151st Preakness looks wide open ...
LAUREL, MD – St. Elias Stable, William H. Lawrence and Glassman Racing’s Iron Honor was designated at 9-2 in the morning line for Saturday’s 151st Preakness Stake at Laurel Park, where the son of Nyquist drew Post 9 during Monday’s post-position draw.
The 1 3/16-mile Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, being run at Laurel for the first time while construction continues on a new Pimlico Race Course facility, drew a field of 14 3-year-olds for the first time since 2011, when Shackleford defeated 13 rivals.
Trained by five-time Eclipse Award honoree Chad Brown, Iron Honor is coming off a seventh-place finish in the Gr. II Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, where he had scored back-to-back victories prior to his disappointing effort in the 1 1/8-mile Wood. He won his Dec. 13 debut at six furlongs before taking the Gr. III one-turn mile Gotham, both at Aqueduct.
“I like the horse, I like the spot for him, but based on his last start, I was surprised he was made the morning-line favorite,” Brown said. “But I am not surprised that he fits in this race.”
Brown voiced no issues with Post 9. “Right in the middle, we should not have any excuse from there,” he said. Brown, who saddled Preakness winners Cloud Computing (2017) and Early Voting (2022), named Flavien Prat to ride Iron Honor for the first time.
Undefeated Taj Majal, who has launched his career with three straight victories at Laurel, is one of three entrants priced at 5-1 on the morning line. The son of Nyquist, who drew Post 1, is trained by Brittany Russell, Maryland’s leading trainer, and will be ridden by her husband, Sheldon Russell, who has been aboard for all three wins.
Taj Mahal, who will represent an ownership group that includes SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables and Stonestreet Stables, earned an automatic entry into the Preakness with an 8 ¼-length front-running victory in the April 18 Federico Tesio at Laurel. Prior to earning his first win around two turns in the Tesio, Taj Mahal debuted with a rallying 4 ¼-length score going six furlongs and won the one-turn mile Miracle Wood.
“It wasn’t what I was hoping for, but it is what it is. He’s a good gate horse and we’ll just have to play it as it unfolds,” Brittany Russell said of Post 1. “You know, it’s funny. I said to myself the only spot I was hoping not to be was the rail. It’s OK. It’s all good.
“When I saw that [5-1 odds] I thought, ‘Cool, he’s getting some respect,’” she added. “That’s nice to see.”
Pin Oak Stud’s Incredibolt, who finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby following a troubled trip, drew Post 12 for the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown and was priced at 5-1 on the morning line. The Riley Mott-trained son of Bolt d’Oro won the 1 1/8-mile Virginia Derby prior to his gutsy performance in the 18-horse Derby. He captured the Gr. III Street Sense at Churchill Downs last fall.
“I hope we run the way they like us in the odds. Anytime you are in a Triple Crown race and you have odds of 5-1, it is a great opportunity,” Mott said. “We are going to look to try and get the job done.”
Mott isn’t overly concerned with Post 12. “I would imagine it will be fine,” he said. “The horse has shown he can be fairly tactical at times.” Jaime Torres, who rode Seize the Grey to a 2024 Preakness victory, has the mount.
Leland Ackersley Racing, James Sherwood, Jode Shupe and John Cilia’s Chip Honcho drew Post 6 and was also rated at 5-1 on the morning line. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, who saddled Rachel Alexandra (2009) and Curlin (2007) for Preakness victories, Chip Honcho enters the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown off a disappointing fifth in the Gr. II Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds, where he had previously won the Gun Runner and finished a close-up second in the Gr. II Risen Star.
“When the 13 was like first and the 14 went away, I [thought] ‘I can live with any of the rest.’ It was 6, 10, 11 the last three. But 6 is perfect. [Assistant trainers] Darren [Fleming], Scott [Blasi] and I had talked about it today, with it being at Laurel, where would you want? I said, ‘5 through 7.’ So got the 6. That’s perfect,’” Asmussen said.
Chip Honcho will be ridden by Jose Ortiz, who scored his first Preakness win aboard Early Voting and who guided Golden Tempo to an upset victory in the Kentucky Derby.
Ashley Durr, Anthony Tate and Front Page Equestrian’s Ocelli, who held the lead n the stretch run of the Kentucky Derby at odds of 70-1 before settling for third, has been priced at 6-1 on the morning line for an eighth attempt to break his maiden. The Whit Beckman-trained son of Connect, who had finished third in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, drew Post 2 for the Preakness, which hasn’t been won by a maiden since 1888.
“I’m perfect with that," Beckman said. "I think our most effective running style dictates sitting back off the pace. So being in the [inside], we can just kind of break and save some ground going into that first turn, and kind of let the race develop in front of us. In the Derby, we had to cut over quite a bit [from post position No. 17] just to get to the first turn.”
Tyler Gaffalione, who won the 2019 Preakness aboard War of Will, will have the return mount aboard Ocelli.
Gold Square’s Napoleon Solo, a Gr. 1 winner at 2, drew Post 10 for his third attempt to break through with a win this year. The Chad Summers-trained 2025 Champagne winner, who is priced at 8-1 on the morning-line, set a pressured pace in the Wood Memorial before fading to fifth in his most recent start. Paco Lopez has the mount on the son of Liam’s Map.
Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, R. A. Hill Racing Stable, Pine Racing Stables, Legendary Thoroughbreds, and Belmar Racing and Breeding’s Talkin, who finished a distant third in the Gr. I Blue Grass at Keeneland last time out, will make his first Triple Crown start from Post 5. The Danny Gargan-trained son of Good Magic, who is rated at 20-1 on the morning line, picked up the services of jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. upon the Monday morning defection of Silent Tactic.
“I'm pleased with the post-position draw. Obviously, you never want the one-hole, and you never want to be in the 13 or 14 or 12,” Gargan said. “I'm real pleased. I wanted to be somewhere in that realm. I like that Jose Ortiz and Irad are next to each other, so I think they'll get a good break.”
Rounding out the field will be: Three Chimneys and John Ennis’ Great White (Post 13, 15-1, jockey Alex Achard); Team Penney Racing, Echo Racing, Flower City Racing, Anthony Bruno and Christopher Meyer’s Pretty Boy Miah (Post 14, 15-1, jockey Ricardo Santana Jr.); Peacock Family Racing Stable’s The Hell We Did (Post 7, 15-1, jockey Luis Saez); On Our Own Stable LLC, Commonwealth and partners’ Corona de Oro (Post 11, 30-1, jockey John Velazquez); Robert Zoellner’s Crupper (Post 3, 30-1, jockey Junior Alvarado); and Calumet Farm’s Robusta (Post 4, 30-1, jockey Rafael Bejarano).