From Baltimore, Maryland, to the World! The 3 year old thoroughbred compete in the second most important race in the United States, in a 1-3/16 mile sprint and where the winner of the Kentucky Derby has the opportunity to compete and try to conquer it, in order to make way for a possible and legendary Triple Crown victory, which means the most relevant trilogy in Horse Racing, and which we will talk in the subject later on.
This race is also known as “the Run for the Black-Eyed Susans” due to the Maryland State flower, which usually blooms until June or July, also, has a fascinating history, a unique atmosphere and a special significance in the run-up to the third running of the Triple Crown: the Belmont Stakes.
Preakness Stakes History
The race is held on the third Saturday in May, is the second (and shortest) race of the Triple Crown of American horse racing and was first held in 1873, two years after the Kentucky Derby. The race was named in honor of the Preakness mare, who had won a race at the same location a year earlier.
The race was originally run over a distance of 1 1/2 miles, but in 1890 it was shortened to its current distance of 1 3/16 miles, the only change since then.
This spectacular race is held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, and the prize purse for the race in 2024 is $2 million for first place.
On May 27th, 1873, seven thoroughbreds inaugurated what would become one of the most exciting competitions in the world of Horse Racing Betting. On this date was born the Second Jewel of the Triple Crown and the shortest of the three Horse Races. Also known as “The People’s Race” and “The Race for the Black-Eyed Susans”.
The Preakness Stakes, named after the winning horse of the first Pimlico Horse Race, consists of a 9.5 furlongs track at 1,900 meters and is run on dirt, and it is a huge day out for locals in Baltimore and the surrounding areas.
The inaugural race was run at the current Pimlico Racetrack, but in 1890 it moved to Morris Park in New York. From 1891 to 1893 it was not run.
From 1894 to 1908 the Preakness Stakes was run at Gravesend Park in Brooklyn New York. By 1909 it returned to the original racetrack in Pimlico, Baltimore.
^Preakness Stakes Evolution
The Preakness Stakes has a fascinating history. Highlights date back to the late 19th century and reach into the present day:
1873: Preakness Stakes was named by a former Maryland governor after the colt who won the first Dinner Party Stakes at Pimlico.
1873–1888: The Preakness takes 1+1⁄2 mile (2.41 km).
1889: For this year the distance used for the competition is 1+1⁄4 miles (2.01 km).
1890: Morris Park Racetrack in the Bronx, New York, hosted the Preakness Stakes with a number of conditions, including the lifting of the age restriction.
1890: The Preakness is run at 1+1⁄2 miles (2.41 km).
1894: For 15 years until 1908, the race was held at Gravesend Race Track on Coney Island, New York.
1894–1900: Again the Preakness course is changed to 1+1⁄16 miles (1.71 km).
1901–1907: On this occasion, the course is changed to 1 mile 70 yards (1.67 km), making it the second shortest distance in the Preakness.
1908: 1+1⁄16 miles (1.71 km) resumes again as official distance.
1909: The Preakness Stakes returns to Pimlico.
1909-1910: 1 mile (1.61 km) is the shortest distance over which this prestigious competition has ever been run.
1910–1915: During these years, the race was known as the Preakness Handicap.
1911-1924: The longest distance that remained in Pimlico so far was 1+1⁄8 miles (1.81 km).
1917: The first Woodlawn Vase was awarded to the winner of the Preakness that year, – Kalitan – who was not allowed to keep it, a tradition that is still maintained.
1917: The Preakness Stakes and the Kentucky Derby were run on the same day.
1918: 26 horses entered the race, it was run in two divisions and so there were two winners that year. Currently, it is limited to 14 horses.1919: The first major award increase was valued at $25,000.
1922: This year the Preakness and Derby were also held on the same day.
1925-present: The final race distance was set at 1+3⁄16 miles (1.91 km).
1940: It was proposed to drape the winning horse in a garland of the Maryland state flower, Hirta rudbeckia, commonly called black-eyed Susans.
1946: The first major award increase was valued at $100,000.
1948: CBS is in charge of the first TV broadcast of the Preakness Stakes.
1953: Native Dancer won The Preakness Stakes and Jeanne Murray Vanderbilt, wife of the winning owner, Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Jr, declined to take annual possession of the trophy due to its great monetary and sentimental value to the sport of Horse Racing. As of ’53, the owner of the winning horse in The Preakness Stakes was no longer allowed to keep the trophy for the year.
1959: The first major award increase was valued at $150,000.
1983: The original creator since 1860, Tiffany and Co, appraised the silver trophy as priceless, but for insurance purposes, a figure of $1,000,000 was set.
