The public is encouraged to patronize the establishments–ranging from restaurants and cafes to boutiques, services and community organizations–throughout the three-week promotion, both as a show of support to Baltimore-based businesses and for a chance to win or purchase their tickets through the custom QR codes. No purchase is necessary to win the tickets.

Participating businesses in this season's Preak Weeks includes six returning from last year's inaugural initiative (designated with an *):

Art of Balance Wellness Spa (Federal Hill)*

Baja Tap (Fells Point)

Black Acres Roastery (Station North)*

Blk Swan (Harbor East)

Christopher Schafer Clothier (Canton)*

Citron Restaurant (Pikesville)

DIFFERENTREGARD (Mt. Vernon)

Greedy Reads (Fells Point)

Jody Davis Designs (Downtown)

Katwalk Boutique (Fells Point)

LifeMed Institute (Timonium)

Nick's Fish House (Baltimore Peninsula)

NOLA Seafood & Spirits (Federal Hill)*

Prima Dopa Cucina & Cocktail House (Fells Point)

Prim & Proper (Downtown)

Reginald F. Lewis Museum (Downtown)*

Sassanova Boutique (Lutherville)

Self.ish Beauty Spa (Pikesville)

The Doll House Boutique (Pikesville)

The QG (Downtown)

The Urban Oyster (Hampden)

Vinyl & Pages (Midtown)*

All participating businesses, and access to their websites for additional details, can be found online at https://www.preakness.com/preakweeks. The participating business of the day will be prominently featured on the Preak Weeks homepage. A full calendar of the promotion, noting which business will be highlighted and giving away tickets on which day, can also be found on the site.

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The Illinois Derby, scheduled for Sunday, Apr. 21, will serve as an official prep for this year's GI Preakness S. Hawthorne Race Course will pay for the Illinois Derby winner's entry fee into the Preakness if they choose to run. The Illinois Derby, previously a Grade III, was most recently contested in 2017.

“We were able to learn from last year and made some adjustments to both the racing schedule as well as the races we are offering,” Hawthorne Director of Racing Jim Miller said. “This schedule provides a good circuit for those horsemen who race in warmer destinations during the winter to be able to have a summer location that fluidly fits their schedule. We have seen a large increase in stall applications and have noticed a rise in 2-year-olds on the stall applications. We have also added four starter series this meet that will have increasing purses throughout the series. Horsemen who want to protect a good claim will now have an option to race each month for four months straight. When our meet ended last September, our crew conducted all of their turf preparation work before the winter months. This will allow for an earlier grass start the first week of May as well as an additional six weeks of turf racing through the end of the meet compared to last season.”

Click here for more on Hawthorne's stakes schedule.

The post Return of Illinois Derby Highlights Hawthorne Meet appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The first pool to wager on the 149th GI Preakness S., middle jewel of the Triple Crown, begins Thursday, Feb. 29 and will close just hours after three major prep races are contested Saturday in Florida, California, and New York.

When pools open at noon Thursday, 12 weeks before Preakness 149 at Pimlico Race Course, Baoma Corp.'s undefeated Nysos (Nyquist) will be the 4-1 favorite with the pari-mutuel field of “all other 3-year-olds” the 6-1 second choice.

The first Preakness 149 future wager will close after Saturday's runnings of the $400,000 GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park, the $400,000 GII San Felipe S. at Santa Anita Park, and the $300,000 GIII Gotham S. at Aqueduct.

There are 40 betting interests in the Preakness 149 future wager, with the 40th betting interest being the pari-mutuel field, or “all other 3-year-olds.” The Preakness 149 future wager has a $2 minimum and 18% takeout. The first pool closes at 8 p.m. Saturday evening. The second pool opens Friday, Apr. 26 and closes Saturday, May 4 at 6 p.m.

The Preakness Future Wager was unanimously approved by the Maryland Racing Commission. Similar to that of future wagers for the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks, bettors are not refunded if their selection does not run in the Preakness, which is limited to a maximum of 14 starters.

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One of six stakes winners for Oscar Perfomance, Endlessly is out of a half-sister to the dams of GISW Coffee Clique (Medaglia d'Oro), MGSW Admission Office (Point of Entry) and MGSP Royal Fury (Langfuhr). Dream Fuhrever produced this runner's full-brother last year.

