Express Kid turned in sharp gate work at Lone Star Park, and Bull by the Horns is increasingly likely to bypass the Peter Pan route for Laurel, adding fresh movement to a Preakness entry race that is capped at 14 starters plus two also-eligibles.
The shape of the 151st Preakness Stakes is still shifting more than a week before raceday, and Thursday brought two meaningful developments around the possible field. Express Kid, a narrow Sunland Derby runner-up, posted a five-furlong gate work at Lone Star Park in 1:00.71, while Bull by the Horns moved closer to a Laurel Park target after trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said the colt was now strongly under consideration for the May 16 Classic.
As the day gets closer, the picture becomes clearer, and it has been reported that Jose Ortiz has been booked for Chip Honcho.
Express Kid Sharpens at Lone Star
Express Kid has not raced since he was beaten a nose in the Sunland Derby on February 15, but the latest reports from his camp suggest his preparation is back on track. Trainer Justin Evans said the colt had worked well, recovered from a brief illness that interrupted his spring campaign, and was expected to ship to Laurel on Monday, May 11.
That’s worth noting because Laurel’s official condition book sets a strict entry ceiling for the Preakness. Entries close on Monday, May 11, and the field is limited to 14 starters, with up to two also-eligibles. In a race where recent graded form and overall earnings can decide who gets in, each credible late-moving contender adds pressure to the bubble.
Bull by the Horns changes course
Bull by the Horns has also become a more serious Preakness possibility. After rain disrupted plans to breeze toward Saturday’s Peter Pan Stakes at Aqueduct, Joseph said there was “a strong possibility” the colt would head instead for Laurel, adding that the son of Essential Quality should stay the Preakness trip.
That switch gives the race another live contender with recent stakes-winning form. Bull by the Horns won the Rushaway Stakes in March, and his connections now appear to be weighing up the value of taking a shot at a Classic rather than waiting for a different route.
Temporary home…
The Preakness has reached the crucial phase where workouts, rider bookings and shipping plans carry real consequences, because they can quickly turn fringe possibilities into starters or force others onto the outside looking in.
For Laurel, the latest moves also reinforce how compressed this year’s build-up is. With the race being staged under temporary hosting arrangements and the entry rules clearly defined, every new contender affects the final selection battle.
Preakness Stakes Betting Odds 2026: Baffert Searching For NINTH Win With Favourite.
- Crude Velocity 7/4 (Bob Baffert)
- Silent Tactic 5/1 (Mark Casse)
- Taj Mahal 5/1 (Brittany Russell)
- Ocelli 8/1 (Whit Beckman)
- Chip Honcho 8/1 (Steve Asmussen)
- Cherokee Nation 10/1 (Bob Baffert)
- Iron Honor 12/1 (Chad Brown)
- Napoleon Solo 16/1 (Chad Summers)
- Corona De Oro 16/1 (Dallas Stewart)
- Robusta 20/1 (Doug O’Neill)
- Great White 20/1 (John Ennis)
- The Hell We Did 20/1 (Todd W Fincher)
- Express Kid 20/1 (Justin R Evans)
- Talkin 25/1 (Danny Gargan)
- Ottinho 25/1 (Chad Brown)
- Pretty Boy Miah 25/1 (Jeremiah C Englehart)
- Bull By The Horns 25/1 (Saffie A Joseph Jr)
- Crupper 50/1 (Donnie K Von Hemel)
Note: Preakness Stakes betting odds are subject to change and others on request.
