday morning defection of Silent Tactic.

"I'm pleased with the post-position draw. Obviously, you never want the one-hole, and you never want to be in the 13 or 14 or 12," Gargan said. "I'm real pleased. I wanted to be somewhere in that realm. I like that Jose Ortiz and Irad are next to each other, so I think they'll get a good break."

Rounding out the 151st Preakness field will be: Three Chimneys and John Ennis' Great White (Post 13, 15-1, jockey Alex Achard); Team Penney Racing, Echo Racing, Flower City Racing LLC, Anthony Bruno and Christopher Meyer's Pretty Boy Miah (Post 14, 15-1, jockey Ricardo Santana Jr.); Peacock Family Racing Stable LLC's The Hell We Did (Post 7, 15-1, jockey Luis Saez); On Our Own Stable LLC, Commonwealth and partners' Corona de Oro (Post 11, 30-1, jockey John Velazquez); Robert Zoellner's Crupper (Post 3, 30-1, jockey Junior Alvarado); and Calumet Farm's Robusta (Post 4, 30-1, jockey Rafael Bejarano).

2026 Preakness Field Notes

Taj Mahal (5-1)

He's lived up to his auction price of $525,000. He's unbeaten in three starts - all across Laurel - and won the Tesio April 18 by 8 ¼ lengths. This will be his toughest test, but he's also the only starter to have raced over the track. Sired by 2017 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist.

Ocelli (6-1)

He still hasn't won a race, but this colt who sold for $12,000 was third in the Kentucky Derby (G1) at odds of 70-1 and third in the Wood Memorial (G2) at 28-1. He'll be running late. Because he was a 70-1 longshot in the Kentucky Derby, a $2 bet on him to show (finish in the top 3) paid out a massive $36.34. Jockey Gaffalione ranks No. 3 in earnings among North American jockeys this year.

Crupper (30-1)

This son of Candy Ride has run all six of the races at Oaklawn, including the Bath House Row, an automatic qualifier for the Preakness. Trainer's only other Preakness starter was a seventh-place finish in 1995. Crupper was bred by the owner.

Preakness oddity - the letter "C" has been the starting initial for the most winners in the race's history (17 in total).

Robusta (30-1)

He finished 14th in the Kentucky Derby (G1), seventh in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and second in the San Felipe (G2). Trainer O'Neill won the 2012 Preakness with I'll Have Another. Sired by Accelerate who earned nearly $7 million on the track including the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Talkin (20-1)

The connections thought about the Derby but decided to wait for the Preakness. The son of Good Magic was third in the Blue Grass (G1) and fifth in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3).

Chip Honcho (5-1)

Was fifth in the Louisiana Derby (G2) in March and finished 5 ½ lengths in front of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Golden Tempo in January in the Lecomte (G3). This bay colt is a Pacesetter (runs at or near the front of the field from the start, determining the speed for the rest of the pack) and should be close to the front runners. Trainer Asmussen won the 2007 Preakness with Curlin.

The Hell We Did (15-1)

This son of Authentic hasn't two wins and two seconds in four starts. He started the year by winning at Sunland Park by 13 lengths before finishing second in the Lexington (G3) at Keeneland.

Bull by the Horns (30-1)

He won the Rushaway Stakes at Turfway March 21, and that was his last start. He finished seventh in February in the Fountain of Youth (G2) behind Kentucky Derby runners Commandment and Chief Wallabee. Joseph a perennial leading trainer in Florida and conditioner of White Abarrio and Skippylongstocking.

Was dead last after six furlongs before uncorking a massive stretch rally to win a four-way photo finish in the Rushaway Stakes.

Iron Honor (9-2 Early Morning Line Favorite)

This $475,000 yearling won the Gotham (G3) in February but finished seventh in April in the Wood Memorial (G2). This will be his fourth career start. Trainer won the Preakness in 2017 (Cloud Computing) and 2022 (Early Voting).

Napoleon Solo (8-1)

He was impressive last year winning the Champagne (G1) at Saratoga by 6 ½ lengths. His two starts this year have been fifth-place finishes in the Fountain of Youth (G2) and Wood Memorial (G2).

Corona de Oro (30-1)

Trainer finished second in the Preakness with Macho Again in 2008 and Tale of Verve in 2015. Jockey won the Preakness in 2023 with National Treasure.

Incredibolt (5-1)

A late-entry to the Preakness, this Virginia Derby winner finished a very respectable sixth in the Kentucky Derby (G1). Torres won the 2024 Preakness aboard Seize the Grey. This is the first Preakness starter for Riley Mott.