2014: The purse increases from $1,000,000 to $1,500,000.
2017: Study released on need for $250 million in renovations at Pimlico, no one showed interest in financing the work.
2019: The so-called Stronach Group (owner of Pimlico Race Course), reached an agreement in principle with the City of Baltimore and groups representing Maryland horsemen to keep the Preakness at Pimlico, as the Stronach Group was initially interested in moving the Preakness stakes to Laurel Park unless someone else would fund the work at Pimlico.
2024: Since its inception, the Preakness has been held on the third Saturday in May, two weeks after the Kentucky Derby and three weeks before the Belmont Stakes.
2024: The Maryland General Assembly passed a bill to rebuild the Pimlico facility, so the Preakness Stakes would move to Laurel Park in 2026, then return in 2027 to its original, remodeled home.
^Who won the Preakness in order?
As the second most important race in the United States, it is good to know who the winners have been over the last 20 years:
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | National Treasure | John R. Velazquez | Bob Baffert | 1:55:12 |
| 2022 | Early Voting | José Ortiz | Chad Brown | 1:54:54 |
| 2021 | Rombauer | Flavien Prat | Michael W. McCarthy | 1:53:62 |
| 2020 | Swiss Skydiver | Robby Alvarado | Kenneth McPeek | 1:53:28 |
| 2019 | War of Will | Tyler Gaffalione | Mark E Casse | 1:54:34 |
| 2018 | Justiy | Mike Smith | Bob Baffert | 1:55:93 |
| 2017 | Cloud Computing | Javier Castellano | Chad Brown | 1:55:98 |
| 2016 | Exaggerator | Kent Desormeaux | J. Keith Desormeaux | 1:58:31 |
| 2015 | American Pharoah | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert | 1:58:46 |
| 2014 | Caliornia Chrome | Victor Espinoza | Art Sherman | 1:54:84 |
| 2013 | Oxbow | Ggary Stevens | D. Wayne Lukas | 1:57:54 |
| 2012 | I’ll Have Another | Mario Gutierrez | Doug O’Neill | 1:55:94 |
| 2011 | Shackleford | Jesus Castanon | Dale Romans | 1:56:47 |
| 2010 | Lookin At Lucky | Martin Garcia | Bob Baffert | 1:55:47 |
| 2009 | Rachel Alexandra | Calvin Borel | Steven Asmussen | 1:55:08 |
| 2008 | Big Brown | Kent Desormeaux | Richard Dutrow | 1:54:86 |
| 2007 | Curlin | Robby Albarado | Steven Asmussenv | 1:53:46 |
| 2006 | Bernardini | Javier Castellano | Tom Albertrani | 1:54:65 |
| 2005 | Afleet Alex | Jeremy Rose | Timothy Ritchey | 1:55:004 |
| 2004 | Smarty Jones | Stewart Elliott | John Servis | 1:55:59 |
Who holds the Preakness record?
This important data is also accompanied by other speed records, such as the margin of victory, or the jockeys who have won the most.
| Year | Winner | Record | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Secretariat | 1+3⁄16 miles (1.91km) | 1:53 | The Big Red set the record for the fastest time in the three races that make up the Triple Crown. |
| 2020 | Swiss Skydiver | 1+3⁄16 miles (1.91km) | 1:53:28 |
| 1985 | Tank’s Prospect | 1+3⁄16 miles (1.91km) | 1:53:40 |
| 1996 | Louis Quatorze | 1+3⁄16 miles (1.91km) | 1:53:40 |
| 2007 | Curlin | 1+3⁄16 miles (1.91km) | 1:53:46 |
| 1984 | Gate Dancer | 1+3⁄16 miles (1.91km) | 1:53:60 |
| 1990 | Summer Squall | 1+3⁄16 miles (1.91km) | 1:53:60 |
| 2021 | Rombauer | 1+3⁄16 miles (1.91km) | 1:53:62 |
What jockey has the most Preakness Wins?
Eddie Arcaro is arguably one of the greatest representatives of the Preakness Stakes and horse racing because of his impressive track record, winning nearly 4,800 races and holding the record for most wins by a jockey in the Triple Crown, with 17: six wins in the Preakness Stakes, six wins in the Belmont Stakes and five wins in the Derby.
The Preakness Stakes has a purse of $2 million, which gives the winner a prize of $1.2 million, with the rider receiving 10%, or $120,000.
