The 151st Preakness Stakes, the second event in horse racing's Triple Crown series, unfolds today at Laurel Park in Maryland. This marks a temporary relocation from the race's traditional home at Pimlico Race Course, which is presently undergoing extensive renovations.
The main race is slated for a 6:50 p.m. ET post time, with comprehensive coverage commencing earlier in the afternoon. Viewers can tune into NBC for broadcast television coverage beginning at 4 p.m. ET. For those preferring streaming options, Peacock will carry the event, with earlier undercard races starting at 1 p.m. ET also available on Peacock and NBCSN. Additional streaming services like DirecTV and YouTube TV are also offering the race.
This year's running features a field of fourteen 3-year-old Thoroughbreds competing for a purse of $2 million, with $1.2 million designated for the winner. The race covers a distance of 1 3/16 miles, making it the shortest of the Triple Crown races.
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A Notable Absence and Historic Aspirations
Golden Tempo, the victor of this year's Kentucky Derby, has been notably withdrawn from the Preakness. Its connections have opted to focus on the Belmont Stakes, reigniting discussions regarding the spacing between the Triple Crown races.
Separately, trainer Brittany Russell is poised to make history as she attempts to become the first woman to train a Preakness Stakes champion. Her horse, Taj Mahal, is listed with odds of 5-1.
Field and Odds
The contenders for the 2026 Preakness Stakes, along with their post positions and odds, are as follows:
| Post Position | Horse Name | Odds | Jockey | Trainer | Kentucky Derby Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taj Mahal | 5-1 | Sheldon Russell | Brittany Russell | Did not run |
| 2 | Ocelli | 6-1 | Tyler Gaffalione | D. | |
| 3 | Crupper | 30-1 | Junior Alvarado | Donnie K. Von Hemel | Did not run |
| 4 | Robusta | 30-1 | Rafael Bejarano | Doug O’Neill | 14th |
| 5 | Talkin | 20-1 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Danny Gargan | Did not run |
| 6 | Chip Honcho | 5-1 | Jose Ortiz | Steve Asmussen | Did not run |
| 7 | The Hell We Did | 15-1 | Luis Saez | Todd Fincher | Did not run |
| 8 | Micah Husbands | Saffie Joseph Jr. | Did not run | ||
| 9 | Iron Honor | 9-2 | Flavien Prat | Chad Brown | Did not run |
| 10 | Napoleon Solo | 8-1 | Paco Lopez | Chad Summers | Did not run |
| 11 | Corona De Oro | 30-1 | John Velazquez | Dallas Stewart | Did not run |
| 12 | Incredibolt | 5-1 | Jaime Torres | Riley Mott | Sixth |
| 13 | Great White | 15-1 | Alex Achard | John Ennis | Scratched |
| 14 | Pretty Boy Miah | 15-1 | Ricardo Santana Jr. | Jeremiah Englehart | Did not run |
Note: Odds are subject to change.
Broadcast Details
Full-day coverage begins at 1 p.m. ET on Peacock and NBCSN, highlighting undercard races. The main Preakness Stakes broadcast shifts to NBC and Peacock at 4 p.m. ET. Telemundo will also offer coverage starting at 6:30 p.m. ET via Telemundo.com and its app. The race is scheduled as the 13th event on the card, with post time for the Preakness Stakes specifically around 7:01 p.m. ET according to some reports, differing slightly from the 6:50 p.m. ET mentioned by others.
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Historical Context
The Preakness Stakes has a long-standing history at Pimlico Race Course, hosting the event for over a century. The relocation to Laurel Park underscores the scale of the ongoing infrastructure work at its historic site. This shift in venue is a unique circumstance for the second jewel of the Triple Crown, a series that has seen horses like Journalism win the Preakness in the past, with National Treasure and Cloud Computing also noted as recent champions. Former jockey and current broadcaster Brothers is also marking his retirement following this Saturday's race.
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