Great White (15-1)

This gray gelding was scratched before the Derby when he reared and fell behind the starting gate. How bad was it? "I've taken worse falls out of bed," Ennis said. He won the Battaglia at Turfway Park in February but was beaten 22 ¼ lengths in the Blue Grass (G1) in April.

Pretty Boy Miah (15-1)

He hasn't competed against graded company but since being equipped with blinkers in his last two starts he's won by a combined 10 ¼ lengths.

Golden Tempo To Bypass Preakness, Target Belmont Stakes

May 6 - Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo (Curlin) will bypass the Preakness Stakes.

The news was announced Wednesday by the colt's trainer, Cherie DeVaux.

The statement reads: "After much thoughtful discussion as a team, we have decided that Golden Tempo will bypass the Preakness Stakes. We are incredibly appreciative of the excitement and support surrounding the possibility of a Triple Crown run. The enthusiasm from racing fans, our owners, and our entire team has meant more to us than we can properly express.

Golden gave us the race of a lifetime in the Kentucky Derby, and we believe the best decision for him moving forward is to give him a little more time following such a tremendous effort. His health, happiness, and long-term future will always remain our top priority. We are looking forward to pointing him toward the Belmont Stakes and are excited for what lies ahead with this very special horse. Thank you again to everyone who has supported and believed in this journey alongside us."

This is the second straight year in which the Kentucky Derby winner has not gone on towards the Preakness after Sovereignty (Into Mischief) opted to skip it last year en route to a Horse of the Year campaign. Rich Strike (Keen Ice) also skipped the Preakness in 2022.

Ocelli, Third in Kentucky Derby, Possible for Preakness

May 6 - Ocelli (Ashley Durr, Anthony Tate and Front Page Equestrian), third in the Kentucky Derby (G1) as a maiden and the biggest longshot in the field of 18 at odds of 70-1, is now under consideration for the 151st Preakness Stakes (G1) May 16 at Laurel Park.

Trainer Whit Beckman on Tuesday upgraded Ocelli's likelihood for the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown from "extremely unlikely" on Sunday to "maybe."

"If you look at it from a pace perspective, it could go as fast as the Derby," Beckman said, referencing a scenario that would help a closer such as Ocelli. "He's doing great. That's the only reason I'm saying 'yeah, maybe.' The horse is doing fantastic. The horse is made of iron. Generally, I run a horse, they may not come to the front of their stall for a week. He was right there."

Asked if there was any downside to running Ocelli in the Preakness, he said, "The only downside is if the horse is not ready to do it." He noted that the Preakness winner usually is a horse that ran two weeks earlier in the Derby.

The upside, Beckman said, "is the chance to win a Triple Crown race."

Ocelli came into the Derby winless in six starts, with a second and three thirds, capped by his third place in the Wood Memorial (G2) April 4 at Aqueduct. But Beckman did not consider him a "maiden."

"Nobody said it to my face, but I'm sure people were thinking, 'How stupid is this guy putting in a maiden?'" Beckman said. "But they don't get to see what I see every day. They don't get to see a horse that wants more and more and more, that trains like an absolute terror. I think the thing we always miss is the development of these 3-year-olds. You don't know who is going to be the best 3-year-old on the first Saturday in May, in comparison to horses rounding into form in March and April."

In the Derby, Ocelli stuck his head in front at the sixteenth pole before grudgingly giving way to Golden Tempo and Renegade.

"When he was coming around the turn and just picking up horses real easily ... when he passed Danon Bourbon [who took the lead on the far turn], I was watching in the paddock and you couldn't see the outside horses," Beckman said. "That was about the longest two seconds of my life, where my breath just stopped and I thought, 'He can get there!' Then reality caught up to us. It wasn't even a whole length, I don't think."

Bodexpress in 2019 was the last maiden to enter the Preakness, though he dumped Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez leaving the starting gate and ran the entire race riderless before being caught by an outrider. The most recent maiden to win the Preakness was Refund in 1888, one of six maiden Preakness winners prior to 1900.

Preakness 'On the Table' for Kentucky Derby Winner Golden Tempo

May 4 - Though the verdict is still out on whether Golden Tempo will make the two-week turnaround off his dramatic Kentucky Derby (G1) victory, a lengthy number of challengers are already lining up for the 151st Preakness Stakes (G1) May 16 at Laurel Park.

