Preakness Stakes Horse: Great White Odds, History, and Predictions

The Preakness Stakes happens Saturday, May 16. For the first and only time ever, the middle race of the Triple Crown will be at Laurel Park while Pimlico, its usual Baltimore home, is rebuilt. Post time Saturday for this wide-open Preakness Stakes is set for 7:01 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

Great White was scheduled to run in the Kentucky Derby and made it all the way to the starting gate, but flipped over when rearing up and had to be scratched. Luckily, both he and jockey Alex Achard made it back to their feet quickly and came out of the incident safe and sound. After a satisfactory work, trainer John Ennis decided to bring the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes winner back for the Preakness.

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Great White Preakness Stakes Odds and Post Positions

The Preakness Stakes was drawn on Monday, May 11. Great White was drawn into the 13 gate in the full field of 14. Though the post toward the far outside can lead to ground loss, it also keeps him out of possible chaos at the start near the inside of the field, and Great White has the versatility to work a trip from an outside gate. He was set at 15-1 on the Preakness Stakes morning line – a reasonable forecast of the betting action, because he still needs to prove himself on the dirt, but he also emerged as a Kentucky Derby fan favorite, and that wider interest stands to continue into the Preakness.

The 2026 Preakness Stakes drew a full field of 14, the largest Preakness field since 2011. These are the post positions, entrants, trainers, and morning-line odds released at Monday’s draw:

Great White Horse Trainer and Jockey

John Ennis trains Great White. Ennis, who still seeks his first Grade 1 win, has never started a horse in the Preakness Stakes before. His only starter in a Triple Crown race is Epic Ride, who finished 13th in the 2024 Kentucky Derby after getting in off the also-eligibles. That Kentucky Derby starter is also his only graded-stakes winner; Epic Ride won the Mint Millions Invitational (G3) on the Kentucky Downs lawn in 2025.

Alex Achard takes the call on Great White. Achard has been in the saddle for all four of Great White’s career races, including his win in the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park. It will be his first mount in a Triple Crown race; however, after the unfortunate scratch moments before the Kentucky Derby. Achard has three graded-stakes wins, including one Grade 1 score, which came in the 2021 Keeneland Turf Mile (G1) with In Love.

Great White Race History

Great White began his career on the Tapeta at Turfway, taking to it well. He graduated on debut in a six-furlong sprint, rallying from midpack and clearing off. He mustered only fifth in his stakes debut in the one-mile Leonatus after a rough start, but made those look like valid excuses when he won the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes in stalk-and-pounce fashion over Fulleffort, the next-out winner of the Jeff Ruby Steaks. He tried dirt for the first time in the Blue Grass, showing early pace that was unconventional for him, staying in range to the far turn, but weakening to fifth behind Further Ado. He was supposed to get another chance on dirt in the Kentucky Derby, but was scratched behind the gate.

Speed ratings are courtesy of Equibase.

Great White Preakness Stakes Prediction and Pick

Great White’s questions into the Preakness Stakes are very similar to the ones floating around the big grey gelding heading into the Kentucky Derby, since he didn’t get the chance to run at Churchill Downs. He has varied between running on or off the pace. His better style is the off-pace one, however, and with so much early speed drawn into the Preakness, that should suit the race shape better, too.

His pedigree is a mixed bag, but not without appeal. Though young sire Volatile was a sprinter and his progeny have done more at sprinter-miler distances than routes, there have been a few Volatile foals who have stretched out so far, and there’s plenty of stamina underneath: he’s out of an Uncle Mo mare whose dam was a Group 1 winner in Brazil going 1 ¼ miles.

Still, the main question about Great White is how he will handle the dirt. Both of his wins have come on Tapeta at Turfway Park, and his one dirt try was a disappointing fifth in the Blue Grass. However, there is enough dirt in his pedigree to leave open a chance for him to improve if he reverts to an off-pace style – just make sure to get enough of a price on him, which is a question since there are so many fans enamored with him.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.