The Maryland Jockey Club will once again offer a total of $150,000 in bonus money to trainers who accumulate points in races at Pimlico during Preakness weekend. Trainers who run a minimum of five horses in the 16 stakes races during Preakness weekend will be eligible for $100,000 in bonus money, with $50,000 going to the trainer with the most points, $25,000 for second, $12,000 for third, $7,000 for fourth, $4,000 for fifth and $2,000 for sixth.
Points are accumulated for finishing first (10 points), second (seven), third (five) and fourth (three) and by having a starter (one) in each of Pimlico's stakes races.
This will be the third year that the Maryland Jockey Club has offered the bonuses. Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen captured the $50,000 prize in both 2017 and 2018. He was tops with 38 points in 2017, including wins in the GIII Allaire duPont and GIII Miss Preakness S., while his 82 points from 2018 included wins in the GIII Chick Lang S., GIII Maryland Sprint, James Murphy S. and Skipat S. and a third with Tenfold in the 143rd Preakness.
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, $7,500 to third, $4,000 to fourth, $2,500 to fifth and $1,000 to sixth.
Linda Rice edged Pimlico-based trainer Mary Eppler, 22-19, to earn the top non-stakes bonus in 2018.
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