Cherie DeVaux, who on Saturday became the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby with Golden Tempo's neck decision over Renegade, said the Preakness Stakes "is on the table" but she needs time to see how the colt is doing before any decision is made.

"Obviously this race is in two weeks," DeVaux said of the 1 3/16-mile Preakness as she spoke with reporters Sunday morning outside her Churchill Downs barn. "It's a lot different than what he's done. He's a horse who has a lot of constitution to him. He can handle something like that. But if one day he just doesn't look like he's in tiptop shape, then we'll pivot and come up with another plan."

Executive Vice President of 1/ST Racing Mike Rogers made the traditional Sunday morning phone call and spoke with DeVaux to formally invite the Derby winner and his connections to the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown.

Preakness entries will be taken and the field set on Monday, May 11. The Preakness, being held for the first time at Laurel while historic Pimlico Race Course is being rebuilt, is limited to 14 starters. The last 14-horse Preakness came in 2011, won by Shackleford.

Golden Tempo made only his fifth career start in the Kentucky Derby, which came six weeks after he was third by a total of one length in the Louisiana Derby (G2).

"He's going to leave for Keeneland," said DeVaux, whose main string is at Keeneland in Lexington, though she also has a satellite division at Churchill Downs. "We'll get him back there and assess how he's doing. As long as he's in tiptop shape, we'll talk about [the Preakness]. It is on the table. But it's really up to him."

No female trainer has won the Preakness, the closest being Maryland-based Nancy Alberts finishing second in 2002 with Magic Weisner. Shelley Riley was third in the 1992 Preakness with Casual Lies; her runner-up finish at Churchill Downs had been the best Derby finish for a female trainer prior to DeVaux's breakthrough victory.

Two horses under Preakness consideration are already at Laurel, Taj Mahal and The Hell We Did, who both breezed over the main track Saturday. Taj Mahal is undefeated in three starts, all at Laurel and two of them stakes, including the 1 1/8-mile Federico Tesio April 18 which earned the Brittany Russell trainee an automatic Preakness berth.

The Hell We Did has raced at four different racetracks in as many starts and most recently ran second in the April 11 Lexington (G3) at Keeneland, his two-turn debut. Trained by Todd Fincher, he shipped from Kentucky to Maryland April 28.

Other possible Preakness horses include Cherokee Nation, Chip Honcho, Crude Velocity, Crupper, Express Kid, Great White, Iron Honor, Napoleon Solo, Ottinho, Pretty Boy Miah, Silent Tactic, Talkin and Talk to Me Jimmy.

Crude Velocity, runaway winner of the Pat Day Mile (G2) Saturday at Churchill, and Cherokee Nation are each trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who owns a record eight Preakness victories. Risen Star (G2) runner-up Chip Honcho is trained fellow Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, a two-time Preakness winner with Curlin - the sire of Golden Tempo - in 2007 and filly Rachel Alexandra in 2009.

Chad Brown, who trains Gotham (G3) winner Iron Honor and Blue Grass (G1) runner-up Ottinho, won the Preakness with Cloud Computing in 2017 and Early Voting in 2022. Like Taj Mahal, Donnie Von Hemel-trained Crupper earned an automatic spot in the Preakness for his win in the 1 1/8-mile Bathhouse Row April 18 at Oaklawn Park. Express Kid has not raced since finishing second in the Sunland Derby Feb. 15.

John Battaglia winner Great White was scratched from the Derby after flipping behind the starting gate as horses were being loaded. Napoleon Solo is winless in two starts this year since winning the Champagne (G1) last fall at Aqueduct. Southwest (G3) winner Silent Tactic, second to Derby runner-up Renegade in the Arkansas Derby (G1), was withdrawn from the Derby three days before the race with a minor foot issue and immediately pointed to the Preakness by Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, who won the race with War of Will in 2019.

Talkin was second in the Champagne and third in the Blue Grass for trainer Danny Gargan. Jeremiah Englehart-trained Pretty Boy Miah has won back-to-back starts at Aqueduct, the latter going one mile April 25. Also based in New York with trainer Rudy Rodriguez, Talk to Me Jimmy won the 1 1/8-mile Withers Feb. 6 before running eighth in the Wood.

Jockey Jose Ortiz Completes Personal Triple Crown Sweep

With Saturday's win, jockey Jose Ortiz completed a personal sweep of the Triple Crown, having won the 2022 Preakness aboard Early Voting and the 2017 Belmont Stakes (G1) with Tapwrit.

