Preakness

Preakness Stakes is a Grade I thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is run on dirt at a distance of 1 3/16 miles (9.5 furlongs). The race is the middle jewel of the American Triple Crown, following the Kentucky Derby and preceding the Belmont Stakes. It began in 1873 and is named after the horse Preakness. The event traditionally takes place on the third Saturday in May, two weeks after the Derby; the 2020 edition was postponed to October due to the COVID-19 pandemic, before returning to May in 2021.

The Preakness attracts a national audience and a large in-person crowd at Pimlico, with television coverage provided by NBC. The purse is around $1.65 million.

The winner receives the Woodlawn Vase, one of the oldest and most valuable trophies in American sport. Secretariat holds the record for the fastest Preakness at 1:53 0/5, set in 1973.

The race has produced champions who have gone on to win the Triple Crown, though the Crown has not been won since Justify in 2018. The Preakness remains an integral part of American racing, anchored by Pimlico’s long history and its role in showcasing the sport midway through the Triple Crown season.