9 Facts About The Preakness Stakes

Every year on the third Saturday in May, there is a flurry of excitement all over Maryland, and especially in Baltimore, to celebrate the annual horse race – the Preakness Stakes. Known as the middle jewel of the triple crown of horse racing, the race takes place a few weeks after the Kentucky Derby and a few weeks before the Belmont Stakes.

Like the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes, Preakness has a rich and colorful history, full of pageantry and rooted in tradition. Let’s take a look at some fast facts about this famous race.

9 Facts About The Preakness Stakes Horse Race

And They’re Off! – Established in 1873, Preakness will celebrate its 149th horse race in 2024 (the years do not add up exactly given a racing hiatus in the 1890’s)
Made in Maryland – Preakness is held each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, the third Saturday of May. While Pimlico was the first location for Preakness and has been the race’s location for over 100 years, it was also held in New York for several years at the turn of the century.
Bejeweled Splendor– Preakness is the second jewel in the famous triple crown series of races, held in between the Kentucky Derby in Kentucky, and the Belmont Stakes in New York.
Attendance Stats – It is typically the second highest attended thoroughbred stakes race in North America, second only to the Kentucky Derby.
Great Lengths – It is the shortest race of the triple crown races at 1 3/16 miles, while the Kentucky Derby is 1 1/4 miles and Belmont Stakes is 1 1/2 miles
Age Limit for Horses – Preakness limits the race to 14 horses and all must be 3 years old to be eligible.
A Blanket of Flowers – While the Kentucky Derby uses roses for the winning horse’s blanket and Belmont Stakes uses white carnations, the winning horse at Preakness is draped with a blanket of black-eye Susans, Maryland’s state flower. It is also why the Preakness is often called the “Run for the Black-Eyed Susans”, whereas the Derby’s nickname is “Run for the Roses” and Belmont Stakes is known as “Run for the Carnations”.
Best Kept Secret – What many people don’t know is that the flowers used in the winning horse’s blanket at Preakness are not actually black-eye Susans, which don’t bloom until late June. Over the years, daisies have been used with their centers painted black to look like black-eyed Susans. Currently, Viking mums are the flower of choice, which from afar, greatly resemble Maryland’s state flower.
True Colors – When the Preakness winner is officially announced, a painter immediately climbs a ladder to the top of the Old Clubhouse to repaint the jockey and horse weather vane to reflect the winning team’s colors.