The Preakness Stakes will go off without the Kentucky Derby champion for the second year in a row and the third time in five years.
Golden Tempo and his trainer, Cherie DeVaux, would have been the clear stars of the show. The race lost two more potential favorites in Crude Velocity and Silent Tactic. After all that disappointing news, the second jewel of the Triple Crown will feature a maxed-out field of 14 led by Derby carryovers Ocelli, Incredibolt and Robusta; fresh shooters Iron Honor (the morning-line favorite) and Chip Honcho; and a potential local hero in Taj Mahal.
It shapes up as a wide-open Preakness over the unfamiliar dirt at Laurel Park, which will host this year as a $400 million rebuild of Pimlico Race Course moves forward. Here’s a look at all 14 contenders.
Iron Honor
Trainer: Chad Brown (2022 Preakness winner with Early Voting, 2017 Preakness winner with Cloud Computing)
Jockey: Flavien Prat (2021 Preakness winner)
Post position: No. 9
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Morning-line odds: 9-2
Last race: Seventh in April 4 Wood Memorial
Career record: 3 races, 2 firsts
Quote: “We’re trying to get the horse to relax and maybe not be too aggressive early. I’m hoping there is some early pace in the race where he can sit back just a little bit and track horses.” — Brown
Why he can win: Brown has been as good as any trainer at targeting the Preakness with fresh horses, and Iron Honor is his choice in 2026. He’s taking the blinkers off the lightly raced colt in hopes that he might find a new level of professionalism coming off his disappointing run in the Wood.
Why he can’t: Iron Honor came up empty in the biggest race of his career after a promising win in the Gotham Stakes, so he’s a mystery compared to the more battle-tested horses at the head of this field. He’s favored more because of his trainer than his resume.
Incredibolt
Trainer: Riley Mott
Jockey: Jaime Torres (2024 Preakness winner)
Post position: No. 12
Morning-line odds: 5-1
Last race: Sixth in May 2 Kentucky Derby
Career record: 6 races, 3 firsts
Quote: “The horse is doing extremely well. He came out of the Derby in good shape, and we have been clocking the field of (Preakness) horses, and we thought it would be the right opportunity to try the horse back.” — Mott
Why he can win: Incredibolt looked like a potential top Derby contender coming off two wins to close out his 2-year-old season. After a misstep to start this year, he rebounded to handle lesser competition in the Virginia Derby and ran a solid enough race despite being bumped in the Derby. Those accomplishments stack up nicely in this underwhelming field.
Why he can’t: That misstep was a bad one, as Incredibolt finished last in the Jan. 31 Holy Bull Stakes, the race that was supposed to launch him onto the Derby trail. Was it an outlier or a sign that he can’t be trusted?
Chip Honcho
Trainer: Steve Asmussen (won 2007 Preakness with Curlin, 2009 Preakness with Rachel Alexandra)
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Post position: No. 6
Morning-line odds: 5-1
Last race: Fifth in March 21 Louisiana Derby
Career record: 6 races, 2 firsts, 2 seconds
Quote: “When he handles [the race environment] and things go right, that’s what we want to get back to. That’s our job. I like how he’s doing really well right now. He looked beautiful on the racetrack [last week]. The Preakness is wide open and a great opportunity for a classic.” — Asmussen
Why he can win: Chip Honcho finished ahead of Golden Tempo in the Risen Star Stakes, so we know he can outrun good competition. He’ll be ridden by Ortiz, who just won the Derby. Asmussen bypassed the first jewel of the Triple Crown in part because he believes the low-key atmosphere at Laurel Park, with the crowd capped at 4,800, will be better for his horse. Such calculations have made him the winningest trainer in North American history.
Why he can’t: After an impressive 2-year-old season, Chip Honcho could not break through in three Derby preps at Fair Grounds. His run in the Louisiana Derby was particularly disappointing, and it’s fair to wonder if he’s headed in the right direction.
Taj Mahal
Trainer: Brittany Russell
Jockey: Sheldon Russell
Post position: No. 1
Morning-line odds: 5-1
Last race: Won April 18 Federico Tesio Stakes
Career record: 3 races, 3 firsts
Quote: “After he ran in the Tesio, he seemed to know. He had that air [about him]. We all came back to the barn and he was just posing. He takes his time walking to the track, stops, looks around, loves for everyone to have a look at him. He’s that guy.”— Brittany Russell
Why he can win: Winners of the Tesio, the annual Preakness prep at Laurel Park, are generally treated as local curiosities with little shot to beat national competition. But Taj Mahal was a $525,000 yearling who trained in Bob Baffert’s California barn before being moved to Russell. His win in the Tesio was brilliant enough that he cannot be dismissed.
