This year’s Preakness Stakes will be the last time it’s run at Pimlico Race Course before the track undergoes massive renovations. While the race won’t feature the Kentucky Derby winner, it will pay out as large a purse as the course has ever seen.
Here’s everything you need to know about the second jewel of the Triple Crown:
When is the Preakness Stakes?
The first races begin at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday and run well into the evening. time for the main event, the Preakness Stakes, which is the penultimate race, is approximately 6:50 p.m. It’s a full day of horse racing broadcast on NBC and streamed on Peacock.
How are Preakness horses chosen?
In most cases, the Kentucky Derby winner will enter the field for a shot at the coveted Triple Crown. That won’t be the case this year, with Sovereignty bowing out of this year’s Preakness for fear of too tight a turnaround time.
position draw takes place Monday, so we’ll know that evening what this year’s field looks like. But generally speaking, the Preakness Stakes is limited to 14 horses, all based on performances in recent major prep races, including but not limited to the Derby.
How much money does the winner get?
The total purse this year is $2 million, tying the Pimlico Race Course record set in 2024. Standard protocol is 60% goes to the winner and the rest is divided among second-through-fifth-place finishers. The horse’s owner will take home the biggest chunk, shelling out a portion to trainers and jockeys. (Imagine what a horse would buy with all that cash.)
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In the summer of 1868, a group of horse owners gathered for dinner in Saratoga Springs, New York, after a full day of races. They had such a good time (relatable) that John Hunter proposed they run a commemorative horse race in the fall of 1870. It would be for 3-year-old thoroughbreds and they’d call it the Dinner Party Stakes. Genius. Oden Bowie, Maryland’s post-Civil War governor, encouraged they put $15,000 on the line and have his home state host. He even promised to build a new racetrack, which would become Pimlico. The winner of the inaugural Dinner Party Stakes? A horse named Preakness.
How long is the Preakness?
There are two answers to this. The Preakness runs from about 9 a.m. until shortly after 7 p.m. But the Preakness Stakes, the specific race folks travel in from all over the world to see, takes about two minutes. The race in Baltimore is the shortest of the Triple Crown at 1 3/16 of a mile, a tad shorter than the Kentucky Derby’s 1 1/4-mile race.
Churchill Downs president Matt Winn is credited with coining the phrase, “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports.”
Who are the most recent winners of the Preakness?
Seize the Grey won in 2024. The year before was National Treasure, then Early Voting (2022), Rombauer (2021), Swiss Skydive (2020), War of Will (2019) and Justify (2018). Justify is the last horse to win the Triple Crown, racing for trainer Bob Baffert, a two-time Triple Crown winner and the all-time leader in Preakness Stakes wins (8).
What horse holds the record for the fastest time at the Preakness?
In 1973, Secretariat won the Preakness Stakes in 1:53 (part of a Triple Crown that set course records at all three major races). The timer on that fateful May day clocked Secretariat at 1:55, a second shy of the then-record. It wasn’t until June 19, 2012, when the Maryland Race Commission, having reviewed witness accounts, three-plus hours of personal testimony and 21st-century technology, retroactively awarded Secretariat the record.
www.baltimoresun.com/2025/05/12/preakness-2025-redirect/
What is this year’s entertainment?
Event organizers are bypassing the traditional infield concert and instead featuring a redesigned stage viewable from the grandstand. The new setup will be in the open space north of the cupola, beneath the LED board, rather than facing the infield crowd.
The new “Infield Fan Zone,” which includes unlimited beer and wine, will be hosted by Ravens legend Ray Lewis. The design can accommodate approximately 3,000 spectators within a 22,000-square-foot covered tent.
T-Pain and Wyclef Jean will headline the entertainment. The Grammy winners’ trackside performances on Saturday will anchor a slimmed-down version of Preakness’ typical race-day entertainment. T-Pain will take the stage immediately after the final race. It will be the “Buy U A Drank” singer’s third time performing in Baltimore in recent years. Jean will “perform a multi-song live set, including one of his greatest hits” that will also be included in the national NBC broadcast.
Is this the last Preakness at Pimlico?
Sort of. Pimlico is set to receive a massive overhaul soon after the Preakness. Upgrades to the track are expected to cost $400 million, paid by state bonds, and will be ready to host the Preakness in May 2027. The second jewel of the Triple Crown will relocate to nearby Laurel Park in 2026 while the new facility is built.
Demolition of the track and its adjoining structures is expected to begin later this month. The oval track at Pimlico will not be rotated or moved from its current alignment during the renovations.
What’s a Black-Eyed Susan?
A plant, a horse race and a cocktail — the big three.
The Rudbeckia hirta — the plant’s scientific name — resembles a sunflower with its bright-yellow petals. It’s the official state flower of Maryland. The horse race is for 3-year-old fillies on Friday, a prelude to the Preakness. The cocktail — which is consumed in great quantities every third weekend of May — is equal parts bourbon, vodka and peach schnapps. It has orange juice, sour mix, an orange slice and cherry for garnish.
What do people wear to the Preakness?
Generally, something fun. Something that you wouldn’t wear any other day of the year. Something with colors that can be seen from outer space.
Preakness patrons lean into monochromatic pastel tones with bold silhouettes. Horse racing is known for its eccentric hats that look more like a sculpture on your head. Comfortable dress shoes are a worthwhile gamble, accenting the tone of the outfit with the rationale of a day spent walking around (sometimes through mud).
So, wear something crazy then watch it take up space in your closet until next year.
How’s the weather looking for the Preakness?
Saturday’s forecast is mostly sunny with a high near 89 degrees and a 50% chance of showers, according to the National Weather Service. There is a chance of thunderstorms.
Recent Preakness winners
2024: Seize the Grey
2023: National Treasure
2022: Early Voting
2021: Rombauer
2020: Swiss Skydiver
2019: War of Will
2018: Justify
2017: Cloud Computing
2016: Exaggerator
2015: American Pharoah
2014: California Chrome
2013: Oxbow
2012: I’ll Have Another
2011: Shackleford
2010: Lookin At Lucky
2009: Rachel Alexandra
2008: Big Brown
2007: Curlin
2006: Bernardini
2005: Afleet Alex
2004: Smarty Jones
2003: Funny Cide
2002: War Emblem
2001: Point Given
2000: Red Bullet
Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at [email protected], 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn.
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