SportsLine expert Gene Menez backs longshot in 2026 Preakness Stakes
With the Kentucky Derby winner absent and the race moving to Laurel Park, SportsLine’s Gene Menez identifies The Hell We Did as a key contender for the $2 million event.
SportsLine horse racing expert Gene Menez has released his predictions for the 2026 Preakness Stakes, scheduled for Saturday, 16 May at Laurel Park in Maryland. Menez is advising against the morning-line favourite, Iron Honor, citing concerns over the race distance and the horse’s poor performance in the Wood Memorial. Instead, he highlights longshot The Hell We Did (15-1) as a strong contender, noting its consistent top-two finishes and recent training at the new venue.
The 151st running of the Triple Crown’s second jewel will take place at Laurel Park due to renovations at the traditional venue, Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. This marks the first time since 1908 that the event has been hosted outside Baltimore, with the race expected to return to its historic home next year. The $2 million Grade I race is set to begin at 6:50 p.m. ET.
Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo is skipping the Preakness Stakes, leaving only three horses that competed at Churchill Downs in the field. Iron Honor remains the 9-2 morning-line favourite, followed by Taj Mahal (5-1), Chip Honcho (5-1), Incredibolt (5-1), and Ocelli (6-1). Other contenders include Napoleon Solo (8-1), Great White (15-1), and Pretty Boy Miah (15-1).
Menez is fading Iron Honor after the horse finished seventh in the 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial. He argues that the longer Preakness distance poses significant risks, drawing parallels to Iron Honor’s sire, Nyquist, who placed third in the 2016 Preakness after winning his first eight races. Menez suggests there are too many red flags to justify backing the favourite.
Conversely, Menez is high on The Hell We Did, a son of 2020 Kentucky Derby winner Authentic and half-brother of 2024 Saudi Cup winner Senor Buscador. The horse has finished no lower than second in all four career starts and has been training at Laurel Park for the past two weeks. Menez expects the longshot to benefit from a perfect trip and notes that the horse is “moving in the right direction at the right time.”
Menez’s full picks and projected leaderboard are available on SportsLine. The expert, a former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, has a history of accurate Triple Crown predictions, including correctly identifying Super Saver in 2010 and hitting a $1,045 exacta and trifecta in last year’s Kentucky Derby.
