Preakness Stakes 2026: How to Watch This Year's Race Without Cable

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There’s a $1.2 million prize up for grabs for the winner of this year’s Run for the Black-Eyed Susans.

When to watch the Preakness Stakes 2026

• Saturday, May 16, at 6:50 p.m. ET (3:50 p.m. PT).

Where to watch

• The 2026 Preakness Stakes will air in the US on NBC and Peacock.

A race with 14 runners and their mounts is set for Saturday as they hunt for the coveted Woodlawn Vase in the 151st edition of the Preakness Stakes. The competition takes place in a somewhat unfamiliar setting.

This year’s Run for the Black-Eyed Susans marks the first time since 1908 that the race will be staged away from its traditional home at Pimlico Race Course due to ongoing renovations at the track. Laurel Park will serve as the host venue instead.

With Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo withdrawn from this race in order to concentrate on the Belmont Stakes, Chad C. Brown-trained Iron Honor is widely viewed as the favorite in the second leg of the Triple Crown. Meanwhile, Brittany Russell will look to become the first woman to saddle a Preakness winner with Taj Mahal.

The 2026 Preakness Stakes takes place at Laurel Park in Maryland. The day’s card gets underway at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT), with post time for the main event set for 6:50 p.m. ET (3:50 p.m. PT). That makes it an 11:50 p.m. start in the UK, while horse racing fans in Australia will need to tune in at 8:50 a.m. AEST on Sunday morning. 

How to watch the Preakness Stakes in the US without cable

If you don’t have cable, you still have plenty of ways to watch the Preakness Stakes. The least expensive option that doesn’t require streaming is to connect an over-the-air antenna to your TV and tune in to your local NBC station.

If you’re streaming on a PC, phone or tablet, you can watch on Peacock.

You could also check out a live TV streaming service, like YouTube TV, DirecTV or Hulu Plus Live TV, which carry NBC. 

How to watch the Preakness Stakes 2026 with a VPN

If you’re traveling abroad and want to keep up with the action from Laurel Park while away from home, a VPN can help enhance your privacy and security when streaming.

It encrypts your traffic and prevents your internet service provider from throttling your speeds. Additionally, it can be helpful when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks while traveling, providing an extra layer of protection for your devices and logins. VPNs are legal in many countries, including the US and Canada, and can be used for legitimate purposes such as improving online privacy and security. 

However, some streaming services may have policies restricting VPN use to access region-specific content. If you’re considering a VPN for streaming, check the platform’s terms of service to ensure compliance. 

If you choose to use a VPN, follow the provider’s installation instructions to ensure you’re connected securely and in compliance with applicable laws and service agreements. Some streaming platforms may block access when a VPN is detected, so verifying if your streaming subscription allows VPN use is crucial.

Live stream Preakness Stakes in the UK 

Saturday’s race is exclusive to Sky Sports and will be shown on its Sky Sports Racing channel. If you already have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, you can stream the race via its Sky Go app. Cord-cutters will want to set up a Now account and a Now Sports membership to stream the game. 

Live stream the Preakness Stakes in Canada for free

Canadian racing fans can watch this year’s race via Citytv. 

Live stream Preakness Stakes in Australia 

Horse racing fans in Australia can watch the big race for free via the Racing.com TV channel and Racing.com website.

The Preakness Stakes 2026: Runners and riders

(Number, horse, jockey, trainer)

• 1 Taj Mahal – Sheldon Russell – Brittany T. Russell
• 2 Ocelli – Tyler Gaffalione – D. Whitworth Beckman
• 3 Crupper – Junior Alvarado – Donnie K. Von Hemel
• 4 Robusta – Rafael Bejarano – Doug F. O’Neill
• 5 Talkin – Irad Ortiz Jr. – Danny Gargan
• 6 Chip Honcho – Jose L. Ortiz – Steven M. Asmussen
• 7 The Hell We Did – Luis Saez – Todd W. Fincher
• 8 Bull by the Horns – Micah J. Husbands – Saffie A. Joseph Jr.
• 9 Iron Honor – Flavien Prat – Chad C. Brown
• 10 Napoleon Solo – Paco Lopez – Chad Summers
• 11 Corona de Oro – John Velazquez – Dallas Stewart
• 12 Incredibolt – Jaime A. Torres – Riley Mott
• 13 Great White – Alex Achard – John Ennis
• 14 Pretty Boy Miah – Ricardo Santana Jr. – Jeremiah C. Englehart