Preakness Stakes

The Preakness Stakes is a Grade I Stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred racehorses, held on the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a distance of 1-3/16 mile, or 9-1/2 furlongs. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds (57 kg) and fillies carry 121 pounds (55 kg). It is the second leg in the U.S. Triple Crown, preceded by the Kentucky Derby, and followed three weeks later by the Belmont Stakes. 

The Preakness is called "The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans" because of the blanket of Viking daises, decorated to look like Black-eyed Susans (the state flower of Maryland), that is given to the winner. (Actual Black-eyed Susans are not in season during the Preakness.) 

History

Two years before the Preakness 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 a half (2.41 km) race in honor of the colt Preakness from Milton Holbrook Sanford's Preakness Stable in Preakness, Wayne Township, New Jersey, who won the Dinner Party Stakes on the day Pimlico opened (October 25, 1870). The New Jersey name was said to have come from the Native American name Pra-qua-les ("Quail Woods") for the area. After Preakness won the Dinner Party Stakes, his jockey, Billy Hayward, untied a silk bag of gold coins that hung from a wire stretched across the track from the judges' stand. This was the supposed way that the "wire" at the finish line was introduced and how the awarding of "purse" money came to be.  In reality, the term "purse", meaning prize money, had been in use for well over a century.

The first Preakness, held on May 27, 1873, drew seven starters. John Chamberlain's three-year-old, Survivor, collected the $2,050 winning purse by galloping home easily by 10 lengths. This was the largest margin until 2004,  when Smarty Jones won by 11 1/2 lengths. 

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 fifteen years from 1894 to 1908, the race was held at Gravesend Race Track on Coney Island, New York. In 1909, it returned to Pimlico.

In March 2009, Magna Entertainment Corp, which owns Pimlico, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, thus throwing open the possibility that the Stakes could move again. On April 13, 2009, the Maryland Legislature approved a plan to buy the Stakes and the Pimlico course if Magna Entertainment could not find a buyer.

Triple Crown Series

The Preakness is the second leg in the American thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown series and almost always attracts the Kentucky Derby winner, plus some of the other horses that ran in the Derby, and often a few horses that did not start in the race. 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 Belmont Stakes, the third leg, which is 1-1/2 miles. 

Since 1932, the order of the Triple Crown has been the Kentucky Derby first, followed by the Preakness Stakes, and then the Belmont Stakes. Prior to that, the Preakness was run before the Derby eleven times. On May 12, 1917 and again on May 13, 1922, the Preakness and the Derby were run on the same day.

Today, the Preakness is run on the third Saturday in May, two weeks after the Kentucky Derby and three weeks before the Belmont Stakes. Consequently, it can never be run before May 15, nor after May 21. 

Records

Most wins by a jockey

• 6 - Eddie Arcaro (1941, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1955, 1957)
• 5 - Pat Day (1985, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996)
• 3 - George Barbee (1873, 1876, 1883)
• 3 - Bill Hartack (1956, 1964, 1969)
• 3 - Loyd Hughes (1875, 1879, 1880)

Most wins by a trainer

• 7 - R. Wyndham Walden (1875, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1888)
• 5 - Thomas J. Healey (1901, 1922, 1923, 1926, 1929)
• 5 - D. Wayne Lukas (1980, 1985, 1994, 1995, 1999)
• 5 - Bob Baffert (1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2010)
• 4 - Jim Fitzsimmons (1930, 1935, 1955, 1957)
• 4 - Jimmy Jones (1947, 1948, 1956, 1958)
• 3 - John Whalen (1907, 1911, 1913)

Most wins by an owner

• 7 - Calumet Farm (1941, 1944, 1947, 1948, 1956, 1958, 1968)
• 5 - George L. Lorillard (1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882)
• 4 - Harry P. Whitney (1908, 1921, 1927, 1928)

Stakes Record

• 1:53 - Secretariat (1973) 1-3/16 miles (1.91 km)

Secretariat, the 1973 winner, was originally credited with a running time of 1:55. Two Daily Racing Form clockers, however, timed him in 1:53 2/5, a new stakes record. A hearing was held over the time discrepency, where a video replay proved reached the wire before Canonero II, the then-current record holder. But instead of giving Secretariat the record, the Maryland Jockey Club decided to split the difference and make its official time of Pimlico's clocker, who had timed the race in 1:54 2/5. The matter was finally resolved in a June 2012 meeting of the Maryland Racing Commission, which unanimously ruled to change Secretariat's final time to 1:53 based on testimony and analysis of the race replays. 

