Event: Preakness Stakes

Location: Pimlico Racecourse

First Event: 1873

Fastest Time: Secretariat

Preakness Stakes Tickets

The Preakness Stakes go along with crab cakes and the Star Spangled Banner as things that are fundamentally identified with the City of Baltimore. On the third Saturday of May each year, three-year-old colts take their star turn around the track at Old Hilltop in the second leg of the Triple Crown. Pimlico is known as the place where Triple Crown bids either thrive or die as numerous frontrunners have been caught on the stretch to end their dreams. However, some days at Pimlico, you will get a horse like Secretariat, who still holds the record for the fastest Preakness and simply will not be denied. With a recent deal to renovate the track, the Preakness Stakes schedule's long-term future at Pimlico is secured, so fans will continue to enjoy the event that is both a race and a party for decades to come. Pick up your Preakness Stakes tickets at StubHub today!

What are some dramatic moments in Preakness history?

The 1989 Preakness is remembered as one of the most dramatic races, not just in Preakness history but in all of horse racing. Sunday Silence and Easy Goer were archrivals and battled throughout the Triple Crown. The two waged a spirited duel down the stretch, and the track announcer could not even tell who won when the horses crossed the finish line. It turns out that Sunday Silence won by the slimmest of margins before having his bid for the Triple Crown snapped in the Belmont Stakes.

What is the distance of the Preakness?

The Preakness is the shortest of the three Triple Crown races. This will place a premium on horses that have some early speed and can get to the front faster. The Preakness will go 1 3/16 miles around the one-mile track at Pimlico, which includes two turns and two different times by the grandstand.

What is the race day scene like at Pimlico?

The Preakness Stakes scheduled race day draws a huge crowd of horse racing fans and non-fans alike. More casual fans will congregate in the infield at Pimlico, which becomes the largest outdoor party in Maryland and a day with some racing and plenty of revelry. Serious fans will take their place in the clubhouse and grandstand for the daylong celebration of horse racing as there are numerous stakes races on the card for Preakness Day.

Who are some notable recent Preakness winners?

In 2015, American Pharoah won a memorable Preakness Stakes on his way to the first Triple Crown since 1978. The race was held in the middle of a downpour, and fans at the track could barely see the horses race down the backstretch. However, when the horses made the final turn and headed for home, it was clear that American Pharoah was in control and leaving his rivals in the mud. By the time American Pharoah received his blanket of Black-Eyed Susans, the downpour was over. In 2018, Justify held off two horses charging hard down the stretch on his way to a Preakness win.

Have there been any notable Preakness upsets?

In 1972, Riva Ridge had a Triple Crown on his mind after prevailing in the Kentucky Derby. Bee Bee Bee was a local horse whose owner entered him in the Preakness after he won a minor stakes race at Pimlico the month before. However, a muddy track is always a great equalizer, and Bee Bee Bee won a hard-fought race in the slop as Riva Ridge could not handle the mud at Pimlico and lost the Triple Crown at Old Hilltop that day.