Preakness in Laurel conjures memories of suburban Maryland’s equestrian past
by Sean Salai · The Washington TimesThe Maryland Jockey Club will host the Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park on Saturday for the first and only time, stirring long-buried memories of the urbanized area’s equestrian past.
Restaurants, businesses and public officials in three Maryland counties bordering the park have rolled out the red carpet for the middle jewel of the Triple Crown — horse racing’s extravaganza that starts with the Kentucky Derby and ends with New York’s Belmont Stakes.
Horsetorians note that the only father-son duo to win the Triple Crown — Gallant Fox in 1930 and his sire Omaha in 1935 — were owned and trained by Belair Stud in Prince George’s County.
“Horses have long been woven into the fabric of Maryland’s history, culture and economy, and few places reflect that legacy more deeply than Prince George’s County,” said Anne Litz, executive director of the Maryland Horse Industry Board, a state agency that regulates racing.
Ms. Litz singled out Bowie Race Track and the Prince George’s Equestrian Center — home of the annual Washington International Horse Show — as landmarks that “played a vital role in the story of horse racing in our state.”
In 1873, Maryland Gov. Oden Bowie inaugurated the first Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. That was two years before the first Kentucky Derby.
Declining interest consigned the Preakness to New York from 1890 to 1908 before it returned to Baltimore.
A 2024 state plan to consolidate Maryland’s $2 billion-a-year horse racing industry makes this weekend the first time in 118 years the race has left Pimlico, which is in disrepair.
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Officials are renovating Pimlico into a statewide racing hub called Pimlico Plus under a new private-public partnership, making Saturday’s run the last hurrah for Laurel Park, which opened in 1911 and will be converted into a training facility.
“The involvement from the counties has been enormous, from the fire department and military to law enforcement,” Mike Rogers of 1/ST Racing, which owns the race, said Wednesday in a phone call. “People are doing watch parties. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
He said the relocation would temporarily shift millions of dollars in tourism revenue to Howard, Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties.
The Preakness sold out all 4,800 seats — down from roughly 6,500 at Pimlico due to Laurel’s smaller capacity — and Saturday’s field will feature the maximum 14 horses for the first time since 2011. The company has added a winner’s circle, new furniture, fresh paint and upgraded air conditioning to Laurel Park.
Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo will skip the Preakness to rest for the Belmont Stakes. Two other Derby horses are also not in Saturday’s big race.
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Top seed Iron Honor enters the Preakness at 9-2 odds, while local contender Taj Mahal — undefeated in three starts at Laurel — is a 5-2 favorite.
“We haven’t seen this kind of demand from national owners and trainers for Preakness in years,” Mr. Rogers said.
Churchill Downs Inc., owner of the Kentucky Derby, is finalizing an $85 million deal to buy the intellectual property of the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and Preakness Stakes from 1/ST.
Jockeys compete at the Preakness for the Woodlawn Vase, a sterling silver trophy from 1860 billed as the oldest championship award in American sports. It arrived in Laurel on Wednesday.
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The Preakness winner takes home $1.2 million of a $2 million purse.
The winner of Friday’s Black-Eyed Susan Stakes receives $300,000.
Traditions for the weekend lean festive. Designs feature subdued pastels with splashes of Maryland heritage and spring colors.
Black-Eyed Susan Day attendees traditionally wear a bit of yellow or black to honor the Maryland state flower.
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Preakness racegoers favor bold floral touches.
Special events this week include fashion sales at Annapolis Mall, hotel packages with complimentary drinks in Howard County, and wine events and whiskey tastings.
Several restaurants are advertising specials on Black-Eyed Susans — the race’s signature cocktail made of vodka, bourbon, peach schnapps, orange juice and sour mix.
Retired NFL running back Brian Westbrook, who played with the Philadelphia Eagles and at DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, will host a Youth Equestrian Expo on Saturday morning at his 50-acre horse farm in Upper Marlboro.
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Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy, who plans to attend the expo, said residents barely remember the equestrian history that predated decades of population growth.
“Prince George’s County is really the cradle of thoroughbred racing,” Ms. Braveboy said. “I’m excited to see the horses myself and see our residents get this experience, because it’s not something most Prince Georgians have experienced.”
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Sean Salai
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