EL CAMINO REAL DERBY, $101,350, Golden Gate Fields, 2-10, 3yo, 1 1/8m (AWT), 1:50.68, ft.
1–ENDLESSLY, 122, c, 3, by Oscar Performance
                1st Dam: Dream Fuhrever, by Langfuhr
                2nd Dam: Society Dream (Fr), by Akarad (Fr)
                3rd Dam: Society Bride, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
O/B-Jerry Amerman (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy; J-Umberto Rispoli. $60,000. Lifetime Record: MGSW, 5-4-0-0, $299,200.
2–Tapalo, 122, r, 3, Tapiture–Agent Romanoff, by Empire Maker. ($40,000 Ylg '22 OBSWIN; $20,000 Ylg '22 SARAUG; $55,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Hronis Racing LLC; B-Saratoga Glen Farm, LLC (NY); T-John W. Sadler. $20,000.
3–Guy Named Joe, 122, c, 3, American Pharoah–Hungry Island, by More Than Ready. ($280,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $100,000 2yo '23 OBSOPN). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-My Way Racing LLC, West Coast Stables, LLC, Barbara Evenson, John O'Keefe and Timothy O'Keefe; B-Emory A. Hamilton (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $12,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 1 3/4, 4. Odds: 0.70, 3.70, 3.60.
Also Ran: Old Triangle, Grogu, Come Out Fighting, Arctic Breeze, Wild Jewels.

#6 ENDLESSLY ($3.40) rallied down the stretch to win Golden Gate's $100,000 EL Camino Real Derby and earn a Preakness Stakes berth.

This is the third stakes victory for the Amerman Racing homebred , who was ridden by @umpyrispoli for @mwmracing. pic.twitter.com/5qJjwdVl9w

— TVG (@TVG) February 11, 2024

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3-year-olds can continued to be nominated to the Triple Crown via a $6,000 payment through April 1.

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This 3-for-3 son of 2016 Derby winner Nyquist from trainer Bob Baffert's barn has now won at six, seven and eight furlongs by a combined 26 3/4 lengths while earning upward-trending Beyer Speed Figures of 96 and 97 (at age two), plus a sizzling 105 for his sophomore debut.

In addition to those impressive metrics, this Baoma Corporation (Susan and Charles Chu) colorbearer has displayed an on-track flair and a powerful fluidity that not only passes the eye test, but dwarfs the visual aesthetics of any efforts we've seen from his next-closest competitors on the Triple Crown trail.

All this, by the way, from a colt who won't reach his actual third birthdate until four days after this year's Derby.

Nysos's 7 1/2-length blowout in the Lewis overwhelmingly whets the appetite for what he'll be capable of delivering in subsequent starts. But like it or not, it's impossible to look too far into the future without coupling this colt's potential for brilliance with last week's news that no top sophomores out of Baffert's stable were transferred to other conditioners in time to meet a Jan. 29 deadline imposed by Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI). Such a move would have allowed those horses to earn Derby qualifying points and compete in the 150th edition of the race.

After Medina Spirit (Protonico) tested positive for the medication betamethasone following the 2021 Derby, CDI banned Baffert from its tracks. The corporate suspension was separate from Medina Spirit's Derby disqualification and a fine and suspension imposed upon Baffert by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.

CDI's exclusion initially was supposed to last only for two years. But on July 3, 2023, the corporation announced it would be extending the ban through at least 2024, citing “continued concerns regarding the threat to the safety and integrity of racing [Baffert] poses to CDI-owned racetracks” by allegedly “continu[ing] to peddle a false narrative concerning the failed drug test of Medina Spirit.”

The timing of that announcement was curious, and for the most part unexpected. Reading between the lines, it almost seemed like CDI executives suddenly realized that Baffert's return would coincide with the big 150th anniversary celebration the corporation is planning for the 2024 Derby, and that they didn't want his presence to overshadow the festivities.

The press release announcing Baffert's extended ban was rolled out in the middle of last summer's long Independence Day weekend. Holiday weekends are an extremely slow time of the news cycle that news-issuing entities have long tried to leverage as opportunities to “bury” announcements they think might generate adverse headlines.

The racing world took notice though, and the news of Baffert's dis-invitation to Derby 150 simmered through last summer and deep into the Breeders' Cup season.

