The 151st edition of the Preakness Stakes brought a completely different atmosphere this year, with the race shifting away from Pimlico and moving to Laurel Park for the first time since 1908. With Golden Tempo skipping the race and ending Triple Crown hopes before the gates even opened, the field entered Saturday’s showdown without a clear dominant contender.
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2026 Preakness Stakes finishing order
Place Horse
Napoleon Solo
Iron Honor
Chip Honcho
Ocelli
Incredibolt
Bull By The Horns
The Hell We Did
Great White
Robusta
Taj Mahal
Corona De Oro
Talkin
Crupper
Pretty Boy Miah
Taj Mahal entered as hometown favorite
Among the biggest storylines entering the race was unbeaten colt Taj Mahal, who opened as the 5-1 morning-line favorite.
Trained by Brittany Russell, Taj Mahal carried a unique advantage into the race — every one of his three career victories came at Laurel Park itself.
His most recent triumph came in the Federico Tesio Stakes, where he pulled away for an emphatic 8¼-length victory.
Brittany Russell highlighted the comfort factor of remaining at the home track.
“All of our logistics are figured out ’cause we’re home. Nothing changed for the horse, and obviously, it’s easy for me because I know Laurel pretty well,” she told Fox Baltimore’s AJ Gersh.
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Sheldon Russell explains Laurel Park edge
Jockey Sheldon Russell also emphasized how valuable Taj Mahal’s prior experience at Laurel could become in such an unusual Preakness setup.
“Like most tracks, it’s always nice to have a run or breeze over it,” he said, per Blood Horse.
“It’s hard to go fast on this sort of track where the turns are wider, so naturally it’s going to slow the horse down. Had ‘Taj’ run any of his races at another racetrack, his times would have been a lot faster.”
“I think having raced at Laurel previously is a huge advantage. Hopefully that pays off.”
Unlike Pimlico, which generally only hosts racing during Preakness week, Laurel gave Taj Mahal something no other horse in the field possessed — actual race-winning experience over the surface.
Preakness moved away from Pimlico
The race was temporarily relocated this year while Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore undergoes major redevelopment work.
Attendance at Laurel Park was capped at just 4,800 fans, creating a quieter atmosphere compared to the traditionally packed and lively Preakness crowd.
The wide-open field also added intrigue after Golden Tempo’s connections opted against running back only two weeks after the Kentucky Derby victory.
That left horses such as Iron Honor, Chip Honcho, Ocelli and Incredibolt among the leading contenders entering the race.
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Last year’s winner
In 2025, Journalism captured the Preakness Stakes after narrowly defeating Gosger in a dramatic finish.
This year’s edition, however, arrived with far more uncertainty and one of the most unpredictable fields in recent memory.
