Preakness Stakes: Difference between revisions

The Preakness Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race 1-3/16 mile (1.91 km) thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses, held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds (57 kg); fillies 121 lb (55 kg). The Preakness Stakes has been termed "The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans" because a blanket of Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta ), the state flower of Maryland, is traditionally placed around the winner's neck.

Two years before the Kentucky Derby was run for the first time, Pimlico introduced its new stakes race for three-year-olds, the Preakness, during its first-ever spring race meet in 1873 . Former Maryland Governor Oden Bowie named the then mile and one-half (2.41 km) race in honor of the colt Preakness from Milton Holbrook Sanford's Preakness Stables in Preakness, Wayne Township, New Jersey, who won the Dinner Party Stakes on the day the Pimlico Race Course opened (October 25, 1870). The New Jersey name was said to have come from the Native American name Pra-qua-les ("Quail Woods") for the area.^[1]

The first Preakness, held on May 27, 1873, drew seven starters. John Chamberlain's three-year-old, Survivor, collected the 2,050ドル winning purse by galloping home easily by 10 lengths. This was the largest margin of victory until 2004, when Smarty Jones won by 11 lengths.^[2]

In 1889, George "Spider" Anderson became the first African-American jockey to win the Preakness. In 1890 Morris Park Racecourse in the Bronx, New York hosted the Preakness Stakes after which there was no race run for three years. For the 15 years from 1894 through 1908, the race was held at Gravesend Race Track on Coney Island, New York. In 1909 it returned to Pimlico.^[3]

In March 2009 Magna Entertainment Corp., which owns Pimlico, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy thus throwing open the possibility the Stakes could move again. On April 13, 2009, the Maryland Legislature approved a plan to buy the Stakes and the Pimlico course if Magna Entertainment cannot find a buyer.^[4]

The Preakness is the second leg in American thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown series and almost always attracts the Kentucky Derby winner, some of the other horses that ran in the Derby, and often a few horses that did not start in the Derby. The Preakness is 1 3/16 miles, or 9 1/2 furlongs, compared to the Kentucky Derby, which is 1 1/4 miles. It is followed by the third leg, the Belmont Stakes, which is 1 1/2 miles.

Since 1931, the order of Triple Crown races has the Kentucky Derby first, followed by the Preakness Stakes and then the Belmont Stakes. Prior to 1931, eleven times the Preakness was run before the Derby. On May 12, 1917 and again on May 13, 1922, the Preakness and the Derby were run on the same day. ^[5]

Just after the horses for the Preakness are called to the post, the audience is invited to sing "Maryland, My Maryland," the official state song of Maryland. Traditionally, the United States Naval Academy Glee Club assembles in the Pimlico infield to lead the song.

As soon as the Preakness winner has been declared official, a painter climbs a ladder to the top of a replica of the Old Clubhouse cupola. The colors of the victorious owner's silks are applied on the jockey and horse that are part of the weather vane atop the infield structure. The practice began in 1909 when a horse and rider weather vane sat atop the old Members' Clubhouse, which was constructed when Pimlico opened in 1870. The Victorian building was destroyed by fire in June 1966. A replica of the old building's cupola was built to stand in the Preakness winner's circle in the infield.^[6]

A blanket of daisies are daubed with black lacquer to recreate the appearance of a Black-Eyed Susan ^[7] is placed around the winning horse's neck at this time,^[8] and a replica of the Woodlawn Vase is given to the winning horse's owner. Should that horse have also won the Kentucky Derby, speculation and excitement immediately begin to mount as to whether that horse will go on to win the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing at the Belmont Stakes in June.

In 1917, the first Woodlawn Vase was awarded to the Preakness winner, who was not allowed to keep it. Eventually a half-size reproduction of the trophy was given to winners to keep permanently. The original trophy is kept at the Maryland Historical Society and brought to the Preakness race each year for the winner's presentation ceremony.^[9]

In 1940, it was proposed to drape the winning horse in a garland of black-eyed Susans, as this was the state flower of Maryland. This posed a problem, as the race is run about two months before the flowers come into bloom in July. At first, yellow daisies were painted to resemble black-eyed Susans; workers switched to chrysanthemums later.^[10]

In 1918, 26 horses entered the race, and it was run in two divisions, providing for two winners that year. Currently, the race is limited to 14 horses.

In 1948, the Preakness was televised for the first time by CBS.

The Preakness has been run at seven different distances:

• 1-1/2 miles (2.41 km) : 1873-1888, 1890
• 1-1/4 miles (2.01 km) : 1889
• 1-1/16 miles (1.71 km) : 1894-1900, 1908
• 1 mile 70 yards (1.67 km) : 1901-1907
• 1 mile (1.61 km) : 1909, 1910
• 1-1/8 miles (1.81 km) : 1911-1924
• 1-3/16 miles (1.91 km) : 1925-present

The leading Preakness winning jockeys are:

• Eddie Arcaro : (6) including two consecutive wins in 1950-51
• Pat Day : (5) including three consecutive wins in 1994-96
• George Barbee, Bill Hartack and Lloyd Hughes: (3)

The leading Preakness winning trainers are:

• R. Wyndham Walden: (7)
• Thomas J. Healey, D. Wayne Lukas: (5)
• Jim Fitzsimmons, Jimmy Jones, Bob Baffert: (4)
• John Whalen: (3)

Calumet Farm is both the leading breeder and owner of Preakness winners with seven each.

Set by Tank's Prospect in 1985 and equaled by Louis Quatorze in 1996 and Curlin in 2007, the time record for the current 1-3/16 miles (1.91 km) Preakness is 1:53 2/5 seconds. (Secretariat, the 1973 winner, was also credited with running 1:53 2/5 by the Daily Racing Form. However, the timer malfunctioned during that race, and Pimlico Race Course does not recognize that time, instead assigning Secretariat a time of 1:54 2/5.) The record victory margin is 111⁄2 lengths, by Smarty Jones in 2004.

Four fillies have won the Preakness:

• 1903 - Flocarline
• 1906 - Whimsical
• 1915 - Rhine Maiden
• 1924 - Nellie Morse

^{[citation needed ]}

A † designates a Triple Crown Winner.
A ‡ designates a filly.

Note: D. Wayne Lukas swept the 1995 Triple Crown with two different horses.^{[citation needed ]}

In 2006, Kentucky Derby Winner Barbaro broke down in the first 100 yards of the Preakness. Bernardini went on to win the prestigious event. Barbaro survived his injuries and was cared for at the New Bolton Center of the University of Pennsylvania but was euthanized January 29, 2007. This year's ninth race is now called the Barbaro Stakes in his honor.^{[citation needed ]}

• Preakness Stakes website
• Preakness Stakes
• Preakness Stakes Betting
• ESPN.com Attending the Preakness (includes future dates)
• Preakness Stakes video replays by year, race history, entries

• Recurring events established in 1873
• Sports in Baltimore, Maryland
• Pimlico Race Course
• Preakness Stakes
• Flat horse races for three-year-olds
• Grade 1 stakes races in the United States
• Horse races in the United States

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• Short description is different from Wikidata
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