Margin of Victory

• 11-1/2 lengths - Smarty Jones (2004)
• 10 lengths - Survivor (1873)
• 9-3/4 lengths - Funny Cide (2003)
• 8 lengths - Count Fleet (1943)

Fillies

Five fillies have won the Preakness in 136 races:

• Flocarline - 1903
• Whimsical - 1906
• Rhine Maiden - 1915
• Nellie Morse - 1924
• Rachel Alexandra - 2009 (Rachel Alexandra was the only horse, male or female, to win from the farthest outside position: the 13th post.)

(Three fillies have won the Kentucky Derby in 138 races, and three fillies have won the Belmont Stakes in 143 races. On average, fillies have won between 2% and 3% of the Triple Crown races, with similar numbers for geldings; while about 95% of these high-stakes races have been won by colts.)

Winners

An * designates a Triple Crown winner.

A ** designates a filly.

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Distance (miles)	Time	Grade
2013	Oxbow	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	Calumet Farm	1-3/16	1.57.54	I
2012	Animal Kingdom	Mario Gutierrez	Doug O'Neil	J. Paul Reddam	1-3/16	1:55.94	I
2011	Shackleford	Jesus Castanon	Dale Romans	Mike Lauffer & W.D. Cubbedge	1-3/16	1:56.47	I
2010	Lookin at Lucky	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	Michael Pegram	1-3/16	1:55.47	I
2009	Rachel Alexandra**	Calvin Borel	Steve Asmussen	Stonestreet Stables/H. T. McCormick	1-3/16	1:55.08	I
2008	Big Brown	Kent Desormeaux	Richard Dutrow	IEAH Stables & P. Pompa, Jr.	1-3/16	1:54.86	I
2007	Curlin	Robby Albarado	Steve Asmussen	Stonestreet Stables/H. T. McCormick	1-3/16	1:53.46	I
2006	Bernardini	Javier Castellano	Tom Albertrani	Darley Stables	1-3/16	1:54.65	I
2005	Afleet Alex	Jeremy Rose	Timothy Ritchey	Cash Is King Stable	1-3/16	1:55.04	I
2004	Smarty Jones	Stewart Elliot	John Servis	Someday Farm	1-3/16	1:55.59	I
2003	Funny Cide	Jose Santos	Barclay Tagg	Sackatoga Stable	1-3/16	1:55.61	I
2002	War Emblem	Victor Espinoza	Bob Baffert	The Thoroughbred Corp.	1-3/16	1:56.40	I
2001	Point Given	Gary Stevens	Bob Baffert	The Thoroughbred Corp.	1-3/16	1:55.40	I
2000	Red Bullet	Jerry Bailey	Joe Orseno	Stronach Stables	1-3/16	1:56.00	I
1999	Charismatic	Chris Antley	D. Wayne Lukas	Bob & Beverly Lewis	1-3/16	1:55.20	I
1998	Real Quiet	Kent Desormeaux	Bob Baffert	Michael Pegram	1-3/16	1:54.60	I
1997	Silver Charm	Gary Stevens	Bob Baffert	Bob & Beverly Lewis	1-3/16	1:54.80	I
1996	Louis Quatorze	Pat Day	Nick Zito	Condren/Cornacchia/Hofmann	1-3/16	1:53.40	I
1995	Timber Country	Pat Day	D. Wayne Lukas*	Overbrook/Gainesway/Lewis	1-3/16	1:54.40	I
1994	Tabasco Cat	Pat Day	D. Wayne Lukas	D. P. Reynolds & Overbrook	1-3/16	1:56.40	I
1993	Prairie Bayou	Mike Smith	Tom Bohannan	Loblolly Stable	1-3/16	1:56.60	I
1992	Pine Bluff	Chris McCarron	Tom Bohannan	Loblolly Stable	1-3/16	1:55.60	I
1991	Hansel	Jerry Bailey	Frank L. Brothers	Lazy Lane Farms	1-3/16	1:54.00	I
1990	Summer Squall	Pat Day	Neil J. Howard	Dogwood Stable	1-3/16	1:53.60	I
1989	Sunday Silence	Pat Valenzuela	Char. Whittingham	H-G-W Partners	1-3/16	1:53.80	I