On Jan. 22, 2024, the script was flipped when Baffert made his own announcement via social media: The Hall-of-Fame trainer said he had instructed his attorneys to dismiss any remaining legal actions related to the 2021 Derby disqualification appeal, adding that he has “decided that it is best to positively focus on the present and future that our great sport offers.”

As TDN colleague Bill Finley wrote at the time, “It was not clear why [Medina Spirit's owner, Amr] Zedan and Baffert apparently changed their minds and decided to drop their case. It is possible that their dropping the case was a peace offering in what has been an ugly battle between Churchill Downs and Zedan and Baffert that at times took on a personal tone.”

CDI stood firm, countering with an immediate rebuttal that stated Baffert's dismissal of his appeal “does not change the current suspension or deadline to transfer horses for the upcoming 150th Kentucky Derby.”

One week later, as the Jan. 29 owners deadline to transfer horses to another trainer came and went without a single reported defection among Baffert's top clients, the narrative shifted substantially.

Now CDI's anti-Baffert strategy could backfire. The corporation is facing the prospect of Baffert appearing to have offered an olive branch, his owners lining up behind him in solidarity and his top 3-year-old rocketing to the top of the totem pole among Derby contenders. The very story line that CDI wanted to avoid for Derby 150 will now likely become the focal point of pre-Triple Crown coverage.

For the next three months, you can expect an ever-intensifying stream of stories about the prospect of another “Dysfunctional Derby” in which a corporate edict might keep the best colt(s) from competing in America's most important horse race.

In the last five editions of the Derby, we've seen one DQ of a winner for an in-race foul, another for a post-race drug violation, and one Derby moved from May to September because of the pandemic. At this rate, we'll soon run out of asterisks to affix to the history of our nation's most iconic race.

Despite not budging from Baffert, some of his clients are still holding out hope for a change in CDI's policy. Zedan, who owns 'TDN Rising Star' Muth (Good Magic), another top sophomore, is one of them.

“Would we love to run in the Derby? Absolutely, yes,” Zedan told DRF.com's David Grening last week. “Would we love to run, especially this being the 150th Derby? Absolutely, yes. Are we hoping to run in the Derby? Absolutely, yes. Do we think we will be there? It's in God's hands.”

Barring the unlikely prospect of CDI reversing its stated course, the courts–again–are another option.

Even though Baffert in '22 and '23 failed to persuade judges to grant him injunctions that would have allowed him to compete in the Derby, and even though he has dropped his current legal appeal, that doesn't preclude any of his clients from going to court on their own to try and overturn CDI's ban on behalf of their horses.

Remember, it only takes one judge to say yes to an injunction request, and the closer any potential plaintiff waits until the May 4 Derby itself, the more of a wild card that scenario becomes from “time is of the essence” type of pressure.

Our nation's courts typically listen long and hard when properly licensed individuals allege that private entities are unfairly keeping them from plying their chosen professions, so it's not out of the question that some aggrieved owner of a Baffert-trained Derby prospect might try that avenue.

Even more fascinating is what to expect in terms of race targeting from Baffert's stable. Will he point his top sophomores to the final late March/early April round of coast-to-coast Grade I preps and then have an arsenal of top-notch stock ready for the GI Preakness S. after being forced to sit out the Derby with all of them?

The Preakness has been the weak link in the Triple Crown over the past few seasons, and would certainly benefit from the infusion of horsepower.

But this scenario, too, could produce unwanted downstream effects. The Preakness already has trouble luring any other Derby entrants besides the winner. How many also-rans from the Derby are going to be keen on heading to Baltimore knowing a handful of fresh Baffert trainees have been specifically pointing for the middle jewel of the series?

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“There are a lot of skeptics,” said Alan Foreman, who is the general counsel for the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA) and is also that group's representative on the MTROA. “Some of the critics have already come out very quickly without letting us continue to do our work. My own personal perspective is the status quo in racing is simply not going to survive going forward. We have a once-in-lifetime opportunity here. This will not present itself again. And we can't let the perfect get in the way of the good.”

The MTROA's vision for the $400-million makeover, which was made public in a Jan. 5 report, has a number of key components coming into alignment right now, Foreman said.

There is support from the Maryland governor, the speaker of the House, and the president of the Senate, Foreman said.

