The Preakness Stakes (The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans)
The Preakness Stakes (“The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans) The Preakness Stakes is one of the famous thoroughbred racing events in the United States. It is the second phase of the prestigious “Triple Crown in Thoroughbred Racing.” The Preakness is held two weeks after each Kentucky Derby. During a dinner party hosted by Milton Hanford, John Hunter of New York proposed a thoroughbred race that would be held in the fall of 1870 and named as the Dinner Party Stakes in honor of the occasion. Governor Oden Bowie of Maryland suggested that the race be held in Maryland and pledged $15,000 for the construction of the track. The track, named the Pimlico Race Course, opened on October 25, 1870 and hosted the first Dinner Party Stakes. Three years later, the event was renamed to the Preakness Stakes in honor of the event’s first winner Preakness. Throughout the history of the Preakness, there were a number of changes in the course’s length. The course initially ran for 1.5 miles but after a series of adjustments, was finally set to 1.188 miles. Only 3-year old horses that meet certain weight specifications are allowed to run in the Preakness. The winner of the Preakness is presented with the Woodlawn Vase, one of the most coveted trophies in thoroughbred racing. Aside from the trophy, the winner also gets a blanket of black-eyed Susans, Maryland’s state flower. (Truth be told, the flowers are actually daisies dyed to look like Susans because the flower is not in bloom during the fall.) The biggest favorite for the 2008 Preakness (and its eventual winner) was the 2008 Kentucky Derby champion Big Brown.
Learn more about horse competitions on the Horse Sports site.
Rocking Ranches are ranches where competitive cutting horses are trained.
Alice Walton, founder of the Rocking W Ranch, is a horse enthusiast.