Ortiz gave Golden Tempo a masterful ride in the Derby, getting over to save ground from Post 16 in the 18-horse field soon after breaking from the gate. Last by as many as 18 lengths off the torrid pace, he picked up horses around the far turn to be 13th - just five lengths off the lead - at the top of the stretch as Ortiz swung him to the outside to make his run into the history books. They would pass 11 horses in the final eighth of a mile to outfinish Renegade, ridden by his brother, Irad.

"Jose, it was almost as if he could script it," DeVaux said. "There was a lot of talk about him having an outside position, which we didn't think was a big deal because there are crowds at the beginning of the race, and it's a long stretch just to get position on the rail. Golden Tempo doesn't really give Jose any help by just falling back so far. Jose gets all the credit for the win in the race. He got him in position around the turn and moved him out and got a clear path."

Golden Tempo was bred by and races for the iconic Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable of Vinnie and Teresa Viola. The Derby winner has Preakness winners on both sides of his pedigree, being a son of 2007 Preakness winner, two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer Curlin. Golden Tempo is out of the broodmare Carrumba, a daughter of 2006 Preakness winner and 3-year-old champion Bernardini.

Preakness Decision on Silent Tactic Hinges on Next Work

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse said that Silent Tactic, scratched from the Derby with a minor foot ailment, is doing well but a decision on whether to run in the Preakness will hinge on a mid-week workout.

"He's actually great," Casse said by phone Sunday morning. "I want to see how he trains for a couple of days. If we're happy with his foot, we'll probably breeze him mid-week and then make a decision. Right now his foot is perfect - of course."

Casse said the foot issue was part bruise and part a tiny separation in the hoof wall.

"He has a little separation in the wall, but it actually looked pretty good when we pulled the shoe off," he said. "He's just kind of tender all over his left foot. We put a pad over it, just to try to give it a little relief for a few days. That's really seemed to help him."

Casse said he wants to run in the Preakness, a race he won in 2019 with War of Will, but only if he is "100 percent happy" with Silent Tactic's foot.

"He could have run yesterday," Casse said of the Derby. "But we ended up missing a day or two [of training] and it wasn't a race I wanted to go into not being 100 percent comfortable. So we just opted to scratch, change the shoe and it seemed to help. We'll just see how he trains the next couple of days."

Silent Tactic was the only horse to run in all four Derby points races at Oaklawn Park, with three seconds and a win. He was second by a nose in the Rebel (G2) before finishing second in the Arkansas Derby (G1) won by Kentucky Derby runner-up Renegade.

"As it turned out, the race would have set up very nice for us as well, the closer that he is," Casse said. "That's what could have been, but it didn't. Can't worry about it. But it was nice to see Renegade show up and run so well."

Violas' St. Elias Stable Could Have Pair of Preakness Starters

While no decision has been made on running Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Golden Tempo in the 151st Preakness Stakes (G1), co-owner St. Elias Stable also has a horse targeting the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown in Gotham (G3) winner Iron Honor.

A $475,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, Iron Honor was seventh in the Wood Memorial (G2), losing by a total of 4 1/4 lengths. St. Elias racing and bloodstock manager Monique Delk said Iron Honor is a go for the Preakness as long as he continues to train well.

"He's a nice, nice horse," Delk said. "He kind of had a tough trip in the Wood, got banged up a bit, so we wanted to give him some extra time. [Trainer] Chad [Brown] opted to skip the Derby with the potential target being the Preakness. If all stays well and the horse takes us there, that's where he'll be headed."

Vinnie and Teresa Viola's St. Elias Stable races Iron Honor in partnership with William H. Lawrence and Glassman Racing. Brown won the Preakness in 2022 with Early Voting and 2017 with Cloud Computing.

Contenders for Preakness 151 at Laurel Park Saturday, May 16

Golden Tempo - Kentucky Derby (G1) winner.

Cherokee Nation - This $1.15 million yearling was sixth April 4th in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). Bob Baffert, who has won the Preakness eight times, trains.

Chip Honcho - This son of Connect would make his first start since finishing fifth March 21 in the Louisiana Derby (G2). He finished second in the Risen Star (G2) in February. Steve Asmussen, who won the 2007 Preakness with Curlin, trains Crude Velocity. The son of Beau Liam was quite impressive winning the Pat Day Mile (G2) Saturday at Churchill Downs. Baffert trains this lightly raced colt who is undefeated in three starts.

Crupper - This homebred son of Candy Ride earned a free trip to the Preakness after winning the `Win & In" Bathhouse Row April 18 at Oaklawn. Donnie Von Hemel trains.

