Iron Honor Leads Preakness Stakes Field at Laurel Park

Why it matters locally: The 151st Preakness Stakes, a prominent Triple Crown race, is being held at Laurel Park in Maryland due to ongoing renovations at Pimlico, highlighting the state's role in major national horse racing events. The race also features Taj Mahal, a Florida-bred colt with an undefeated record at Laurel Park, underscoring the local track's significance in the current racing season.

Fourteen three-year-olds will contest the 151st Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park, the second leg of the Triple Crown. Iron Honor leads the morning line at 9-2 odds. Trainer Chad Brown saddles the Nyquist colt, who won his first two starts, including the Grade II Gotham in February. He finished seventh in the Grade II Wood Memorial and drew post position No. 9 for the Preakness. Three horses from the Kentucky Derby field return for the Preakness: Ocelli, Incredibolt, and Robusta. Derby winner Golden Tempo will not compete. Ocelli, entering from post position No. 2, finished third in the Kentucky Derby, beaten by one length. Incredibolt, starting from post position No. 12, finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby, four lengths behind the winner after encountering traffic. He secured his Derby spot with a victory in the Virginia Derby. Robusta drew post position No. 4 and has morning line odds of 30-1. Additional contenders with 5-1 morning line odds include Incredibolt, Chip Honcho, and Taj Mahal. Taj Mahal, a Florida-bred Nyquist colt, is undefeated in three starts, all at Laurel Park, including the Miracle Wood and the Federico Tesio. He will start from post position No. 1. Chip Honcho, last seen finishing fifth in the Grade II Louisiana Derby, drew post position No. 6. The race will be run at 1 3/16 miles at Laurel Park, which hosts the event during renovations at Pimlico. NBC-TV and Peacock will broadcast the race, with a scheduled post time of 7:01 p.m. EDT.