2026 Preakness moves to Laurel Park, NBC coverage starts at 1 p.m. ET
Preakness 151 shifted to Laurel Park as NBC began coverage at 1 p.m. ET, with Iron Honor favored and Golden Tempo absent from a wide-open field.
The 151st Preakness Stakes ran Saturday at Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland, giving the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown an unfamiliar backdrop while Pimlico Race Course stayed closed for redevelopment. NBC Sports began live coverage at 1:00 p.m. ET on Peacock and NBCSN, with the main telecast on NBC and Peacock set for 4:00 p.m. ET and official post time listed at 6:50 p.m. ET.
The move to 198 Laurel Race Track Road changed the setting, but not the stakes. The race remained 1 3/16 miles and was limited to 14 starters, the same cap that made the field especially compact in a year when the Kentucky Derby winner, Golden Tempo, did not enter. That absence left the race without a Triple Crown chase hanging over it and made the betting picture look more open than usual.
Iron Honor went off as the 9-2 morning-line favorite after drawing post 9, a favorable starting point in a field that lacked a clear standout from the Derby. Other names in the mix included Taj Mahal, Chip Honcho and Incredibolt. For handicappers, the absence of Golden Tempo sharpened the focus on pace, trip and post position rather than a single horse carrying national momentum into Baltimore’s usual spring showcase.
The Preakness has long mattered beyond the Triple Crown storyline. Sir Barton became the first horse to sweep the Derby, Preakness and Belmont in 1919, years before the term Triple Crown appeared in print in the 1930s, and the race has kept that national relevance by anchoring the second leg of the championship series. Even with Pimlico out of service, the event still drew a broad audience through NBC’s coverage window and Peacock’s streaming feed.
Black-Eyed Susan Day also remained part of the weekend build-up on Friday, May 15, giving the meet a two-day rhythm that stretched beyond the feature race. The 2025 Preakness winner, Journalism, had captured the 150th running at Pimlico with 6/5 odds, a reminder that the race can still produce a strong favorite even when the broader Triple Crown picture is unsettled. With 14 horses and no Derby winner in the gate, this year’s Preakness leaned less on coronation and more on competitive uncertainty, which is often where the race finds its public appeal.
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