Why he can’t: Home field advantage aside, Taj Mahal will take a big step up in competition. If he comes out of the gate hot as he did in the Tesio, can he hold up over a greater distance? Starting on the rail isn’t ideal, but if he breaks sharply, it might not matter.
Ocelli
Trainer: Whit Beckman
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione (2019 Preakness winner)
Post position: No. 2
Morning-line odds: 6-1
Last race: Third in May 2 Kentucky Derby
Career record: 7 races, 1 second, 4 thirds
Quote: “I think he’s just one of these horses who’s coming into himself right in the middle of the Triple Crown.” — co-owner Kyle Zorn
Why he can win: Ocelli has improved steadily this year and showed how much with his run in the Derby, where he looked like a potential winner before Golden Tempo and Renegade caught him. Beckman did not originally plan to bring him back for the Preakness, but the colt’s energy coming out of his career-best effort convinced the trainer otherwise. If Ocelli simply runs as well as he did at Churchill Downs, he might be the class of this field.
Why he can’t: Ocelli has never won, so what if his near-miss in the Derby was a fluke? He’ll be running against a large pack of fresher horses, so if Beckman has misjudged his fitness, he might not have enough in the tank.
Napoleon Solo
Trainer: Chad Summers
Jockey: Paco Lopez
Post position: No. 10
Morning-line odds: 8-1
Last race: Fifth in April 4 Wood Memorial
Career record: 4 races, 2 firsts
Quote: “Everything went right as a 2-year-old, but everything has gone wrong as a 3-year-old.” — Summers to Blood Horse
Why he can win: He has a seriously impressive victory on his resume, having gone wire-to-wire to win the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes last October. Napoleon Solo might be the fastest of the early speed horses, and several blistering recent works have convinced Summers he’s close to recapturing his 2-year-old form.
Why he can’t: He hasn’t been very good this year, and even if he has overcome the nagging injuries that held him back, we have no idea if his speed will hold up over 1 3/16 miles.
Great White
Trainer: John Ennis
Jockey: Alex Achard
Post position: No. 13
Morning-line odds: 15-1
Last race: Fifth in April 4 Blue Grass Stakes
Career record: 4 races, 2 firsts
Quote: “I’m going there because I think he has a big chance. I think he’s as good as these horses. That’s why I’m taking him there. I’m not going there making up numbers. My horse deserves the shot.” — Ennis
Why he can win: The massive gelding drew into the Derby off the also-eligible list. Ennis loved Great White’s energy going into the race, but he proved to be too full of himself, rearing up and flipping just before he was to be loaded into the starting gate. The smaller crowd and smaller field at Laurel Park might be easier on his nerves.
Why he can’t: Great White’s lack of composure in the Derby will remain a red flag until he proves it’s not. He petered out after leading early in the Blue Grass, his only run against top competition.
The Hell We Did
Trainer: Todd Fincher
Jockey: Luis Saez
Post position: No. 7
Morning-line odds: 15-1
Last race: Second in April 11 Lexington Stakes
Career record: 4 races, 2 firsts, 2 seconds
Quote: “He’s good. He’s smart. He’s everything you’d want. He’s gentle, easy, no problem to do anything.” — Fincher
Why he can win: The Hell We Did held his own, taking a step up in competition in the Lexington Stakes. Saez is one of the top riders in North America.
Why he can’t: Saez kept him in a competitive second place throughout the Lexington, but Trendsetter put him away decisively in the end.
Pretty Boy Miah
Trainer: Jeremiah Englehart
Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr.
Post position: No. 14
Morning-line odds: 15-1
Last race: Won April 25 claiming race at Aqueduct
Career record: 4 races, 2 firsts, 1 second
Quote: “[We’re] trying to have fun and at the same time let him develop how we want to see him develop. He’s doing things now that I kind of felt like he was going to do since he came in. He’s just run two really good races and it seems like he’s going to be a nice 3-year-old.” — Englehart
Why he can win: His speed figures have risen as Englehart has stretched him out. His career-best performance winning at a mile convinced the trainer to give him a shot in the Preakness.