In addition, The Stronach Group (AKA 1/ST Racing and Gaming), which owns Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park, has agreed in principle to an exit strategy that would turn over ownership of Pimlico to the state and cede control of daily Thoroughbred racing operations to an entity that would function similarly to the New York Racing Association (NYRA).

In exchange, The Stronach Group would be allowed to eventually sell or redevelop Laurel while retaining rights for Maryland's two signature races, the Preakness S. and the Black-Eyed Susan S. Those rights would then be leased back to the new operating entity.

Despite the momentum the project seemingly has going for it, Gregory Cross, the MTROA's chair, warned that getting Pimlico Plus signed into law is far from a slam-dunk.

“It's an extremely, extremely difficult budget year,” Cross said. “We're lucky to be preserving what we have [and] fitting it [into] what has been allocated-very lucky.”

Foreman agreed: “We're really threading the needle here, folks.”

Added Cross, “While we have been given some support, it's far from an assurance of passage, so we've got a lot of work to do.”

That work, Foreman, said, includes not just the passage of legislation, but acquiring and beginning development on a training center, engaging a design consultant to flesh out the reimagined Pimlico beyond the broad concept that is currently on paper, signing off on negotiations with The Stronach Group, and putting together the non-profit operating team.

The MTROA would like all of that done by Jan. 1, 2025.

“There are only two states in the country where there is any forward-thinking development going on,” Foreman said. “NYRA, which is rebuilding Belmont, and now it's going to be Maryland racing. We have a very unique opportunity to position Maryland racing for the future. Through this project, I think we guarantee at least a portion of our funding base with the General Assembly. [But if] we didn't do this, we wouldn't be protected going forward.”

The MTROA envisions between 140 and 160 racing dates per year at Pimlico.

Foreman said the alternative, based on a presentation The Stronach Group made to the MTHA, would nearly slice that number in half.

“The Stronach Group's vision of the future is a maximum of 80 live racing dates in Maryland,” Foreman said. “Two 40-day boutique meets, with a shift of [gaming] revenue from the horsemen and breeders to them, to make them profitable. Under the current scenario, they do not see a way in which they would invest any money into the Maryland tracks. So we would be essentially at the status quo if we don't do any of this.”

Foreman continued: “Can you sustain live racing, and can you sustain a breeding industry, on 80 live racing days with vastly inflated purses, which is going to squeeze out the middle and the small horsemen, and bring probably large, out-of-state outfits into the state of Maryland? Where [else] do we think we can do something where we can control our own destiny and make this work?”

Foreman said he “firmly believes” Pimlico Plus is feasible. He further noted that the MTHA currently pays “$11-plus million” in subsidies to the Stronach Group just to conduct basic operations that keep the sport running at Laurel (which has been besieged by main-track safety issues for years) and Pimlico (which is outdated and hosts racing only for brief meets in the spring and September).

Still, the horsemen in attendance for the Jan. 11 videoconference had no shortage of concerns. Chief among them was housing for stable workers.

Last week's report stated there would be no housing actually on the backstretch at Pimlico. It would be nearby, in a neighborhood widely considered to be dangerous.

The report also identified three top candidates for training centers (Shamrock Farm in Woodbine, Mitchell Farm in Aberdeen, and the former Bowie Race Track in Bowie), but none of them would include dormitories for workers.

Trainer Ferris Allen put it this way: “I think the [MTROA] needs to understand that a lot of our employees are on foot or on bicycles. They don't drive. They work on H-2B visas and things like that. So on-site housing is a very essential part of running our business.”

As for Pimlico, Foreman said, “Working with the city, the plan is to incorporate backstretch housing into the community, contiguous to the racetrack. But that's all going to be part of a much more complete and dynamic redeveloped area, and not what you see in that area right now. It is a unique concept, one that we think will work, and one that will have to be fleshed out as we go forward.”

Regarding the training centers, Cross said, “At this time there's no money for that. It's a $25- to $30-miliion cost. And the zoning is very questionable as to whether it would be allowed.”

David Richardson, the executive director of the MTHA, who was moderating questions as they came in during the video conference, added that, “I will say I'm getting inundated with texts and comments about the need for backstretch housing at the training facility. If there's any feedback from horsemen, it's how crucial [the housing] component is.”

Foreman and Cross both indicated the MTROA would take into account the horsemen's concerns about housing going forward.

