Although it's location in the middle of one of Baltimore's shadier neighborhoods is far from ideal, Pimlico remains one of Maryland's premier race tracks. Unfortunately, its future hangs in the balance as the debate over slots continues. With dwindling purses Maryland's thoroughbred industry has slown down significantly and many breeders are moving their horses out of state. Gamblers too have moved to nearby tracks in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, where they can play the slots in addition to betting on the ponies.
Gallery of past Preakness winners.
The Preakness is the second leg of thoroughbred racing's triple crown and the most important date on Pimlico's yearly racing calender. I've never had a chance to go, but I love going to the festivities leading up to the Preakness, whether it be Sunrise at old hill top, or the Black Eyed Susan stakes.
All the pony riders (= people who lead the race horses) were decked out in pink in support of breast cancer research.
Pony rider in action during the post parade.
This year there was a special race on the card, called the Lady Legends for the Cure. It featured female racing legends from the early days of women's thoroughbred racing. Ranging in age anywhere from 43 to 60 years old, these retired jockeys returned to the track to try their luck once more.
Here they come:
I must say it was a little bit nerve wrecking to watch, but you have to love these gutsy women! I thought they would make them "race" quiet, retired race horses, but these were all young thoroughbreds currently racing. Amazing! They made it look as if they'd never stopped racing.
It was great seeing the smiles on their faces after they dismounted, and I heard several of them say they wanted to go again haha. For those interested, the entire race was filmed as part of a documentary about the first generation of female jockeys, called Jock. Can't wait to see it!
Trip summary:
Rating: 7.5/10
Distance: 45 mi
Time spent: 5 hours
Entrance fees: $3 for general admission. Assigned seats available also.
More information: http://preakness.com/
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