The 151st Preakness will be run tomorrow at Laurel Park in Maryland. There won’t be a Triple Crown at stake — both Golden Tempo and Renegade, the top two finishers at the Kentucky Derby, won’t be there. But that means the field is expected to be wide open.
Subscribe to read this story ad-free
Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.
Our resident numbers guy (and horse guru) Steve Kornacki breaks it down below. Also, come join us tomorrow as our NBC News team live-blogs the race.
Lots of soccer coverage in today’s newsletter, too. South Korea’s Son Heung-min is the World Cup player spotlight, and we preview this weekend’s Premier League action.
Preakness Preview
By Steve Kornacki, NBC News’ chief data analyst
This is only the second time in 40 years that the top two finishers from the Derby aren’t running the Preakness. Nor is there any horse in the field who has won a Grade 1 or Grade 2 race this year. In other words, this is a Preakness devoid of star power.
Also: It won’t be run at its usual home at Pimlico in Baltimore, which has been razed for a complete rebuild that will (hopefully) be finished by next year. This year, the race has moved 20 miles south to Laurel Park, just outside Washington, D.C., a track that’s unfamiliar for most big-time national trainers.
What it lacks in star power, though, this year’s Preakness makes up for in volume. Fourteen horses are signed up to run, the most in 15 years. And with no imposing big names in the mix, the race looks unusually wide open, meaning that another cliché is also apt: This year’s Preakness really is a great betting race.
The field includes Iron Honor, a horse trained by two-time Preakness winner Chad Brown; Ocelli, the horse that finished third at the Derby; and Taj Mahal, a horse that’s trained and jockeyed by a married couple. But who did Kornacki pick to win?
Read his full breakdown of the race to find out.
World Cup Countdown
Leading up to the 2026 World Cup, we’re counting down 26 players to watch. Today’s entry is South Korea’s Son Heung-min.
Son Heung-min, also known as “Sonny,” made quite the splash in August when he chose to leave the Tottenham Hotspurs for LAFC, joining the MLS on a contract that runs through next year. The 6-foot-tall forward is widely considered the best-known Asian player in the soccer world, so beloved back home that the Los Angeles Times once described him as “more popular than K-pop.”
Leaving South Korea as a teenager, Sonny began his professional career in Germany, where he played in the Bundesliga for Hamburger SV and Bayer Leverkusen. He joined the Spurs in 2015 and played in 454 games. Sonny captained the Spurs to a UEFA Europa League championship in his final year in London, the team’s first major trophy in 17 years.
His evolution to a leader for both club and country is in part because of the dynamism Sonny brings on the pitch. He’s known for his ability for creative playmaking and his willingness to slip into any role when the situation calls for it. His long stride creates a pace that makes him a dangerous opponent regardless of his position on the pitch.
Sonny, a former Premier League Golden Boot winner, has been in a scoring slump at both his club and international squad. However, the unselfish captain has led the MLS in assists so far, which may still bode well for South Korea. This summer would mark his fourth World Cup appearance for South Korea, whose biggest threat in the group stage is expected to be host country Mexico.
Yesterday’s entry was Senegal’s Sadio Mané. Read about him here.
Premier League Preview
The Premier League trophy is now so close that Arsenal can smell the silverware. With two games left, they have a two-point lead over Manchester City. They host already relegated Burnley on Monday in their final home game of the season in what should be a raucous, celebratory atmosphere as Arsenal’s fans aim to push them toward the finish line.
Everyone expects Arsenal to win big against Burnley. They have to. If they win, 24 hours later they’ll watch and hope to be crowned champions before the final day of the season, as Man City know they can’t slip up. City play their penultimate league game at Bournemouth on Tuesday.
Arsenal have to put the pressure on City by forcing them to win their final two games to have a chance of winning the title. There’s also the chance that goal difference will play a role in deciding who is the champion. Arsenal have a one-goal deficit heading into the final two games. That is why they have to score early and often against Burnley.
It’s likely Arsenal will have to win both of their remaining games to win the league title for the first time in 22 years, but a big win with plenty of goals against Burnley will crank up the pressure further on City.
What We’re Reading
YouTube taught a Japanese teen how to kick field goals. Now he’s in the NFL. Meet the Tokyo Toe.
The NFL released its schedule last night. We picked the top 10 games of the 2026 NFL season.
Shedeur Sanders “went through hell” in rookie season with the Cleveland Browns, his dad says.
Brittany Russell, with husband Sheldon Russell riding as the jockey, could make Preakness history with Taj Mahal.
Buffalo Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen allowed five goals last night, as Buffalo dropped Game 5 to the Montreal Canadiens, continuing the Sabres’ goalie woes.
What We’re Watching
Tonight in the NBA, two major Game 6s in the conference semifinals.
Out East, the top-seeded Detroit Pistons find their backs against the wall once again. They fell behind Orlando 3-1 in Round 1, only to storm back to take the series. Now they’re down 3-2 to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Pistons need to win the next two games, or their special season will come to an end.
In the West, Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves are also facing elimination against the No. 2 San Antonio Spurs. Edwards has been a bit hobbled by injury, and Minnesota is missing injured guard Donte DiVincenzo. Can Edwards will the Timberwolves to a win and force Game 7, where anything can happen?
All times are Eastern:
- 7 p.m.: No. 1 Detroit Pistons vs. No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers, on Amazon Prime
- 9:30 p.m.: No. 2 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves, on Amazon Prime
That’s it for now! We’ll be back Monday.
Leave a Reply