Source: www.racingmuseum.org
6 Preakness Stakes Wins
1. Eddie Arcaro
Winning Horses: Bold Ruler (1957), Nashua (1955), Bold (1951), Hill Prince (1950), Citation (1948), Whirlaway (1941)
#MuseumObjectMonday showcases 3 Hall of Fame members, including one of our Class of 2019 inductees. Painted by Robert Skemp, this scene depicts owner/breeder Gladys Mills Phipps leading her champion Bold Ruler with jockey Eddie Arcaro in the irons. More: https://t.co/28erTgzwgA pic.twitter.com/0wXlZbxnYD
— National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame (@nmrhof) August 5, 2019
4 Preakness Stakes Wins
1. Pat Day
Winning Horses: Louis Quatorze (1996), Timber Country (1995), Tabasco Cat (1994), Summer Squall (1990)
3 Preakness Stakes Wins
1. Bill Hartack
Winning Horses: Majestic Prince (1969), Northern Dancer (1964), Fabius (1956)
2. Victor Espinoza
Winning Horses: American Pharoah (2015), California Chrome (2014), War Emblem (2002)
3. Gary Stevens
Winning Horses: Oxbow (2013), Point Given (2001), Silver Charm (1997)
4. Kent Desormeaux
Winning Horses: Exaggerator (2016), Big Brown (2008), Real Quiet (1998)
5. Bill Hartack
Winning Horses: Majestic Prince (1969), Northern Dancer (1964), Fabius (1956)
Pimlico Race Course
Talking about this prestigious venue requires mentioning its most emblematic traditional icons, which are the ones that show the world the meaning of Horse Racing as a traditional sport in Maryland, Baltimore, USA.
That’s right, if you think the Kentucky Derby has traditions, it too has its own deep-rooted traditions dating back to the 19th century, and year after year one of the best atmospheres is revived at Pimlico, the home of the Preakness
The Weather Vane
The paint job continues above the Old Clubhouse at Pimlico Race Course, where each year the 1.5-meter-wide weather vane, featuring a miniature horse and jockey, is painted in the winner’s colors.
The tradition began in 1909 after lightning struck the original arrow-shaped weather vane and replaced it with the metal ornament in the shape of the jockey.
Black-Eyed Susan
The iconic blanket known as the “Black-Eyed Susan” is another important symbol of the event, which is traditionally placed over the winning horse.
The blanket usually takes three days to make, and uses 80 bunches of yellow daisies intertwined and tied together.
It is worth mentioning that the Black-Eyed Susan, the official flower of the state of Maryland, does not bloom until June, and the artists have to paint the center of the daisies black.
Woodlawn Vase
The so-called Woodlawn Vase, created by Tiffany and Co. in 1860, is made with 13 kilos of solid silver and is valued at one million dollars, being the most valuable sports trophy in the United States.
It is worth mentioning that the winners receive a replica valued at US$30,000, as the original trophy is on permanent display at the Baltimore Museum of Art.
^
What Is The Dress Code For The Preakness Stakes?
Pimlico does not go unnoticed when glamour invades the Race Course facilities and “The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans” becomes the perfect pretext to attract crowds of people in bright colors and spectacular hats. and key factors to take into account such as the weather.
What should you wear if you’re attending the event in 2024?
The weather in Baltimore in mid-May can often be very difficult to judge. That means Preakness Stakes attendees should be prepared for all possibilities. Still, we recommend you always be informed of the weather when the event is at the starting gate.
Items To Consider
Umbrella and High Battery for your Mobile Device. Both are necessary, the first in case the weather changes drastically, and the second in case you need to place your mobile bets immediately, share lines with your friends and see who has the best chances of winning.
^Preakness Stakes FAQ you Need to Know
What was the fastest horse ever in the Preakness Stakes?
This record is held by Secretariat, one of the best horses of all time, who completed the 3/16 mile race in a spectacular time of 1:53.00.
How many people attended the Preakness in 2023?
In terms of attendance, it is the second-most popular race on the USA schedule, for example, 65,000 people attended in 2023. Attendance at the Preakness Stakes ranks second in North America among equestrian events, surpassed only by the Kentucky Derby.
Is the Preakness part of the Triple Crown?
As is well known, the Triple Crown is the great series of three horse races: the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmon Stakes. Only 13 horses in the history of the sport have won the Triple Crown, something that many experts consider the most difficult feat to achieve in all of sports.
^Preakness Stakes Analysis
As we know that you like horse racing, we recommend you review the analysis of our experts to consider when making your weekend plans.
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- Early Look at the Potential Field
- Horse Racing Bets Explained
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- Horse Racing Multiple Betting System Explained
- Horse Betting 101 – How to Bet On Horses
Preakness Stakes: Preakness 149, May 18 2024
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