Preakness stakes

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 horseshoe of black-eyed susans (Rudbeckia hirta), the state flower of Maryland, 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 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 Pimlico Race Course opened on October 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 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.

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 1/2 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.

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 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. S/he applies the colors of the victorious owner's silks on the jockey and horse that are part of the weather 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 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.

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-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 11½ lengths, by Smarty Jones in 2004.

Four fillies have won the Preakness:

• 1903 - Flocarline

• 1906 - Whimsical

• 1915 - Rhine Maiden

• 1924 - Nellie Morse

may 15, 2027

Previous Races of Preakness Winners (Past 50 Years)

Year - Preakness Winner - Previous Race - Finish in Prev. Race

2026 - Napoleon Solo - Wood Memorial Stakes - 5th

2025 - Journalism - Kentucky Derby - 2nd

2024 - Seize the Grey - Pat Day Mile Stakes - 1st

2023 - National Treasure - Santa Anita Derby - 4th

2022 - Early Voting - Wood Memorial Stakes - 2nd

2021 - Rombauer - Blue Grass Stakes - 3rd

2020 - Swiss Skydiver - Kentucky Derby - 2nd

2019 - War of Will - Kentucky Derby - 7th

2018 - Justify - Kentucky Derby - 1st

2017 - Cloud Computing - Wood Memorial Stakes - 3rd

2016 - Exaggerator - Kentucky Derby - 2nd

2015 - American Pharoah - Kentucky Derby - 1st

2014 - California Chrome - Kentucky Derby - 1st

2013 - Oxbow - Kentucky Derby - 6th

2012 - I'll Have Another - Kentucky Derby - 1st

2011 - Shackleford - Kentucky Derby - 4th

2010 - Lookin at Lucky - Kentucky Derby - 6th

2009 - Rachel Alexandra - Kentucky Oaks - 1st

2008 - Big Brown - Kentucky Derby - 1st

2007 - Curlin - Kentucky Derby - 3rd

2006 - Bernardini - Withers Stakes - 1st

2005 - Afleet Alex - Kentucky Derby - 3rd

2004 - Smarty Jones - Kentucky Derby - 1st

2003 - Funny Cide - Kentucky Derby - 1st

2002 - War Emblem - Kentucky Derby - 1st

2001 - Point Given - Kentucky Derby - 5th

2000 - Red Bullet - Wood Memorial Stakes - 2nd

1999 - Charismatic - Kentucky Derby - 1st

1998 - Real Quiet - Kentucky Derby - 1st

1997 - Silver Charm - Kentucky Derby - 1st

1996 - Louis Quatorze - Kentucky Derby - 16th

1995 - Timber Country - Kentucky Derby - 3rd

1994 - Tabasco Cat - Kentucky Derby - 6th

1993 - Prairie Bayou - Kentucky Derby - 2nd

1992 - Pine Bluff - Kentucky Derby - 5th

1991 - Hansel - Kentucky Derby - 10th

1990 - Summer Squall - Kentucky Derby - 2nd

1989 - Sunday Silence - Kentucky Derby - 1st

1988 - Risen Star - Kentucky Derby - 3rd

1987 - Alysheba - Kentucky Derby - 1st

1986 - Snow Chief - Kentucky Derby - 11th

1985 - Tank's Prospect - Kentucky Derby - 7th

1984 - Gate Dancer - Kentucky Derby - 4th

1983 - Deputed Testamony - Federico Tesio Stakes - 1st

1982 - Aloma's Ruler - Withers Stakes - 1st

1981 - Pleasant Colony - Kentucky Derby - 1st

1980 - Codex - Santa Anita Derby - 1st

1979 - Spectacular Bid - Kentucky Derby - 1st

1978 - Affirmed - Kentucky Derby - 1st

1977 - Seattle Slew - Kentucky Derby - 1st

Key Historical Takeaways

• The Derby Route Dominates: Out of the 50 champions listed, 39 horses came directly through the Kentucky Derby pipeline.

• The "Fresh Horse" Strategy: A rising modern trend involves skipping the Derby entirely to target the Preakness fresh. Cloud Computing (2017), Early Voting (2022), and Napoleon Solo (2026) all won the middle jewel after prepping in New York's Wood Memorial Stakes. 

• The Rare Filly Wins: Only two fillies have won the race in the last 50 years: Rachel Alexandra (2009), who dominated the Kentucky Oaks by 20+ lengths beforehand, and Swiss Skydiver (2020), who ran a brave 2nd against the boys in the pandemic-delayed October Kentucky Derby

Favorite Preakness Angles

Betting the Kentucky Derby winner if he's not the favorite

For Exactas and Trifectas boxing the 3 horses who finished best in Kentucky Derby is my go-to exotic bet in the Preakness.

Nearly Everyone's hand is revealed after the Derby.

Occassionally i'll throw in a fresh horse coming out of Wood Memorial or other key Derby prep race who skipped the Derby, or local horse coming out of Frederico Tesio Stakes, or Derby runner that i liked in Derby or was heavily bet in Derby that may have had problems in the race.