Express Kid - This son of Bodexpress has raced at Canterbury, Prairie Meadows, Remington and Sunland. Trainer Justin Evans saddled the colt to a second-place finish Feb. 15 in the Sunland Derby. That was his last start.

Great White - Was scratched at the starting gate of Saturday's Kentucky Derby (G1) after throwing his rider. He was fifth in the Blue Grass (G1) in his last start April 4. John Ennis trains.

Iron Honor - Two-time Preakness winner Chad Brown saddles this $475,000 son of Nyquist who won the Gotham (G3) in February and finished seventh in the Wood Memorial (G2) in his last start.

Napoleon Solo - He won the Champagne (G1) at two and has finished fifth this year in the Fountain of Youth (G2) and Wood Memorial. Chad Summers trains.

Ottinho - Another Chad Brown-trained colt who finished second in the Blue Grass (G1). In February the son of Quality Road was third in the Withers.

Pretty Boy Miah - This 3-year-old gelding has won two of four starts for trainer Jeremiah Englehart, who spoke of coming to the Preakness after the gelding won a starter optional claimer at Aqueduct April 25.

Silent Tactic - Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse was forced to scratch just two days out from the Derby due to a foot ailment. This son of Tacitus won the Southwest (G3) and was second in the Rebel (G2) and Arkansas Derby (G1).

Taj Mahal - Trained by Maryland's leading trainer Brittany Russell, this $525,000 son of Nyquist is undefeated in three races, including an 8 ¼ length win April 18 at Laurel in the Tesio, a 'Win & In' for the Preakness.

Talkin - He would enter the Preakness off a fifth-place finish April 4 in Blue Grass. He also finished fifth in March in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3). Danny Gargan trains.

Talk to Me Jimmy - Trainer Rudy Rodriguez would saddle this New York-bred son of Modernist. The colt won the Withers but finished eighth in the Wood Memorial.

The Hell We Did - This homebred has two wins and two seconds in four starts. He finished second in his last start April 11 at Keeneland in the Lexington (G3). Todd Fincher trains.

Chip Honcho Skipping KY Derby to Run in 151st Preakness (G1)

April 28 - Chip Honcho, winner of the Gun Runner and a close second in the Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds will bypass the Kentucky Derby (G1) in favor of the May 16 Preakness Stakes (G1), Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen said Saturday morning at Churchill Downs.

The 151st Preakness will be held at Laurel Park. Asmussen, a two-time Preakness winner, said the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown was just a better fit after Chip Honcho finished fifth in the Louisiana Derby (G2) in his last start at the Preakness distance of 1 3/16 miles.

"We worked Chip today and spoke with Lee Ackerley, the majority owner, and ultimately I just don't have a good excuse for a bad race in the Louisiana Derby," Asmussen said. "I very much don't want to put two of those [together], no guarantees that I won't. [But] I think avoiding running in the Derby off of that and pointing him for the Preakness gives us a better chance to get back on track.

"When they talk about back on track, Chip Honcho is a horse that ran a 7 [Ragozin speed figure] at a mile and an eighth in February," he added, referencing the Risen Star in which Chip Honcho led most of the race before finishing second by a half-length to Paladin. "Not a lot of them are capable of doing that. Somebody who believes in numbers, if it's in black and white, it's true. And we need to get back to that. We're not needing to run that much faster, that much farther, to be a serious contender in the most important 3-year-old races."

Chip Honcho worked five-eighths of a mile in 1:00.80 in company, getting the last quarter-mile in a sparkling :23 2/5.

"Our issues with Chip obviously not being as consistent as we want is how he handles [things]. Blinkers on, blinkers off. How aggressive he is, how he breaks," Asmussen said. "We've got 150,000 [people on Derby Day] and [4,800] at Laurel. I'd put that under the common sense category."

Asked if the Preakness distance versus the Derby's 1 1/4 miles was a factor, Asmussen said, "I think the biggest factor right now is his lack of consistency and how he is handled in races and the common sense of 150,000 setting you off or [4,800] not. Look it up: There are not a whole lot of 3-year-olds who have run '7s' at this stage, which is an indication of how fast you are from Point A to Point B. So, we are risking or dealing with a lot."

