Preakness Stakes 2026: What to know about the second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown
The 151st Preakness Stakes will take place on Saturday, but it will not take place at its usual racetrack.
For the first time ever, the Preakness Stakes will be run at a different course than the Pimlico Race Course. The racetrack, which is located in Baltimore, is under construction with hopes that it will be ready next season.
This year’s Preakness Stakes will be run at Laurel Park, which is just outside of Washington, D.C., and is about 20 miles south of the Pimlico Race Course.
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The Preakness Stakes will also be without the Kentucky Derby winner, Golden Tempo, meaning there will not be a chance to witness a potential Triple Crown this year.
Fourteen 3-year-old horses will run 1 3/16 miles, competing for a $2 million purse.
Taj Mahal, who is trained by Brittany Russell, and Incredibolt, who is trained by Riley Mott, are both 5-1.
Great White, who is trained by John Ennis, is at 7-1. Ocelli, who is trained by D. Whitworth Beckman, and Iron Honor, who is trained by Chad Brown, are both 8-1.
The weekend had a tragic beginning, as on Friday, Hit Zero collapsed and died after crossing the finish line in its first career race.
Hit Zero, who was trained by Russell, came in last place after being the favorite to win. After crossing the finish line, Hit Zero began coughing, dropped to its knees, put its head down and passed away.
Fans of horse racing hope to avoid any more tragedies during the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Fourteen horses are racing, which is the most the race has seen in 15 years. This is the second time in the last 40 years that the first- or second-place finisher from the Kentucky Derby is not racing in the Preakness Stakes.
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Just three of the horses in the Preakness Stakes ran in the Kentucky Derby: Ocelli (finished third), Robusta (finished 14th) and Incredibolt (finished sixth). Great White was scheduled to run in the Kentucky Derby but was scratched.
On the heels of Cherie DeVaux becoming the first female trainer to have her horse win the Kentucky Derby, Russell seeks to become the first woman trainer to win the Preakness Stakes.
Taj Mahal, Russell’s horse, has won all three of the races he has competed in at Laurel.
Where: Laurel, Maryland
When: May 16, 2026
Projected post time: 6:50 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Purse: $2 million
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