1988	Risen Star	Ed Delahoussaye	Louie Roussel	L. J. Roussel III & R. Lamarque	1-3/16	1:56.20	I
1987	Alysheba	Chris McCarron	Jack Van Berg	Dorothy Scharbauer	1-3/16	1:55.80	I
1986	Snow Chief	Alex Solis	Melvin F. Stute	Carl Grinstead	1-3/16	1:54.80	I
1985	Tank's Prospect	Pat Day	D. Wayne Lukas	Eugene V. Klein	1-3/16	1:53.40	I
1984	Gate Dancer	Angel Cordero	Jack Van Berg	Kenneth Opstein	1-3/16	1:53.60	I
1983	Deputed Testamony	Donald Miller, Jr.	J. William Boniface	Bonita Farm	1-3/16	1:55.40	I
1982	Aloma's Ruler	Jack Kaenel	John L. Lenzini, Jr.	Nathan Scherr	1-3/16	1:55.40	I
1981	Pleasant Colony	Jorge Velasquez	John P. Campo	Buckland Farm	1-3/16	1:54.60	I
1980	Codex	Angel Cordero	D. Wayne Lukas	Tartan Stable	1-3/16	1:54.20	I
1979	Spectacular Bid	Ronnie Franklin	Bud Delp	Hawksworth Farm	1-3/16	1:54.20	I
1978	Affirmed*	Steve Cauthen	Laz Barrera	Harbor View Farm	1-3/16	1:54.40	I
1977	Seattle Slew*	Jean Cruguet	Bill Turner	Karen L. Taylor	1-3/16	1:54.40	I
1976	Elocutionist	John Lively	Paul T. Adwell	Eugene C. Cashman	1-3/16	1:55.00	I
1975	Master Derby	Darrel McHargue	Smiley Adams	Golden Chance Farm	1-3/16	1:56.40	I
1974	Little Current	Miguel A. Rivera	Lou Rondinello	Darby Dan Farm	1-3/16	1:54.60	I
1973	Secretariat*	Ron Turcotte	Lucien Laurin	Meadow Stable	1-3/16	1:53.00	I
1972	Bee Bee Bee	Eldon Nelson	Del W. Carroll	William S. Farish III	1-3/16	1:55.60
1971	Canonero II	Gustavo Avila	Juan Arias	Edgar Caibett	1-3/16	1:54.00
1970	Personality	Eddie Belmonte	John W. Jacobs	Ethel D. Jacobs	1-3/16	1:56.20
1969	Majestic Prince	Bill Hartack	Johnny Longden	Frank M. McMahon	1-3/16	1:55.60
1968	Forward Pass	Ismael Valenzuela	Henry Forrest	Calumet Farm	1-3/16	1:56.80
1967	Damascus	Bill Shoemaker	Frank Whiteley	Powhatan Stable	1-3/16	1:56.20
1966	Kauai King	Don Brumfield	Henry Forrest	Ford Stable	1-3/16	1:55.40
1965	Tom Rolfe	Ron Turcotte	Frank Whiteley	Edith W. Bancroft	1-3/16	1:55.20
1964	Northern Dancer	Bill Hartack	Horatio Luro	Windfields Farm	1-3/16	1:56.80
1963	Candy Spots	Bill Shoemaker	Mesh Tenney	Rex C. Ellsworth	1-3/16	1:56.20
1962	Greek Money	John L. Rotz	Virgil W. Raines	Brandywine Stable	1-3/16	1:56.20
1961	Carry Back	Johnny Sellers	Jack A. Price	Katherine Price	1-3/16	1:57.60
1960	Bally Ache	Bobby Ussery	Jimmy Pitt	Turfland	1-3/16	1:57.60
1959	Royal Orbit	William Harmatz	Reggie Cornell	Halina Gregory Braunstein	1-3/16	1:57.00
1958	Tim Tam	Ismael Valenzuela	Horace A. Jones	Calumet Farm	1-3/16	1:57.20
1957	Bold Ruler	Eddie Arcaro	Jim Fitzsimmons	Wheatley Stable	1-3/16	1:56.20
1956	Fabius	Bill Hartack	Horace A. Jones	Calumet Farm	1-3/16	1:58.40
1955	Nasua	Eddie Arcaro	Jim Fitzsimmons	Belair Stud	1-3/16	1:54.60
1954	Hasty Road	John H. Adams	Harry Trotsek	Hasty House Farm	1-3/16	1:57.40
1953	Native Dancer	Eric Guerin	Bill Winfrey	Alfred G. Vanderbilt II	1-3/16	1:57.80
1952	Blue Man	Conn McCreary	Woody Stephens	White Oak Stable	1-3/16	1:57.40
1951	Bold	Eddie Arcaro	Preston M. Burch	Brookmeade Stable	1-3/16	1:56.40
