It’s been two weeks since the Kentucky Derby, so it’s time for the Preakness Stakes.
The second race in the 2026 Triple Crown is set for this afternoon, but Kentucky Derby champion Golden Tempo won’t race today; instead, the horse will just run in the early June Belmont Stakes.
The current favorite to win the Preakness is Iron Honor, with 9-2 odds. Taj Mahal, Chip Honcho and Incredibolt are all among the favorites too, with 5-1 odds.
2026 preakness stakes: what to know
- When: May 16, approx. 6:50 p.m. ET
- Where: Laurel Park (Laurel, Maryland)
- Channel: NBC
- Streaming: DIRECTV (try it free)
The Preakness will be over in the blink of an eye — here’s how to make sure you don’t miss it.
2026 Preakness Stakes start time
Post time for the 2026 Preakness is scheduled for around 6:50 p.m. ET tonight, May 16. Pre-race coverage will begin on NBC and Peacock at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Where is the Preakness held this year?
Traditionally, the Preakness Stakes is held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Pimlico is undergoing renovations this year, so Laurel Park (just outside of Laurel, Maryland) will hold the Preakness for the first time.
How to watch the 2026 Preakness for free:
If you don’t have cable or a TV antenna, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to catch the Preakness Stakes for free.
DIRECTV is our top pick for watching sports live for free — the five-day free trial of both its MySports and MyNews genre packs includes NBC, where the Preakness is airing. When the trial is over, you’ll pay as low as $.99/month for your first two months and gain access to 20+ live sports or news channels, depending on the pack you choose.
You can also stream the Preakness with a subscription to Peacock, which costs $16.99/month after a seven-day free trial.
2026 Preakness full field of horses and odds
Per Twin Spires Horse Racing, one of our favorite apps for betting on horses, these are the betting odds for the 2026 Preakness at the time of publishing, though these numbers may continue to change until the race begins.
| Post Position | Horse Name | Jockey | Trainer | Odds to Win |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taj Mahal | Sheldon Russell | Brittany T. Russell | 5-1 |
| 2 | Ocelli | Tyler Gaffalione | Whitworth D. Beckman | 6-1 |
| 3 | Crupper | Junior Alvarado | Donnie K. Von Hemel | 30-1 |
| 4 | Robusta | Rafael Bejarano | Doug F. O’Neill | 30-1 |
| 5 | Talkin | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Danny Gargan | 20-1 |
| 6 | Chip Honcho | Jose L. Ortiz | Steven M. Asmussem | 5-1 |
| 7 | The Hell We Did | Luis Saez | Todd W. Fincher | 15-1 |
| 8 | Bull By The Horns | Micah J. Husbands | Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. | 30-1 |
| 9 | Iron Honor | Flavien Prat | Chad C. Brown | 9-2 |
| 10 | Napoleon Solo | Paco Lopez | Chad Summers | 8-1 |
| 11 | Corona De Oro | John R. Velasquez | Dallas Stewart | 30-1 |
| 12 | Incredibolt | Jaime A. Torres | Riley Mott | 5-1 |
| 13 | Great White | Alex Achard | John Ennis | 15-1 |
| 14 | Pretty Boy Miah | Ricardo Santana Jr. | Jeremiah C. Englehart | 15-1 |
Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post
This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.