Asmussen won the 2007 Preakness with two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer Curlin, who got up in the final stride after battling Derby winner Street Sense the last eighth of a mile. Two years later, wine magnate Jess Jackson bought Rachel Alexandra after she won the Kentucky Oaks (G1) by a record 20 ¼ lengths, sending her to Asmussen. Rachel Alexandra defeated longshot Derby winner Mine That Bird by a length to become the first filly to win the Preakness in 85 years en route to being crowned 2009 Horse of the Year. She was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.

"My first Classic win was in the Preakness, Curlin beating Street Sense that day," Asmussen said. "When you've had two Preakness wins, Curlin and Rachel Alexandra, those horses are what dreams are made of."

Chip Honcho's sire, Connect, is a son of Curlin. The $210,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July yearling purchase is 2-2-0 in six starts, earning $280,475 for Ackerley, James Sherwood, Jode Shupe and John Cilia.

Others horses under Preakness consideration include Crude Velocity and Cherokee Nation, both trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Iron Honor and Ottinho (Chad Brown), Napoleon Solo (Chad Summers), Talk to Me Jimmy (Rudy Rodriguez), Crupper (Donnie Von Hemel), Taj Mahal (Brittany Russell), Talkin (Danny Gargan) and The Hell We Did (Todd Fincher).

Iron Honor is being pointed for the 151st Preakness Stakes

April 22 - Trainer Chad Brown said Gotham Stakes (G3) winner Iron Honor is being pointed for the 151st Preakness Stakes (G1) Saturday, May 16 at Laurel Park..

"He's going to go to the Preakness," Brown, a two-time winner of the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, said Tuesday morning at Churchill Downs. "The only thing is if something weird changes with the (Derby) field, a bunch of defections or something crazy, then I'll take a look at it. I'm going to work him in New York Saturday. I can get him down here in time if I need to. But right now, I'd rather go to the Preakness with the horse."

All Kentucky Derby entrants must be at Churchill Downs by 11 a.m. ET Saturday, the day entries are taken.

Iron Honor has only raced at Aqueduct in his three starts: a six-furlong maiden win, the mile Gotham victory and a seventh-place finish (beaten a total of 4 1/4 lengths) as the Wood Memorial favorite on April 4.

"I like the six weeks rest for him," said Brown, a five-time winning of the Eclipse Award as North America's outstanding trainer. "He's coming off a disappointing finish and a tough, tough trip. But also, there's a few changes I want to make with that horse. I'm going to take the blinkers off him. He's starting to get a little aggressive in them. Once he got hit in the first turn of that race, the jockey, Manny Franco, told me he tried to pull and half run off down the backside. He was fighting with him, kind of wore him out. Not the prep you need to run in the Kentucky Derby, that's for sure.

"Unfortunate, because I quite liked the horse coming in. He's come out of that race, done one maintenance work with Preakness in mind," he continued, referencing an April 18 half-mile work in 49 seconds at Belmont Park. "He went really well. I've had success doing that before, coming out of the Wood Memorial. Both the Preakness winners I've had were out of the Wood. Both of them got beat in the Wood, and they had that six-week rest and I was able to get them there really ready for a top effort. That's what I'm going to try to do with this horse."

Brown won the 2017 Preakness with Cloud Computing (third in the Wood) and again in 2022 with Early Voting (the Wood runner-up). As would be the case with Iron Honor, the 1 3/16-mile Preakness was those horses' fourth lifetime start.

Iron Honor is a $475,000 Keeneland September yearling by 2016 Kentucky Derby winner and third-place Preakness finisher Nyquist. He's campaigned by St. Elias Stable, William H. Lawrence and Glassman Racing. Lawrence co-owned Cloud Computing.

Brown is a huge fan of the Preakness.

"I've had a couple of nice winners. I've had a tough defeat, lost a photo one time to National Treasure over there," he said of the 2023 Preakness that Blazing Sevens lost by a head after a stretch-long duel. "So I've had highs and lows over there. A little interesting going to Laurel this year, which will be different. I used to really love going to Pimlico. But a lot of history around the race, ... one of the oldest trophies in sports, the Woodlawn Vase. If you're lucky enough to win, it's quite an honor when you get to hold that."

Brown said no decision has been made on whether to run Three Chimneys' Ottinho, second behind 11-length winner Further Ado in Keeneland's Toyota Blue Grass (G1), in the Preakness or Aqueduct's May 9 Peter Pan (G3). He said running Iron Honor in the Preakness will have no bearing on where Ottinho goes.

"I'll run as many as I can in a race if I think it gives each individual horse a chance to win," he said.