1950	Hill Prince	Eddie Arcaro	Casey Hayes	Christopher Chenery	1-3/16	1:59.20
1949	Capot	Ted Atkinson	John M. Gaver, Sr.	Greentree Stable	1-3/16	1:56.00
1948	Citation*	Eddie Arcaro	Horace A. Jones	Calumet Farm	1-3/16	2:02.40
1947	Faultless	Douglas Dodson	Horace A. Jones	Calumet Farm	1-3/16	1:59.00
1946	Assault*	Warren Mehrtens	Max Hirsch	King Ranch	1-3/16	2:01.40
1945	Polynesian	Wayne D. Wright	Morris H. Dixon	Gertrude T. Widener	1-3/16	1:58.80
1944	Pensive	Conn McCreary	Ben A. Jones	Calumet Farm	1-3/16	1:59.20
1943	Count Fleet*	Johnny Longden	Don Cameron	Fannie Hertz	1-3/16	1:57.40
1942	Alsab	Basil James	Sarge Swenke	Mrs. Albert Sabath	1-3/16	1:57.00
1941	Whirlaway*	Eddie Arcaro	Ben A. Jones	Calumet Farm	1-3/16	1:58.80
1940	Bimelech	Fred A. Smith	William J. Hurley	Edward R. Bradley	1-3/16	1:58.60
1939	Challedon	George Seabo	Louis J. Schaefer	William L. Brann	1-3/16	1:59.80
1938	Dauber	Maurice Peters	Richard E. Handlen	Foxcatcher Farms	1-3/16	1:59.80
1937	War Admiral*	Charley Kurtsinger	George Conway	Glen Riddle Farm	1-3/16	1:58.40
1936	Bold Venture	George Woolf	Max Hirsch	Morton L. Schwartz	1-3/16	1:59.00
1935	Omaha*	Willie Saunders	Jim Fitzsimmons	Belair Stud	1-3/16	1:58.40
1934	High Quest	Robert Jones	Robert A. Smith	Brookmeade Stable	1-3/16	1:58.20
1933	Head Play	Charley Kurtsinger	Thomas P. Hayes	Silas B. Mason	1-3/16	2:02.00
1932	Burgoo King	Eugene James	H. J. Thompson	Edward R. Bradley	1-3/16	1:59.80
1931	Mate	George Ellis	James W. Healy	Albert C. Bostwick, Jr.	1-3/16	1:59.00
1930	Gallant Fox*	Earl Sande	Jim Fitzsimmons	Belair Stud	1-3/16	2:00.60
1929	Dr. Freeland	Louis Schaefer	Thomas J. Healey	Walter J. Salmon, Sr.	1-3/16	2:01.60
1928	Victorian	Raymond Workman	James G. Rowe, Sr.	Harry P. Whitney	1-3/16	2:00.20
1927	Bostonian	Whitey Abel	Fred Hopkins	Harry P. Whitney	1-3/16	2:01.60
1926	Display	John Maiben	Thomas J. Healey	Walter J. Salmon, Sr.	1-3/16	1:59.80
1925	Coventry	Clarence Kummer	William B. Duke	Gifford A. Cochran	1-3/16	1:59.00
1924	Nellie Morse**	John Merimee	Albert B. Gorden	Bud Fisher	1-1/8	1:57.20
1923	Vigil	Benny Marinelli	Thomas J. Healey	Walter J. Salmon, Sr.	1-1/8	1:53.60
1922	Pillory	Louis Morris	Thomas J. Healey	Richard T. Wilson, Jr.	1-1/8	1:51.60
1921	Broomspun	Frank Coltiletti	James G. Rowe, Sr.	Harry P. Whitney	1-1/8	1:54.20
1920	Man o'War	Clarence Kummer	Louis Feustel	Glen Riddle Farm	1-1/8	1:51.60
1919	Sir Barton*	Johnny Loftus	H. Guy Bedwell	J. K. L. Ross	1-1/8	1:54.80
1918	War Cloud	Johnny Loftus	Walter B. Jennings	A. Kingsley Macomber	1-1/8	1:53.60
1918	Jack Hare, Jr.	Charles Peak	Frank D. Weir	W. E. Applegate	1-1/8	1:53.40
1917	Kalitan	Everett Haynes	Bill Hurley	Edward R. Bradley	1-1/8	1:54.40
1916	Damrosch	Linus McAtee	Albert G. Weston	J. L. L. Ross	1-1/8	1:54.80
1915	Rhine Maiden**	Douglas Hoffman	Frank Devers	Edward F. Whitney	1-1/8	1:58.00
1914	Holiday	Andy Schuttinger	J. Simon Healy	Mrs. A. Barklie	1-1/8	1:53.80
1913	Buskin	James Butwell	John Whalen	John Whalen	1-1/8	1:53.40
