For a second straight year, the Kentucky Derby champion, Golden Tempo, has opted out of the 2026 Preakness Stakes, so there won’t be a Triple Crown winner.
Rather than run in the Preakness, Golden Tempo’s connections are pointing their thoroughbred toward the Belmont Stakes at the Saratoga Racetrack next month.
The second jewel of the Triple Crown is relocating in-state (Maryland) to Laurel Park while the Preakness’s traditional track, the Pimlico Race Course, goes through renovations.
GOLDEN TEMPO TO SKIP PREAKNESS STAKES, ENDING TRIPLE CROWN BID AS TRAINER CITES LONG-TERM HEALTH
Iron Honor, the 9-2 morning-line favorite, will race 13 rivals on Laurel Park’s one-and-three-sixteenth-mile dirt track Saturday, May 16, for a $2 million purse.
While Golden Tempo’s absence shifts the Triple Crown outlook, the 14-horse field at Laurel Park offers excellent value. Here is the recommended wagering strategy for the 2026 Preakness Stakes.
Talk about a horse for the course; Taj Mahal is a perfect 3-for-3 in his career, with all three wins coming at Laurel Park. He’s run a faster Beyer speed figure and a longer distance all three times out. Taj Mahal is tied for the second-fastest “early speed” in this race and starts on the rail.
This could be a great setup for Ocelli. He is one of the three “closing” horses in this field and has run a faster Beyer in four consecutive races. If there is a “pace melt” in the Preakness, he could chase down the leaders on the final stretch.
His 94 at the Kentucky Derby is the third-fastest speed figure in this race. The Whitworth Beckman trainee proved he is fit for the longer distance when he finished third in the Kentucky Derby a few weeks ago. Ocelli looks good in training with three straight blazing-fast workouts leading into the Preakness.
A disappointing start to his 3-year-old season with two fifth-place finishes at the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and Grade 2 Wood Memorial. But Napoleon was 2-for-2 as a 2-year-old in New York.
He broke his maiden at Saratoga with a 5.25-length win on debut, and he backed it up with a 6.5-length win at the Grade 1 Champagne at Aqueduct last year.
Napoleon’s Champagne win earned a 95 Beyer, tied for the fastest in this race. If he can regain the speed from his 2-year-old season, Napoleon can hit the board at the Preakness.
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