Taj Mahal Headed to Preakness (G1)

April 20 - Undefeated 3-year-old colt Taj Mahal is bound for the 151st Preakness Stakes (G1), Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown to be run for the first time over his home track May 16, following a dominant victory in Saturday's Federico Tesio at Laurel Park.

Nominated to the Triple Crown at the late April 6 deadline, Taj Mahal's front-running 8 ¼-length triumph in his two-turn debut earned him an automatic berth in the 1 3/16-mile Preakness. This marks the 11th straight year the Tesio offered the incentive.

"It was really impressive. You see a lot of these horses at home win the Tesio and go on to the Preakness and I thought to myself before the race, I hope he runs like 'wow.' You want to see a really big run from him to give you confidence that he should go on to the Preakness, and I do. I feel like he did that," trainer Brittany Russell said Sunday. "I feel like it was a really big race, his first time going two turns. We've learned so much about him each run. I feel like he continues to improve."

Russell was also impressed with how Taj Mahal exited the Tesio, just his third career start but second straight stakes win following Laurel's one-mile Miracle Wood Feb. 21 which came just two weeks after his 4 ¼-length debut victory.

"Back at the barn after the race and then this morning, he's just got some kind of air about him right now. He knows he's the man," she said. "He was looking for his feed tub. He was taking in all the attention. He acts like he knows what's going on. I took him out and jogged him on the road this morning and he's as confident as a horse can be. He was making sure everybody was looking at him."

Taj Mahal had to overcome outermost Post 10 in the Tesio, sprinting to the lead by the first turn and taking a four-length advantage after a quarter-mile. The lead extended to 10 lengths through a half and after Russell's husband, jockey Sheldon Russell, saw it shrink to less than three on the far turn he set Taj Mahal down for a drive to the wire that saw them steadily open up on their rivals.

"I've got to give Sheldon some credit. He broke sharp and he got him right over," Russell said. "He said I'll be honest with you, I had to. He said when [Taj Mahal] locked on, he wasn't going to be content until he got there so he had to get him in front and see if he could get him to relax a bit. He was running hard.

"He said he knew he had horse the whole time," she added. "He was just trying to give him a breather because he ran so hard. He said he was just hard on his hands the first part of the race, so he had to give him a chance to take a breath. He knew he had gears."

A total of 24 Tesio winners have gone on to run in the Preakness, the most recent being Pay Billy last spring. Maryland-bred Deputed Testamony, in 1983, is the lone horse to sweep both races.

Owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Bashor Racing, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital and Catharine Donovan, Taj Mahal is by 2016 Florida Derby (G1) and Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Nyquist and fetched $525,000 as a yearling. He began his career on the West Coast with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert and was unraced before being sent to Russell last fall.

"He just wasn't progressing out there, that's all. There was nothing wrong with him or anything like that, we just took our time," she said. "Those guys are good, when they come this way they let me take my time and kind of figure them out. He just sort of started to do good. When he started to train good and do good I pressed on him a little bit and he responded. We decided to debut him and I was really confident going into his debut."

All of Taj Mahal's training and racing has been done at Laurel, which is hosting the Preakness during the reconstruction of Pimlico Race Course. He would be the first Triple Crown starter for Russell, who has dominated the standings as Maryland's winningest trainer each of the past three years.

"It feels good to have one good one like this in the barn. It kind of gets you going in the morning," Russell said. "He's walking out of his own stall. He's never left his stall in his barn at Laurel. On the big day, for him to be able to have the chance to do it at home, I'd love to think it's a major advantage. No traveling or anything."

Meanwhile, Robert Zoellner's homebred 3-year-old colt Crupper is under consideration for the Preakness, having also earned an automatic Preakness berth for his victory in Saturday's Bathhouse Row at Oaklawn Park. Trained by Donnie Von Hemel, he was among the original Jan. 26 Triple Crown nominations.

"That was a big topic of conversation yesterday evening," Von Hemel said Sunday. "We're certainly going to talk about it. I think a lot of times you have to watch the Derby and see who does or doesn't move forward from there. We won a nice race. We've got some work to do though if we're going to be competitive with those top 3-year-olds. He has to move forward from this race."

Crupper, by Candy Ride, was making his stakes debut in the Bathhouse Row, like the Tesio contested at 1 1/8 miles. He sat just off the lead through a quarter-mile after bumping with a rival out of the gate before taking over on the backstretch and turning back all challengers down the lane to prevail by a half-length.

