2026 Preakness – The 151st Preakness Stakes will be run Saturday, May 16, at Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland, with live coverage beginning at 1 p.m. ET on Peacock. Golden Tempo will not start after trainer Cherie DeVaux cited health, leaving Triple Crown hopes focused on a 14-
The road to the Belmont begins with a big question at Laurel Park: will Saturday’s 151st Preakness Stakes produce another familiar Triple Crown storyline, or does the absence of Golden Tempo change the rhythm of the entire week?
Preakness officials will stage the second leg of the Triple Crown on Saturday, May 16, at Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland—one year after the race’s usual home, Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course, moved out of the spotlight due to renovations. Post time is set for 6:50 p.m. ET.
Golden Tempo won’t be part of the field.. Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo will not run. after trainer Cherie DeVaux said the horse’s health was her rationale for giving Golden Tempo nearly a one-month break between the Derby and returning for the Triple Crown’s third leg. the Belmont Stakes. on June 6.. The decision also means the Derby-winning jockey Jose Ortiz will not be on Golden Tempo in this race; instead. Jose Ortiz will ride Chip Honcho.
The field is set at 14 horses. all 3-year-olds. with three entrants coming from the Kentucky Derby. led by Ocelli. which finished third.. While Golden Tempo is out. Saturday still features a mix of horses with recent Derby experience. including runners finishing fourth through 14th. as well as multiple horses that did not run in the Derby.
Coverage begins with live programming at 1 p.m. ET on Peacock, continuing on NBC and Peacock at 4 p.m. The race will air on NBC, with streaming available on Peacock.
The essentials spell out what’s at stake: a $2 million purse, including $1.2 million for first place, and a distance of 1 3/16 miles.
There’s one constant thread through the schedule and the entries: the Preakness is being run where it is not normally held, while the Triple Crown plan still follows the same order—Golden Tempo stays out of Saturday after a nearly one-month break, with a return aimed at the Belmont Stakes on June 6.
2026 Preakness Stakes Laurel Park Pimlico renovations Golden Tempo Cherie DeVaux Jose Ortiz Chip Honcho NBC Peacock May 16 2026