Other questions from horsemen included wanting to know specifics about the Preakness and Black-Eyed Susan S. licensing deals, but the MTROA didn't disclose many specifics.

“I don't want to get into too many details on that, but essentially we would be paying an annual fee [in exchange for] full control over the Black-Eyed Susan, the Preakness, and we would have full control over all revenue streams,” Cross said. “They're going to donate Pimlico to this new operating authority. We're going to license the Preakness. That's the essence of the deal.”

Asked if there was any consideration given to pushing back the proposed construction by a few months so Pimlico could capitalize off the 150th running of the Preakness at Pimlico in 2025, Cross said that idea would be too costly in terms of money and time.

“At the end of the day, we decided to model after Belmont, which is closing for two years and then coming back. And that is going to allow us to complete the construction on a timely basis,” Cross said.

But even though the plan calls for Pimlico to reopen in 2027, no deadlines are etched in stone at this early stage of the project.

Foreman said that even if Pimlico wasn't completely renovated in time for a grand reopening in May 2027, he expected it would be “at least in [a] phase [of partial usage] that we would still be able to accommodate the Preakness.”

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The 'Art of Racing' commemorates the Preakness S., and beginning Monday and continuing through Mar. 11, artists nationwide may submit their original, two-dimension visual art celebrating the second leg of the Triple Crown.

In the past two years, more than 300 entries from 19 states have been received each depicting different elements of Thoroughbred racing as reflected in the Preakness. The public is encouraged to take part in the open voting phase from Mar. 12 to Mar. 26 to cast their vote for their favorite piece of art.

The winning artist will be awarded a $4,000 prize and two tickets to Preakness 149 on Saturday, May 18. In addition, their work will be reproduced on a curated collection of Preakness 149 merchandise that will be available for purchase online and onsite during Preakness weekend. Proceeds from merchandise sales will be directed–for the third consecutive year–to the Park Heights Renaissance, a non-profit organization pursuing employment opportunities and affordable housing for Park Heights residents.

“As we kick off the third-annual Art of Racing competition, we're thrilled to invite artists nationwide to capture the Preakness Stakes through their unique perspectives,” said Audra Madison, Director of Marketing, Maryland Jockey Club. “Once again, we look forward to blending artistic achievement with the vibrant world of Thoroughbred horse racing.”

The winner of last year's competition was Justin Johnson, a Baltimore-based artist, whose original illustration titled “The Face of Victory” was selected from among the 207 total submissions.

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“Point Given was a special horse, loved by all, and a wonderful ambassador for the Kentucky Horse Park,” said Kentucky Horse Park President Lee Carter. “We are saddened by his passing but grateful for the memories created and our time with the Big Red Train.”

Owned and bred by The Thoroughbred Corporation, and trained by Bob Baffert, Point Given won six Grade I races, including two legs of the 2001 Triple Crown. For his efforts, he received Eclipse Awards as Horse of the Year and Champion 3-Year-Old Colt.

“Not only was Point Given a dual classic winning Hall of Famer, but he was also an excellent ambassador for horse racing and the state of Kentucky,” said Hall of Champions Supervisor Rob Willis. “He was a big stallion that was fun to be around. Countless visitors enjoyed being in his presence over the years. It was an honor to care for him during his retirement. His presence will be missed.”

Point Given, affectionately known as the “Big Red Train” due to his 17.1-hand height, earned $3,968,500 with nine wins and three second-place finishes from 13 starts. He was the first horse in history to win four $1 million races in a row, all under jockey Gary Stevens, and he was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2010.

“I'm saddened to hear of Point Given's passing,” said Gary Stevens. “He was, to me, the greatest horse to not win the Triple Crown. It was an honor to ride such a phenomenal horse. Rest in peace, PG.”

Point Given retired from racing in September 2001 to stand at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Ky. In 2013, he was relocated to Calumet Farm in Lexington, Ky., where he stood for five seasons before retiring to the Kentucky Horse Park. He sired over 30 stakes winners, including Canadian Horse of the Year, Sealy Hill.

Like other great Hall of Champions horses, Point Given will be buried at the park's Memorial Walk of Champions alongside past Thoroughbred residents Funny Cide, Go For Gin, Forego, Bold Forbes, John Henry, Alysheba, and Da Hoss. A public memorial service will be held at a future date.

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