Use our 2025 Preakness Stakes trends to help narrow down the winner of the big race at Pimlico on May 16 – the middle leg of the Triple Crown. These key stats highlight the profiles that have consistently produced past winners, giving you a solid guide when assessing this year’s final field.
With this year’s race to be staged at Laurel Park, Maryland with Pimlico Racetrack undergoing a refurbishment.
Preakness Horse Racing Stats and Trends 2026 – Put History on Your Side
If you’re betting with the top Preakness Stakes sportsbooks like BetOnline or Sportsbetting.ag, it always helps to have a few proven trends in your corner.
The stats below could give you an edge heading into the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on Saturday, May 16.
For example, 12 of the last 14 (86%) winners finished in the top four on their previous start, while 57% of winners since 2012 also ran in the Kentucky Derby.
Two Preakness Stakes stats that last year’s winner Journalism ticked.
Key Preakness Stakes Stats 2026
- 14/14 – Had never raced at Pimlico before
- 14/14 – Ran within the last six weeks
- 14/14 – Drew gate 9 or lower
- 14/14 – Were US-bred
- 13/14 – Were colts or geldings
- 13/14 – Had won between 1-5 races
- 12/14 – Had already won over at least 1 mile
- 12/14 – Drew gate 6 or lower
- 12/14 – Didn’t wear blinkers
- 12/14 – Favorites finished in the first four
- 11/14 – Had raced at least five times before
- 10/14 – Ran at Churchill Downs last time out
- 9/14 – Horses from gate 5 finished in the first three
- 9/14 – Ran within the previous two weeks
- 8/14 – Winners came from gates 4-7 (inclusive)
- 8/14 – Ran in the Kentucky Derby last time out
- 6/14 – Horses from gate 6 finished in the first three (including three winners)
- 4/14 – Won the Kentucky Derby on their previous start
- 4/14 – Winning favorites
- 3/14 – Trained by Bob Baffert (8 wins overall)
- 1/14 – Ran in the Kentucky Oaks last time out
- 1/14 – Filly winners
- 1/14 – Came into the race unbeaten
- No female jockey (or trainer) has won the Preakness Stakes
Note: This year’s race will be run at Laurel Park, Maryland.
Preakness Stakes Trainer Stats
- Bob Baffert has won the race eight times (1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2010, 2015, 2018, and 2023)
- D. Wayne Lukas has won the race seven times (1980, 1985, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2013, and 2024)
- Chad Brown has won the race twice (2017 and 2022)
- Steve Asmussen has two wins (2007 and 2009)
- Todd Pletcher has never won the Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes Race Details 2026
📅 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
Who will be landing the lucrative Preakness Stakes purse in 2026?
Preakness Horse Race Stats Analyzed 2026
Now let’s break down some of the biggest Preakness trends in more detail – including the post positions that have delivered the strongest results in recent years.
Post Positions 4-7 Have Produced the Best Results
12 months ago, Journalism won from gate 2.
However, the year before saw Seize The Grey take the Preakness from post position 5, and since 2013 every winner has come from gate 9 or lower.
Even more striking, 12 of the last 14 winners broke from gate 6 or below.
Gate 5, in particular, continues to stand out. Horses drawn there have finished in the first three in nine of the last 14 runnings.
Looking further back, there’s been just one winner each from gates 2 and 3 since 2004.
The same goes for stalls 8, 9, 12, and 13 – while gates 10 and 11 haven’t produced a winner at all during that span.
That said, the Preakness often attracts smaller fields than the Kentucky Derby, so higher-numbered gates haven’t always been well represented.
In 2023, for example, National Treasure only faced six rivals, while Seize The Grey beat seven runners in 2024.
While Journalism in 2025 saw off slightly more runners, with nine Preakness Stakes runners that year.
Still, the numbers around gates 4, 5, 6, and 7 are hard to ignore.
Together, those four stalls have produced 12 winners from the last 22 renewals – a strong 55% strike rate.
2026 Preakness Stakes Post Positions
- Taj Mahal (Brittany Russell)
- Ocelli (D Whitworth Beckman)
- Crupper (Donnie Von Hemel)
- Robusta (Doug O’Neill)
- Talkin (Danny Gargan)
- Chip Honcho (Steven Asmussen)
- The Hell We Did (Todd Fincher)
- Bull By The Horns (Saffie Joseph Jr)
- Iron Honor Chad Brown)
- Napoleon Solo (Chad Summers)
- Corona De Oro (Dallas Stewart)
- Incredibolt (Riley Mott)
- Great White (John Ennis)
- Pretty Boy Miah (Jeremiah Englehart)
Are Gates 5 and 7 the Magic Numbers?
Following on from those Preakness Stakes post position trends, gates 5 and 7 continue to look especially significant.
Gate 7 has produced four winners over the last 22 years, including Triple Crown hero Justify in 2018.
Lookin At Lucky (2010), Big Brown (2008), and Smarty Jones (2004) also won from stall 7.
Gate 5 has been just as productive in recent years. Chad Brown’s Early Voting won from there in 2022, while Seize The Grey followed suit in 2024.
It’s also the gate with the strongest record for horses finishing in the top three.
This year, The Hell We Did lands gate 7, while Talkin has drawn stall 5.
Last year’s winner Journalism came from the 2 gate.
Back the ‘New Shooters’
Not too long ago, the Kentucky Derby was considered the key prep for the Preakness.
