The 151st Preakness Stakes is set for Saturday, May 16, 2026, and this time the race will be run at Laurel Park before returning to Pimlico in 2027. Bettors already have a way to lean into preakness 2026, with a 40-horse future wager open now through about 6:00 p.m. ET on Derby Day.
Silent Tactic is the best bet in the current market at +4000 on FanDuel, even after a foot issue forced the colt to scratch from the Kentucky Derby. Trainer Mark Casse said he is hopeful Silent Tactic can make the Preakness instead, a sign that one of the more interesting names in the spring class may still land in the field.
The Preakness is run at 1 3/16 miles, or 9.5 furlongs, and its most famous clocking still belongs to Secretariat. He covered the trip in 1:53.00 in 1973, the fastest recorded time at the race’s present distance and a standard that has lasted for more than five decades.
The wager is being offered before the Kentucky Derby has been run, which means bettors are being asked to project the Preakness field before the first jewel of the Triple Crown is even decided. That makes the pool more speculative than usual, especially with recent Derby runners bypassing the race in recent years, including 2025 Derby winner Sovereignty.
Robert M. Criscola’s reminder fits the moment: bet with your head, not over it. For now, the market is trying to sort out not only who will run, but which Derby stories still have enough left in them to matter two weeks later at Laurel Park.