Why he can’t: While there’s something to be said for taking a shot at a wide-open field with an improving horse, Pretty Boy Miah has only run at Aqueduct. Even a few weeks ago, no one would have guessed he might be a Preakness candidate. We have no idea how he’ll hold up on an unfamiliar track against real competition.
Talkin
Trainer: Danny Gargan
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Post position: No. 5
Morning-line odds: 20-1
Last race: Third in April 4 Blue Grass Stakes
Career record: 5 races, 1 first, 1 second, 1 third
Quote: “He ran good in the Blue Grass. He kind of got stuck down on the rail. I think it kept him from running even better. I think he’d have been second, easy, if he’d had a better trip. He’s come out of that race better than he went into it. He’s just getting more mature.” — Gargan
Why he can win: Gargan skipped the Derby, wanting to give Talkin, a $600,000 yearling, all the time he could to continue maturing physically. He believes the colt’s next step forward could be enough to win the Preakness. Ortiz, who would have been on Silent Tactic had that potential favorite not scratched, might be the best rider in the country.
Why he can’t: That rough trip kept Talkin from giving an honest glimpse of his talent in the Blue Grass as Further Ado ran away from the field. For now, the upside Gargan describes is theoretical.
Robusta
Trainer: Doug O’Neill (2012 Preakness winner with I’ll Have Another)
Jockey: Rafael Bejarano
Post position: No. 4
Morning-line odds: 30-1
Last race: 14th in May 2 Kentucky Derby
Career record: 6 races, 1 first, 1 second
Quote: “He’s got speed, he’s got stamina, he’s got class. If things go his way, he can be a factor. If all goes well, we’re hoping to see it Preakness Day.” — O’Neill
Why he can win: O’Neill knows what it takes to win these races, and he sees promise in Robusta’s form. The colt showed he could effectively stalk the lead in finishing runner-up to Potente in the March 7 San Felipe Stakes.
Why he can’t: A poor break doomed Robusta in the Derby. That underwhelming outing followed uneven performances in the California prep races.
Corona de Oro
Trainer: Dallas Stewart
Jockey: John Velazquez (2023 Preakness winner)
Post position: No. 11
Morning-line odds: 30-1
Last race: Third in April 11 Lexington Stakes
Career record: 5 races, 1 first, 1 second, 2 thirds
Quote: “I love the horse. I’ve loved him since I bought him.” — Stewart
Why he can win: Stewart is a seasoned trainer who has seen enough improvement in Corona de Oro that he believes the colt deserves a chance in a race like this. Velazquez is one of the sport’s greatest big-race riders.
Why he can’t: Like so many of the other contenders, he doesn’t have much of a track record against top competition. He led wire-to-wire in his lone win and also led early in the Lexington, so he’ll likely need to break sharply and hold on against the best field he’s ever faced.
Bull by the Horns
Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr.
Jockey: Micah Husbands
Post position: No. 8
Morning-line odds: 30-1
Last race: Won March 21 Rushaway Stakes
Career record: 5 races, 2 firsts, 2 thirds
Quote: “When we looked at the Preakness, we thought there’s not much downside. He’s going to like the distance.” — Joseph
Why he can win: He rallied from last after six furlongs to win the Rushaway, and as Joseph said, “You have to have some kind of ability to do that.” With that charge, Bull by the Horns defeated Trendsetter, who subsequently beat two Preakness runners in the Lexington Stakes.
Why he can’t: His best win was divisive. Joseph found it visually impressive. The speed figure said otherwise.
Crupper
Trainer: Donnie Von Hemel
Jockey: Junior Alvarado
Post position: No. 3
Morning-line odds: 30-1
Last race: Won April 18 Bathhouse Row Stakes
Career record: 6 races, 2 firsts, 3 thirds
Quote: “It was about seven weeks since his last race, and I think that he’s moved forward from that race, and we’ll kind of look forward to seeing if he can move forward a little bit more.” — Von Hemel to the Daily Racing Form after the Bathhouse Row
Why he can win: He earned his spot in the Preakness with an easy career-best performance in his last outing. Alvarado won the Derby and the Belmont Stakes last year aboard Sovereignty.
Why he can’t: As with so many horses in this field, we’re just guessing what he might do against good competition.
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