Between 1984 and 2005, 21 of the 22 winners had run in the Run for the Roses just weeks earlier.
But that trend has shifted.
Since 2006, fresher horses skipping the Derby – often called “new shooters” – have enjoyed much more success at Pimlico.
Bernardini (2006), Rachel Alexandra (2009), Cloud Computing (2017), Swiss Skydiver (2020), Rombauer (2021), Early Voting (2022), and National Treasure (2023) all skipped the Kentucky Derby before winning the Preakness.
That trend carried on in 2024 too, with Seize The Grey bypassing Churchill Downs after winning the Pat Day Mile.
But this didn’t come true in 2025, with Journalism having finished second in the Derby two weeks earlier.
How Do Favorites Perform?
Over the last 14 runnings, only four favorites have won the Preakness Stakes – a strike rate of 29%.
Still, favorites rarely run badly. In fact, 12 of the last 14 market leaders finished in the first four.
Journalism backed this up in 2025, winning as the Evs Preakness favorite.
Which Trainers Have the Best Record?
With Bob Baffert already featuring heavily in the stats, it’s worth highlighting just how dominant his record in the Preakness has been.
The Hall of Fame trainer has won the race eight times – more than any other trainer – beginning with Silver Charm in 1997 and most recently with National Treasure in 2023.
Two of those winners, American Pharoah and Justify, went on to complete the Triple Crown.
Baffert, however – doesn’t have a Preakness Stakes runner in 2026.
Bob Baffert Preakness Stakes Wins
- 2023: National Treasure
- 2018: Justify (Triple Crown winner)
- 2015: American Pharoah (Triple Crown winner)
- 2010: Lookin At Lucky
- 2002: War Emblem
- 2001: Point Given
- 1998: Real Quiet
- 1997: Silver Charm
A Recent Run Is Usually Essential
Because many Preakness runners come straight from the Kentucky Derby, most naturally fit this trend.
Even so, it’s still an important angle to note.
Every one of the last 14 Preakness winners had raced within the previous six weeks.
In 2026 – these runners come here on 43+ day breaks.
- Talkin (43)
- Chip Honcho (57)
- Bull By The Horns (57)
- Iron Honor (43)
- Napoleon Solo (43)
- Great White (43)
Are Blinkers a Negative?
The trends also suggest blinkers may not be a major advantage in the Preakness.
While some horses clearly improve with headgear, the stats tell an interesting story.
Since 2012, only California Chrome (2014) and National Treasure (2023) have won while wearing blinkers.
That means 86% of the last 14 winners succeeded without them.
2026 Preakness Stakes Blinkers Runners
- Taj Mahal
- Crupper
- Robusta
- Napoleon Solo
- Pretty Boy Miah
Preakness Stakes Betting Odds & Post Positions 2026
See below the full list of Preakness Stakes betting odds 2026 and trainers.
- Taj Mahal 5/1 (Brittany Russell)
- Ocelli 6/1 (D Whitworth Beckman)
- Crupper 30/1 (Donnie Von Hemel)
- Robusta 30/1 (Doug O’Neill)
- Talkin 20/1 (Danny Gargan)
- Chip Honcho 5/1 (Steven Asmussen)
- The Hell We Did 15/1 (Todd Fincher)
- Bull By The Horns 30/1 (Saffie Joseph Jr)
- Iron Honor 9/2f (Chad Brown)
- Napoleon Solo 8/1 (Chad Summers)
- Corona De Oro 30/1 (Dallas Stewart)
- Incredibolt 5/1 (Riley Mott)
- Great White 15/1 (John Ennis)
- Pretty Boy Miah 15/1 (Jeremiah Englehart)
Note: Preakness Stakes odds are subject to change
Recent Preakness Stakes Winners (Since 2012)
- 2025 – JOURNALISM (Evs fav)
- 2024 – SEIZE THE GREY (98/10)
- 2023 – NATIONAL TREASURE (29/10)
- 2022 – EARLY VOTING (57/10)
- 2021 – ROMBAUER (118/10)
- 2020 – SWISS SKYDIVER (117/10)
- 2019 – WAR OF WILL (61/10)
- 2018 – JUSTIFY (Triple Crown winner) (2/5 fav)
- 2017 – CLOUD COMPUTING (134/10)
- 2016 – EXAGGERATOR (13/5)
- 2015 – AMERICAN PHAROAH (Triple Crown winner) (9/10 fav)
- 2014 – CALIFORNIA CHROME (1/2 fav)
- 2013 – OXBOW (154/10)
- 2012 – I’LL HAVE ANOTHER (16/5)
WATCH: JOURNALISM Winning The 2025 Preakness Stakes
Preakness Winners That Skipped the Derby
One of the more important recent trends is the growing success of horses that skipped the Kentucky Derby altogether.
Fresh runners have often had the edge at Pimlico, and several recent winners arrived without taking part in the first leg of the Triple Crown.
• 2024 – Seize The Grey
• 2023 – National Treasure
• 2022 – Early Voting
• 2021 – Rombauer
• 2020 – Swiss Skydiver
• 2017 – Cloud Computing
• 2009 – Rachel Alexandra
• 2006 – Bernardini
• 2000 – Red Bullet
• 1983 – Deputed Testamony
• 1982 – Aloma’s Ruler
• 1980 – Codex
WATCH: Seize The Grey Winning The 2024 Preakness Stakes