1912	Colonel Holloway	Clarence Turner	Dave Woodford	Beverwyck Stable	1-1/8	1:56.60
1911	Watervale	Eddie Dugan	John Whalen	August Belmont, Jr.	1-1/8	1:51.00
1910	Layminster	Roy Estep	J. Simon Healy	Edward B. Cassatt	1 mile	1:40.60
1909	Effendi	Willie Doyle	Frank C. Frisbie	W. T. Ryan	1 mile	1:39.80
1908	Royal Tourist	Eddie Dugan	A. Jack Joyner	Harry P. Whitney	1-1/16	1:46.40
1907	Don Enrique	George Mountain	John Whalen	August Belmont, Jr.	1-1/16	1:45.40
1906	Whimsical**	Walter Miller	Tim J. Gaynor	Tim J. Gaynor	1-1/16	1:45.00
1905	Cairngorm	Willie Davis	A. Jack Joyner	Sydney Paget	1-1/16	1:45.80
1904	Bryn Mawr	Gene Hildebrand	W. Fred Presgrave	Goughacres Stable	1-1/16	1:44.20
1903	Flocarline**	William Gannon	H. C. Riddle	M. H. Tichenor	1-1/16	1:44.80
1902	Old England	L. Jackson	Green B. Morris	Green B. Morris	1-1/16	1:45.80
1901	The Parader	F. Landry	Thomas J. Healy	Richard T. Wilson, Jr.	1-1/16	1:47.20
1900	Hindus	Henry Spencer	John H. Morris	George J. Long	1-1/16	1:48.40
1899	Half Time	Richard Clawson	Frank McCabe	Philip J. Dwyer	1-1/16	1:47.00
1898	Sly Fox	Willie Simms	Hardy Campbell, Jr.	Charles F. Dwyer	1-1/16	1:49.75
1897	Paul Kauvar	T. Thorpe	Thomas P. Hayes	Thomas P. Hayes	1-1/16	1:51.25
1896	Margrave	Henry Griffin	Bryon McClelland	August Belmont, Jr.	1-1/16	1:51.00
1895	Belmar	Fred Taral	Edward Feakes	Preakness Stables	1-1/16	1:50.50
1894	Assignee	Fred Taral	William Lakeland	James & Foxhall Keene	1-1/16	1:49.25
1893	No Race	No Race	No Race	No Race	no race	0.00.00
1892	No Race	No Race	No Race	No Race	no race	0.00.00
1891	No Race	No Race	No Race	No Race	no race	0.00.00
1890	Montague	Willie Martin	Edward Feakes	Preakness Stables	1-1/2	2:36.75
1889	Buddhist	George Anderson	John W. Rogers	Samuel S. Brown	1-1/4	2:17.50
1888	Refund	Fred Littlefield	R. W. Walden	R. W. Walden	1-1/2	2:49.00
1887	Dunboyne	William Donohue	William Jennings	William Jennings	1-1/2	2:39.50
1886	The Bard	S. Fisher	John Huggins	A. J. Cassatt	1-1/2	2:45.00
1885	Tecumseh	Jim McClaughlin	Charles Littlefield	W. Donohue	1-1/2	2:49.00
1884	Knight of Ellerslie	S. Fisher	Thomas Doswell	R. Hancock & T. Doswell	1-1/2	2:39.50
1883	Jacobus	George Barbee	R. Dwyer	James E. Kelley	1-1/2	2:42.50
1882	Vanguard	Tom Castello	R. W. Walden	George L. Lorillard	1-1/2	2:44.50
1881	Saunterer	Tom Castello	R. W. Walden	George L. Lorillard	1-1/2	2:40.50
1880	Grenada	Lloyd Hughes	R. W. Walden	George L. Lorillard	1-1/2	2:40.50
1879	Harold	Lloyd Hughes	R. W. Walden	George L. Lorillard	1-1/2	2:40.50
1878	Duke of Magenta	C. Holloway	R. W. Walden	George L. Lorillard	1-1/2	2:41.75
1877	Cloverbrook	C. Holloway	Jeter Walden	E. A. Clabaugh	1-1/2	2:45.50
1876	Shirley	George Barbee	W. Brown	Pierre Lorillard IV	1-1/2	2:44.75
1875 1874 1873	Tom Ochiltree Culpepper Survivor	Lloyd Hughes William Donohue George Barbee	R. W. Walden Hugh Gaffney A. Davis Pryor	John F. Chamberlain Hugh Gaffney John F. Chamberlain	1-1/2 1-1/2 1-1/2	2:43.50 2:56.50 2:43.00