PREAKNESS STAKES NOTABLE WINNERS
PIMLICO HISTORY
By Ryan Patterson
Any real racing fan has heard of the
Preakness Stakes. Despite this few
have heard of horses like Survivor who was the first
horse to win the Preakness. Few have also heard of
Sir Barton, the first horse to win the Triple Crown.
Did you know that Flocarline was the first filly to
win the race? Neither did I. Lets take a look at the
history of the Preakness and some of its most
notable winners!
The Preakness Stakes takes place at the storied
Pimlico Racecourse on the third Saturday in May
every year. For those of you who didn’t know Pimlico
is the site of the Seabiscuit vs. Man O’ War match
race. That race was called the Pimlico Special, but
that discussion for another day. Colts carry 126
pounds, while the fillies are given a lighter weight
of 121. The distance for the race is 1 3-16. Just as
the Kentucky Derby is the “run for the roses” the
Preakness is the “run for the black eyed susans”.
Although the Preakness is the second leg of the
Triple Crown, it is actually 2 years older than the
Derby. The race is named in honor of Preakness, who
won the Dinner Party Stakes on Pimlico’s opening day
in 1870. The first winner was Survivor, who too the
race by 10 lengths. This was the largest margin of
victory until Smarty Jones won the race in 2004.
Similar to how “My Old Kentucky Home” is played
before the Derby, “Maryland, My Maryland is played
prior to the Preakness.
No jockey has won the Preakness more than the
legendary Eddie Arcaro. He won the race 6 times,
including back-to-back wins in 1950-51. Pat Day has
won the race 5 times, and Bill Hartack, George
Barbee, and Lloyd Hughes have each won the race 3
times. R. Wyndham Walden who dominated the racing
scene as a trainer in the late 19th century holds
the record for most wins at 7. Thomas J. Healey and
D. Wayne Lukas have each captured the Preakness 5
times. Bob Baffert, Jimmy Jones, and Jimi
Fitzsimmons have all won the race 4 times. Tank’s
Prospect, Louis Quatorze, and Curlin share the
stakes record time of 1:53 2/5.
One of the most notable Preakness Stakes took place
in 1973. The winner was, and yes you guessed it
right, Secretariat! There was a problem with the
clocking and it remains a controversy to this day.
Secretariat was clocked in 1:53.40 which would have
be the stakes record. However, due to human error
the time went to arbitration and Pimlico set the
time at 1:54.40, although the Daily Racing From had
him a second faster. Big Red would have swept the
Triple Crown while breaking all of the stakes
records had it not been for this.
Pat Day had a winning streak of 3 in the Preakness
from 1994-1996. The first two winners, Tabasco Cat,
and Timber Country were D. Wayne Lukas trainees. His
last winner in the streak was Louis Quatorze, who
equaled the track record. Louis Quatorze was trained
by Nick Zito. Tabasco Cat would go on to win the
Belmont Stakes. Pat Day had also won the race on
Summer Squall and Tank’s Prospect. Two of his
winners, Louis Quatorze and Tank’s Prospect share
the track record.
Now that you’ve had a little history lesson, how
about a handicapping lesson? Sit this race out, and
take it in. It’s ok to make a small wager, but
chances are Big Brown wont lose this one. Harlem
Rocker could provide a scare, but Big Bad Brown
should, and key word is should win. Good luck, and
get ready for a fun second leg of the Triple Crown!
Have a look at our other Preakness
articles :
2008 Preakness Picks with Analysis
Big Brown Favored to win the Preakness