Preakness day

With the GI Preakness moving to Laurel for this year's running, attendance will be limited to just 4,800 patrons, according to a spokesperson for 1/ST Racing. The story was first reported by Matt Hegarty in the Daily Racing Form, who provided 1/ST with a list of questions regarding this year's race. Though 1/ST had turned over Laurel and Pimlico to a quasi- public organization now running racing in Maryland, 1/ST maintained the rights to the 2026 Preakness. Over the two days that encompass the GII Black-Eyed Susan and the Preakness,...

The Amazing Mizzen (Mizzen Mast) has earned 'retirement for life' at Old Friends via her victory in Race 2, the Old Friends Purse, at Pimlico Saturday, May 18, the organization announced via press release Sunday afternoon. Claiming victory as a 44-1 longshot, the grey will have an automatic entry at Old Friends upon her retirement or pensioning, should she require it. The Old Friends Purse benefits Old Friends and its 'Old Friends for Life' retirement program. If The Amazing Mizzen joins the farm in Georgetown, Kentucky, she will be accompanying...

Officiated by 1/ST Racing under a new deal which was struck last year with the Maryland Racetrack Operating Authority, this year's 150th running of the GI Preakness Stakes is featured alongside 15 stakes--seven of them graded races--which will be worth $4.3 million in purse money on Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17 at Pimlico Race Course, the Stronach Group said via a Thursday release. The second oldest of the Triple Crown races, the Preakness will anchor a May 17 program of 10 stakes worth $3.25 million in purses including...

Between them, trainers Brad Cox and Mike Maker have won the two most recent runnings of the GII Dinner Party (ex Dixie S.) on the Preakness S. undercard and the accomplished conditioners look to have Saturday's renewal surrounded as well. The reigning Eclipse Award winner Cox is represented by Juddmonte's Set Piece (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who was rerouted to this spot after scratching from a potential defense of his title in the May 5 Opening Verse S. at Churchill Downs. Winner of that track's GII Wise Dan S. last June,...

Steve Asmussen looks to take his sixth renewal of the GIII Chick Lang S.--and third straight--Saturday at Pimlico with Cogburn (Not This Time). Graduating at second asking at Churchill Downs in September, he kicked off his sophomore season on a winning note with a decisive optional claimer score at Oaklawn Mar. 25. He came up a neck short of re-opposing Whelen Springs (Street Sense) last time in that venue's Bachelor S. Apr. 30. That Arkansas-bred rival took five tries to break his maiden, finally doing so against other locals in...