Pretty Boy Miah Moves into Preakness Field After Late Defections

Jeremiah Englehart’s improving gelding Pretty Boy Miah has moved into the 2026 Preakness field after late withdrawals, giving his connections a possible first start in a Triple Crown race.

With the Preakness Stakes being run at Laurel Park this year due to the refurbishment of Pimlico on Saturday 16 May.

Key Facts

Pretty Boy Miah moved into the 14th and final Preakness field spot on Sunday, May 10 after the defections of Express Kid and Smoovin Saturday
The gelding has won his last two Aqueduct starts after racing in blinkers
Ricardo Santana Jr. is booked to ride if he keeps his place in the field
If he is displaced when entries close, TDN reported that the Sir Barton Stakes on the Preakness undercard is the likely fallback option

Pretty Boy Miah has moved into the 14th and final place in the field for the 151st Preakness Stakes after the defections of Express Kid and Smoovin Saturday.

Handing trainer Jeremiah Englehart a live chance of saddling his first runner in a Triple Crown contest.

The updated saw Thoroughbred Daily News report that the son of Beau Liam moved up from also-eligible status after the late changes to the line-up for Saturday’s middle leg at Laurel Park.

TDN added that Ricardo Santana Jr. is set to ride the gelding.

Aqueduct Improver Earns His Opening

Pretty Boy Miah has won his last two starts in front-running style at Aqueduct and arrives on an upward curve rather than with established stakes form.

Ahead of Saturday’s big race, the Paulick Report noted earlier in the week that he had banked $95,800 from four starts and needed help to make the cut for a race restricted to 14 starters and two also-eligibles.

But with the Preakness Stakes purse standing at $1.2m to the winner, he can super-charge his winnings if successful on Saturday.

That help arrived on Sunday, although the position was still described as subject to the close of entries on Monday.

It’s also been reported Englehart would finalise shipping plans after entries, with the Sir Barton Stakes on the Preakness undercard still an alternative if the gelding were pushed back out of the main field.

Blinkers and Recent Progress Have Changed his Profile

Englehart is also expected to be adding blinkers after Pretty Boy Miah’s second start, a move that has been followed by back-to-back wins by a combined 10 1/4 lengths.

The gelding worked four furlongs in 49.04 seconds over the Oklahoma training track on Saturday, according to TDN, and reportedly came out of the move in good order.

The wider Preakness picture remains in flux after Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo was ruled out in favour of the Belmont Stakes.

With BloodHorse reporting that the absence of the Derby winner had left a sizeable but less established group of contenders under consideration for Laurel, with Pretty Boy Miah among those waiting for a route into the final field.

Preakness Stakes Runners and Betting Odds 2026

The 2026 Preakness Stakes odds and runners are headed by the Bob Baffert-trained Crude Velocity, as the leading US barn looks for a record-extending nineth win in the US Triple Crown race.

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)

Preakness Stakes Race Details

📅 Date: Saturday, 16 May 2026
⌚ Time: 7:01pm ET
🏇 Racecourse: Laurel Park
🔄 Trip: 1m 1 1/2f
💷 Preakness Stakes Purse: $2m
📺 TV: Sky Sports Racing / NBC / Peacock