Live racing returns to Pimlico Race Course Thursday for the opening of its 15-day Preakness Meet, highlighted by the 148th running of the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes (G1), Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, Saturday, May 20.
The 1 3/16-mile Preakness for 3-year-olds is the centerpiece of a blockbuster program featuring 10 stakes, six graded, worth $2.6 million in purses that includes the 122nd edition of the $200,000 Dinner Party (G3) for 3-year-olds and up scheduled for 1 1/8 miles on the turf, Pimlico's oldest stakes race and the eighth-oldest in the country, debuting in 1870.
Other graded-stakes on the Preakness undercard are the $200,000 Chick Lang (G3) for 3-year-olds sprinting six furlongs, $100,000 Gallorette (G3) for fillies and mares 3 and up going 1 1/16 miles on the grass, $100,000 Maryland Sprint (G3) at six furlongs for 3-year-olds and up, and $100,000 Arabian Derby (G1) for Arabian 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles.
Preakness Day post time will be 10:30 a.m.
The 99th running of the $300,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles is the focal point of a Preakness Eve program Friday, May 19 that offers six stakes, three graded, worth $1 million in purses. Among the supporting stakes are the historic $250,000 Pimlico Special (G3) for 3-year-olds and up at 1 3/16 miles and $150,000 Miss Preakness (G3) for 3-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs.
Post time on Black-Eyed Susan Day will be 11:30 a.m.
For the seventh straight year, the Maryland Jockey Club is offering bonus money totaling $100,000 to trainers who run a minimum of five horses in the 15 Thoroughbred stakes races during Preakness weekend. The trainer with the most points will receive $50,000, second is worth $25,000, third $12,000, fourth $7,000, fifth $4,000 and sixth $2,000.
Points are accumulated for finishing first (10 points), second (seven), third (five), fourth (three) and having a starter (one) in the Skipat, Miss Preakness, Allaire du Pont, Black-Eyed Susan, Pimlico Special, Hilltop, Jim McKay Turf Sprint, Maryland Sprint, Chick Lang, Preakness, Gallorette, James W. Murphy, Dinner Party, The Very One and Sir Barton.
Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen has taken the top bonus four times (2017, 2018, 2021, 2022) since its inception. Other top winners have been Brad Cox (2019) and Mike Maker (2020).
There will also be bonus money totaling $50,000 for trainers with the most points in non-stakes races during Preakness weekend. The points are accumulated in similar fashion with $25,000 going to the leader, $10,000 to second, $7,000 to third, $4,000 to fourth, $2,500 to fifth and $1,000 to sixth. Trainers must start a minimum of three horses to be eligible.
Racing will be conducted at Pimlico Thursdays through Sundays with no live racing Sunday, May 21 or Thursday, June 1 and a special Memorial Day holiday program Monday, May 29. Closing day is scheduled for Sunday, June 4.
Post time, with the exception of Preakness weekend, will be 12:25 p.m.
The Preakness Meet will kick off with a claiming sprint for 3-year-olds and up scheduled for five furlongs on the grass that drew an overflow field of 12 including Shadow Box, entered for main track only.
Thursday's feature comes in Race 7, a five-furlong turf allowance for Maryland-bred/sired 3-year-olds and up. Thirteen horses were entered, including three also-eligibles and Thataway for main track only. Among the horses are Tenax and Boss Man J J, separated by a neck in a 5 ½-furlong claiming sprint on the Laurel grass April 20. Prince Pere, third in that race, owns one win, two seconds and two thirds from five career tries over the Pimlico turf
Pimlico will serve up a nine-race program Friday, May 12 that includes three races scheduled for the grass that drew a total of 44 entries. The last of them is a five-furlong allowance for Maryland-bred/sired fillies and mares 3 and up in Race 8 that includes Island Philo, third in the Jameela at Laurel and Camptown at Colonial Downs last summer, beaten a total of two lengths.
A six-furlong maiden special weight for 3-year-old fillies in Race 3 serves as Friday's feature. Nine horses were entered including Ginger Girl, a last-out fifth in the Weber City Miss April 15 at Laurel; How Sweet She Is, second in two career starts, and She Got the Munni, who returns to dirt and adds blinkers after running seventh against older horses April 16, both trained by Mike Trombetta; Repole Stable's Fly High, making her second start and first for trainer Brittany Russell since debuting for Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher last summer; Run Around Slew, second to undefeated Goodgirl Badhabits in their March 10 unveiling; and first-time starter Goldrush Hottie, a Maryland-bred daughter of Golden Lad.
Kieron Magee, based year-round at Pimlico and 22 wins shy of 1,000 for his career, captured the Laurel spring meet that preceded the Preakness Meet, his 10th meet title in Maryland. He has one starter, 7-year-old gelding Wild Behavior, in Race 5 Friday.
Axel Concepcion, who rides with a five-pound weight allowance, won twice on Laurel's closing day card to pass Jeiron Barbosa and Jevian Toledo and win his first meet title. The 18-year-old native of Puerto Rico turned pro Jan. 1 and became just the fourth apprentice in a decade to win the jockey title at Laurel following Barbosa, Julio Correa and Yomar Ortiz. Concepcion is named in four races Thursday and seven races Friday.
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