What time is the Preakness race held?
Hello there! As a home improvement expert who loves renovating bathrooms and streaming games, I‘m so excited to provide you with a comprehensive guide to the legendary Preakness Stakes horse race. Get ready to soak in all the juicy details!
When and Where Does the Action Take Place?
The Preakness Stakes gallops into Baltimore, Maryland every year on the third Saturday in May. Since 1873, it has been hosted at the historic Pimlico Race Course, aside from a few exceptions when it was moved during wartime and flooding.
In 2023, you can catch all the excitement on May 20th! The race itself usually starts around 6:45 pm ET, but the party gets going way earlier when the gates open in the morning.
Fun Fact
Over 100,000 cheering fans flock to Pimlico on Preakness day – it‘s the largest single-day sporting event in Maryland!
What‘s the Distance for This Puppy?
The Preakness Stakes is run over 1 3/16 miles. That‘s a hair under 1 1/4 miles or about 9.5 furlongs for you racing buffs.
Let‘s compare that to the other Triple Crown races:
So the Preakness is the shortest of the three, while the Belmont is the longest Triple Crown challenge.
Fun Fact
The Preakness distance was originally 1 1/2 miles from 1873 to 1924, before being shortened to its current length.
Show Me the Money! What‘s at Stake?
There‘s a whole lot of moolah up for grabs in the Preakness!
The total purse currently sits at a juicy $2 million. The champion horse who crosses the finish line first will collect 60% of the purse, which amounts to $1.2 million. Cha-ching!
Runners-up also get a piece of the pie:
Fun Fact
The Preakness purse has increased 4x over the past few decades! Back in the 1980s, the total purse was only $500,000.
Who Are the Contenders?
The starting gate at Pimlico can hold up to 14 horses, but the actual Preakness field size varies each year. On average, between 8-10 horses will line up on Preakness day to compete for both glory and cash.
To qualify for the Preakness, horses need to earn points in designated major prep races leading up to the Kentucky Derby. Sometimes horses will opt out of the Preakness if they‘re not feeling up to the quick two week turnaround after the tiring Derby.
For example, the 2022 Preakness attracted just 9 horses:
There were only 9 Preakness runners compared to 20 horses that started in the Kentucky Derby two weeks prior.
Fun Fact
The largest Preakness field ever was 23 horses in 1921!
What Traditions Define This Historic Race?
Get ready for hats, horses, and hooch! The Preakness is known for its upbeat party atmosphere.
Fans get decked out in their fanciest hats and outfits. If you‘ve never seen images of the colorful, creative Preakness hats, you‘re missing out!
Mimosas and other drinks are flowing in the InfieldFest area as live music amps up the excitement. At the center of it all are the magnificent thoroughbreds thundering down the track.
After the race, the winning horse is draped in a blanket made of Black-eyed Susans, the state flower of Maryland.
The weather vane atop the Pimlico clubhouse gets repainted every year in the Preakness winner‘s racing colors.
Fun Fact
The Black-eyed Susan became the official Preakness cocktail in 1940. Mix equal parts bourbon, vodka, and orange juice to try this popular trackside drink!
Who‘s the Fastest Out of the Gate?
The fastest horse in Preakness history was the legendary Secretariat. In 1973, he blitzed the competition and won in a jaw-dropping record time of 1:53 flat!
To put that into perspective, the prior Preakness record was 1:54 2/5. So Secretariat shaved over a full second off the previous best time – an eternity in thoroughbred racing.
His dominating 31 length victory is regarded as one of the sport‘s finest performances ever witnessed. Secretariat captured the Triple Crown that same year.
Fun Fact
At the Preakness, Secretariat ran each quarter mile section of the race faster than the one before. His times were:
Who Are the Most Famous Winners?
Many remarkable horses have won the Preakness Stakes during its rich history since 1873. Here are some of the most notable Preakness champions:
And those are just a few! In total, 23 horses have managed to capture the Triple Crown after winning the Preakness Stakes.
Fun Fact
Trainer Bob Baffert has the most Preakness wins of any trainer in history with 7: War Emblem, Lookin at Lucky, American Pharoah, Justify, Authentic, and two with Silver Charm!
Where Can I Catch the Preakness Live?
Get ready for an exciting day of world-class horse racing! Here‘s how and where you can watch all the Preakness action live:
NBC has comprehensive coverage on TV, including 2 hours on NBC Sports Network before switching over to the main NBC channel at 5pm ET for the race.
You can also stream online on NBC Sports or YouTube TV. Don‘t miss a minute of the thrills with a FuboTV subscription!
And of course, being there in person at Pimlico Race Course is an unbeatable experience. Screaming fans cheering the horses down the final stretch still gives me chills!
Can‘t make it out to the track? No worries! Place your bets online in real time at sites like TwinSpires as you watch the race live.
Well, I hope this guide gets you pumped up for the upcoming Preakness Stakes! Let me know if you need any other details on this premier American horse racing event. Enjoy the race!