Preakness Stakes

Preakness Stakes
Many competitions are organized not just to entertain the public but also to bring life in the area and to promote the culture and traditions to the ones who participate fromt the nearby places.The Preakness Stakes is one such event which is an American Grade I thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses, held in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland.

The Preakness Stakes has been termed "The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans" because a horseshoe of black-eyed susans (Rudbeckia hirta), the state flower of Maryland, is traditionally placed around the winner's neck. Thus the game ends at a traditional note with a garland around the winner as a matter of remembrance for the times to come.

The Preakness is the second leg in American thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown and almost always attracts the Kentucky Derby winner. The Preakness is 1 3/16 miles compared to the Kentucky Derby, which is 1 1/4 miles and followed by the third leg, the Belmont Stakes, which is 1 1/2 miles.

Two years before the Kentucky Derby 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 race in honor of the colt Preakness from Milton Holbrook Sanford's Preakness Stables, New Jersey who won the Dinner Party Stakes on the day Pimlico Race Course opened on October 25, 1870.

In 1889, George "Spider" Anderson became the first African-American jockey to win the Preakness. In 1890 Morris Park Racecourse in the Bronx, New York hosted the race but, for the next three years, no Preakness Stakes was run.

For the 15 years from 1894 through 1908, the race was held at Gravesend Race Track on Coney Island, New York.

Just after the horses for the Preakness are called to the post, the audience is invited to sing "Maryland, My Maryland," the official state song of Maryland. Traditionally, the United States Naval Academy Glee Club assembles in the Pimlico infield to lead the song.

Thus the ceremony is marked with an enthusiastic vigor to excite the participants. As soon as the Preakness winner has been declared official, a painter climbs a ladder to the top of a replica of the Old Clubhouse cupola, thus applying the colors of the victorious owner's silks on the jockey and horse that are part of the weather vane atop the infield structure.

The horseshoe of black-eyed Susans is placed around the winning horse's neck at this time and a replica of the Woodlawn Vase is given to the winning horse's owner.

Speculation and excitement immediately begins to mount if that horse has also won the Kentucky Derby, with all eyes waiting to witness whether that horse will go on to win the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing at the Belmont Stakes in June.

The practice started in 1909 at Pimlico when a horse and rider weather vane sat at the top of the old Members' Clubhouse, which was constructed when Pimlico opened in 1870. The Victorian building was destroyed by fire in June 1966. A replica of the old building's cupola was built to stand in the Preakness winner's circle in the infield.

In 1917, the first "Woodlawn Vase" was awarded to the Preakness winner, who was not allowed to keep it. Eventually a half-size reproduction of the trophy was given to winners to keep permanently. The original trophy is kept at the Maryland Historical Society and brought to the Preakness race each year for the winner's presentation ceremony.

In 1918, 26 horses entered the race, and it was run in two divisions, providing for two winners that year. Currently, the race is limited to 14 horses. The leading Preakness winning jockeys are:? Eddie Arcaro : (6) including two consecutive wins in 1950-51 ? Pat Day : (5) including three consecutive wins in 1994-96 ? George Barbee, Bill Hartack and Lloyd Hughes: (3)

Thus the event ends at a gay note after spreading smiles and flowers on the land of Maryland for the fun loving people of Maryland. Preakness has produced a name and fame in the arena that attracts the tourists from far away to be the part of this race.