2026 Preakness Stakes Prediction, Betting Pick, Latest Horse Racing Odds for Saturday, May 16th at Laurel Park
The 2026 Preakness Stakes is happening today at Laurel Park and McBets is here with his best bets and predictions for where to place your money.
McBets - May 16, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT
4 Minute Read2026 Preakness Stakes Prediction: Can Chip Honcho Make Some Noise at Laurel Park Tonight?
The Preakness always comes down to finding the horse that is built for this specific race setup, and I think No. 6 Chip Honcho is being overlooked a bit entering today.
I’m backing Chip Honcho both to show and for a smaller outright win sprinkle. There’s a lot to like about this colt when you dig into both the numbers and the setup.
First off, Steve Asmussen specifically scratched Chip Honcho from the Kentucky Derby to target this race. That matters. This isn’t a horse coming off a grueling Derby effort trying to turn around quickly. This has clearly been the plan.
And Asmussen knows exactly how to win the Preakness.
Where To Watch The 2026 Preakness Stakes
- Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026
- Time: 6:50 PM ET
- How to Watch: Peacock, NBC
2026 Preakness Stakes Odds
Horse | Odds |
|---|---|
Taj Mahal | +500 |
Incredibolt | +500 |
Great White | +700 |
The Hell We Did | +800 |
Ocelli | +900 |
Talkin | +900 |
Iron Honor | +900 |
Napoleon Solo | +900 |
Chip Honcho | +1100 |
Bull By the Horns | +1600 |
Corona de Oro | +1700 |
Crupper | +2400 |
Pretty Boy Miah | +2500 |
Robusta | +2700 |
2026 Preakness Stakes Prediction
He’s done it before with Curlin and Rachel Alexandra, and historically his horses tend to improve when specifically pointed toward these Triple Crown spots. The underlying metrics for Chip Honcho are also extremely impressive compared to this field.
His graded stakes GPS data jumps off the page: Second-highest average speed in the field Third-highest peak speed Second-fastest final furlong Second-best stride length
That late finishing ability is especially important at Pimlico.
A lot of horses in this field want similar forward positioning, which could create a demanding pace early. That setup should allow a horse like Chip Honcho to stay involved while still having enough left late to grind through the stretch. And honestly, his Risen Star effort is good enough to win this race.
That performance showed exactly what his ceiling looks like when things come together. The Louisiana Derby regression doesn’t concern me as much because it felt much more like a bounce off a career-best effort rather than a sign the horse can’t compete at this level. If he simply runs back to that Risen Star form, he absolutely belongs here.
The biggest key will be trip dynamics.
He can’t get caught in a brutal speed duel early, but if he settles just off the leaders and gets a cleaner stalking trip, I think he has a massive chance to hang around late while others begin to tire. That’s why I love the show value.
The consistency of his speed figures combined with the way this race projects tactically makes him extremely live to hit the board. And at these odds, I also think the outright number is worth a smaller shot because his upside is undeniably there. This isn’t some random longshot hoping for chaos.
Kentucky Derby Best Bet
- 1 Unit Pick: No. 6 Chip Honcho to Show (+210)
- 0.5 Unit Sprinkle: No. 6 Chip Honcho to Win (+800)
There’s legitimate graded stakes quality here, proven connections, and a prior race that stacks up extremely well against this field.
If Chip Honcho gets the right trip, he absolutely has a chance to make noise today.
Horse Racing Odds
