- Preakness Stakes
Horseraces infobox
class = Grade 1
horse race = Preakness Stakes
caption = "The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans"
location =Pimlico Race Course Baltimore, Maryland flagicon|USA
inaugurated = 1873
race type = Thoroughbred
website = [http://www.preakness.com/ Preakness Stakes]
distance = 1 3/16 miles (9.5 furlongs)
track = Dirt, Left-handed
qualification = 3-year-old
weight = Colt/Gelding : 126 lb (57.2 kg)Filly : 121 lb (54.9 kg)
purse = US$1 million
bonuses = 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 atPimlico Race Course inBaltimore, Maryland . Colts andgelding s 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 horseshoe of black-eyed susans ("Rudbeckia hirta "), the state flower ofMaryland , is traditionally placed around the winner's neck.History
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 GovernorOden Bowie named the then mile and one-half (2.41 km) race in honor of the colt Preakness from Milton Holbrook Sanford'sPreakness Stables in Preakness, Wayne Township,New Jersey who won the Dinner Party Stakes on the day Pimlico Race Course opened onOctober 25 ,1870 .The first Preakness drew seven starters; John Chamberlain's three-year-old, Survivor, galloped home easily by 10 lengths, the largest margin of victory until 2004, winning a purse of $2,050.
In 1889, George "Spider" Anderson became the first
African-American jockey to win the Preakness.In 1890
Morris Park Racecourse in theBronx, 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 atGravesend Race Track onConey Island ,New York .Evolution of the Triple Crown series
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 1/2furlongs , compared to the Kentucky Derby, which is 1 1/4 miles. It is followed by the third leg, theBelmont 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. [http://www.turfnsport.com/triplecrown/preakness-stakes.php]
Running the race
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 ofMaryland . Traditionally, theUnited 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 . S/he applies the colors of the victorious owner's silks on the jockey and horse that are part of theweather vane atop the infield structure. The horseshoe of black-eyed Susans is placed around the winning horse's neck at this time and a replica of theWoodlawn Vase is given to the winning horse's owner. Should that horse have also won theKentucky Derby , speculation and excitement immediately begin to mount as to whether that horse will go on to win theTriple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing at theBelmont Stakes in June.The practice started in 1909 at Pimlico when a horse and rider weather vane sat at the top of 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.
Winning the race
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.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-presentThe 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 andCurlin 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 theDaily Racing Form . However, the timer malfunctioned during that race, andPimlico Race Course does not recognize that time, instead assigning Secretariat a time of 1:54 2/5.) The record victory margin is 11½ lengths, bySmarty Jones in 2004.Four fillies have won the Preakness:
*1903 -Flocarline
*1906 - Whimsical
*1915 - Rhine Maiden
*1924 -Nellie Morse List of winners
A † designates a Triple Crown Winner
Note: D. Wayne Lukas swept the 1995 Triple Crown with two different horses.
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 theUniversity of Pennsylvania but was euthanizedJanuary 29 ,2007 . This year's ninth race is now called the Barbaro Stakes in his honor.References
External links
* [http://www.preakness.com/ Preakness Stakes website]
* [http://www.preakness-stakes.info Preakness Stakes]
* [http://www.gohorsebetting.com/preaknessstakes/ Preakness Stakes Betting]
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/travel/news/story?id=2420471 ESPN.com Attending the Preakness (includes future dates)]
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