The Preakness is the second leg in American thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown 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 about 9 furlongs, compared to the Kentucky Derby (10 furlongs) and the Belmont (12). (The phrase "Triple Crown" was not applied to this series of races until the 1930s.) It is followed by the third leg, the Belmont Stakes.
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.
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 AcademyGlee 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. 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.
In 1917, the first "Woodlawn Vase" was awarded to the Preakness winner which he was not allowed to keep. Eventually a half-size reproduction of the trophy was given 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.
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
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.
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 the University of Pennsylvania but was euthanizedJanuary 29, 2007. This year's ninth race is now called the Barbaro Stakes in his honor.
