Everything to know about the 2026 Preakness post positions
Gosger (right) about to be collared by Journalism in the Preakness (Photo by Horsephotos.com)
May 13th, 2026
How relevant are historical post position statistics for determining which horses drew favorable post positions in Saturday’s $2 million Preakness (G1) at Laurel Park?
That’s a tricky question. Since the starting gate was introduced to the Preakness in 1909, the 1 3/16-mile second jewel of the Triple Crown has been contested at Pimlico Race Course. With Pimlico undergoing a rebuild, the Preakness has shifted to Laurel for 2026, which could render post-position statistics meaningless since the two tracks are quite different in configuration. Whereas Pimlico is a one-mile oval, Laurel is 1 1/8 miles in circumference.
On the other hand, the 2026 Preakness has drawn a full field of 14 horses, a much higher number than usual. This means post positions could play an outsized role in the outcome, so reviewing the general trends of favorable (and unfavorable) post positions in the Preakness may still be worth our time.
Here are the 2026 Preakness post positions, along with historical data pertaining to each post since 1909:
| Post Position | Starts | Wins | Win % | Wins since 2000 | Last winner | 2026 Preakness entrant |
| 1 | 118 | 12 | 10.2 | 3 | National Treasure (2023) | Taj Mahal |
| 2 | 118 | 13 | 11 | 2 | Journalism (2025) | Ocelli |
| 3 | 118 | 12 | 10.2 | 1 | California Chrome (2014) | Crupper |
| 4 | 118 | 14 | 11.9 | 3 | Swiss Skydiver (2020) | Robusta |
| 5 | 116 | 14 | 12.1 | 4 | Seize the Grey (2024) | Talkin |
| 6 | 115 | 17 | 14.8 | 3 | Rombauer (2021) | Chip Honcho |
| 7 | 106 | 14 | 13.2 | 3 | Justify (2018) | The Hell We Did |
| 8 | 94 | 10 | 10.6 | 2 | Bernardini (2006) | Bull by the Horns |
| 9 | 79 | 4 | 5.1 | 2 | I'll Have Another (2012) | Iron Honor |
| 10 | 59 | 2 | 3.4 | 0 | Real Quiet (1998) | Napoleon Solo |
| 11 | 41 | 2 | 4.9 | 1 | Point Given (2001) | Corona de Oro |
| 12 | 27 | 3 | 11.1 | 1 | Afleet Alex (2005) | Incredibolt |
| 13 | 16 | 1 | 6.3 | 1 | Rachel Alexandra (2009) | Great White |
| 14 | 8 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | None | Pretty Boy Miah |
| 15 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | None | None |
| 16 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | None | None |
| 17 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | None | None |
| 18 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | None | None |
Post 6 has been the most productive post position in the Preakness, yielding the most winners (17) and the highest win percentage (14.8%). The adjacent post 7 has also done well, producing the second-most winners (14, tied with posts 4 and 5) and the second-highest win percentage (13.2%).
Overall, posts 4 through 7 are the sweet spot, outperforming posts 1-3 and posts 8 and beyond in terms of total wins and win percentage.
A field of 14 has been entered for the $1.5 million Preakness (G1) at Laurel on Saturday, with Gotham (G3) winner Iron Honor installed as the early 9-2 favorite. 🏆
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) May 12, 2026
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There’s generally a falloff in win percentages from post 9 outward. This is partly because, as field sizes increase, any given post is less likely to produce a winner. In a six-horse field, any post has a 16.7% chance of yielding the winner, but in a 12-horse field, that drops to 8.3%.
Viewed through this lens, the 11.1% win rate for post 12 is solid, though it may be partly due to a small sample size (only 27 starters).
These days, the Preakness is limited to 14 starters. Post 14 has yet to produce a Preakness winner, but only eight horses have started from post 14. Again, the sample size is small.
Assuming these post-position trends hold true at Laurel (which isn’t guaranteed), #6 Chip Honcho and #7 The Hell We Did have drawn the best Preakness post positions, followed closely by #5 Talkin and #4 Robusta. Talkin will start from post 5, which has produced more Preakness winners (four) than any other post since 2000.
In contrast, #9 Iron Honor, #10 Napoleon Solo, and #11 Corona de Oro have possibly drawn wider than ideal. That may prove even truer for #13 Great White and #14 Pretty Boy Miah, two speed horses marooned in the far outside posts.
#12 Incredibolt, a late runner, shouldn’t be bothered by breaking from post 12.
Will Chip Honcho extend the record-setting success of post 6? Will Talkin secure a fifth win since 2000 for post 5? Can Pretty Boy Miah become the first horse to win from post 14? We’ll find out on Saturday.