"We thought all along that he had some talent in his early training and everything," Von Hemel said. "His mother [She's All In] was second in the [2013] Delaware Handicap at a mile and a quarter to Royal Delta, so further is better. I was trying to convince the racing secretary to run a mile and an eighth a-other-than but it never did happen, so I said let's just give this race a try. It's the right distance going a mile and an eighth and lucky for us, it all worked out."

Von Hemel was pleased with the way Crupper came out of the Bathhouse Row, which has seen three of its seven winners go on to the Preakness - Red Route One, fourth in 2023; Mr. Big News, seventh in 2020; and Laughing Fox, fifth in 2019.

"He's good in the feed tub. It doesn't matter if he races or not, he's usually licked it up," he said. "He just walked the shedrow this morning, of course, but I've got no complaints right now."

Talkin Pointed for 151st Preakness Stakes

April 13 - Trainer Danny Gargan won his first Triple Crown race with Dornoch in the 2024 Belmont Stakes (G1). Now he's hoping for a second triumph in racing's most revered series as he points Talkin to the 151st Preakness Stakes (G1), to be run May 16 at Laurel Park.

Talkin most recently finished third in Keeneland's April 4 Blue Grass (G1), which Further Ado won by 11 lengths. As with Dornoch, he's a son of Good Magic, the 2017 2-year-old champion who finished second in the 2018 Derby and fourth in the Preakness behind Triple Crown winner Justify. Talkin, a $600,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, races for Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Pine Racing Stables, Legendary Thoroughbreds, Belmar Racing and Breeding LLC and R.A. Hill Stable.

Even if Talkin wound up with enough points to make Derby field, Gargan said the plan was to wait for Maryland's Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown at 1 3/16 miles.

"The Preakness is the kind of race that fits him," he said by phone from South Florida, where he was preparing to pack up his winter stable to head north. "I told everybody that even if we ran second in the Blue Grass, we'd probably wait on the Preakness. He's not a real big horse. He's average-sized, not a big strong, strapping colt and I don't want to do too much with him. He's sound, he's really good. I don't want to overwhelm him, and the Derby can be too overwhelming. Twenty horses, and you can get pushed around there and run nowhere or run a mediocre 10th or eighth. I've done that.

"I want to win another Triple Crown race," he added. "He fits the smaller field. I think he'll like that track. It's a shorter distance. He really doesn't want to go a mile and a quarter, probably. Hopefully that's the race he can jump up and run big. I didn't really like the position we were in the other day, stuck on the rail the whole race, and the rail was kind of flat. Once he finally got out, it was over. Hopefully we can get a better post where we can sit a nice third or fourth, a nice trip instead of jammed in there, and have a chance to win this thing. It would be tremendous. I'd love to win the Preakness."

Gargan said Talkin likely will remain at Keeneland to train before shipping to Laurel. He said at this point, he expects Joel Rosario to ride him back. "If something happens and he can't ride him, I'll ride Kendrick (Carmouche)," he said.

"I'm going to run three or four horses that week," Gargan said of Laurel. "I have a filly [G1-placed] Snowyte that I'm going to run in the fillies and mares route race [Allaire Dupont Distaff]. Golden Tornado, who was probably my best 2-year-old last year, might make his 3-year-old debut in the Sir Barton."

Lexington Runner-Up The Hell We Did a Preakness Possibility

Saturday's Stonestreet Lexington (G3) upset winner Trendsetter is not nominated to the Triple Crown, and trainer Ben Colebrook ruled out supplementing to the Preakness. However, runner-up The Hell We Did remains a possibility.

Todd Fincher, the Southwest-based trainer of Peacock Family Holdings' The Hell We Did, said the Preakness was definitely on his mind heading into the 1 1/6-mile Lexington and remains a possibility.

"He'd only run six furlongs," Fincher said of The Hell We Did's races before the Lexington, which came at Sunland Park, Zia Park and Remington Park. "We were hoping there would be three or four go to the front, and we could just chill back there. The pace wasn't super-fast, and he naturally has speed. He put himself in the race. Probably not fit enough for that. Very happy with him. He should only improve from here on out. Next step, I don't know.

"I had envisioned a great race and a win, and then go to the Preakness, but that is a long way away. We have options. We'll talk with the owners and decide. I think the next time he goes two turns, he'll be a lot better."

Positioned five weeks out, the Lexington, has been a reliable source of Preakness starters, including last year's runner-up Gosger, who won the Lexington. Rombauer captured the 2021 Preakness in an upset after finishing third in the Lexington. Owendale (2019) and Senior Investment (2017) both were third in the Preakness after winning the Keeneland stakes.

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