What You Should Know About 2022 Preakness Stakes

When the dust has settled on the Kentucky Derby this year, the attention will immediately switch to the 147^th running of the Preakness Stakes.

The second leg of the Triple Crown is among the most popular racedays on the calendar for attendances in the United States, with only more fans attending the opening leg of the Triple Crown at Churchill Downs.

So, what should fans expect to see at the Preakness Stakes in 2022? Here is everything you need to know about the current edition of the race, some historical facts and betting tips TVG horse betting for the second main event of the Triple Crown.

When & Where Is The Preakness?

The Preakness Stakes is the standout day on the calendar at Pimlico, with fans looking to see if horses can line up and add to the Kentucky Derby success recorded earlier in the month. There is a quick turnaround between the two opening legs of the Triple Crown, with the Kentucky Derby being staged on the first Saturday in May, while the Preakness is hosted on the third Saturday.

It is a bigger challenge for the field, as the Preakness is run over a slightly shorter distance, as it covers 1 3/16 miles compared to the 1 ¼ miles covered for the Kentucky Derby. The prize fund for the race this year is slightly less than the Churchill Downs race, as connections will compete for $1 .5 million.

When Did The Preakness Stakes Started?

This year’s Preakness Stakes will be the 147^th in history. The first time the event happened was in the year 1873, two years before the Kentucky Derby launched. It’s organized by the Pimlico Racecourse, located in Baltimore, Maryland, which opened 3 years prior to the first Preakness.

The name Preakness is a tribute to a thoroughbred colt, which belonged to the American businessman Milton Holbrook Sanford. Preakness won the Dinner Party Stakes on the day that the racetrack opened and therefore the Maryland governor at the time, Oden Bowie, decided to name the event after the racehorse.

Funnily enough, the horse was baptized after a community in the Passaic County, New Jersey.

The first winner of the Preakness Stakes was a horse named Survivor, which collected a purse prize of $2,050. Survivor’s record of winning by 10 lengths was held until 2004 until Smarty Jones broke it by collecting a victory for 11 and ½ lengths.

Although it mostly always happened at the Pimlico racecourse, the event was transferred to the Morris Park Racecourse in the Bronx, New York in 1890. Between 1894 and 1904, the race was held at the Gravesend Racetrack, on Coney Island, also New York. After 1909 the race returned to its original location and did not change ever since.

The Preakness Stakes is the second highest in terms of attendance in the USA, only trailing to the Kentucky Derby.

The current record of attendance happened in 2017, with 140 327 people attending the event in the racecourse located in Baltimore.

Meanwhile, the speed record is still held by legendary horse Secretariat, with 1 3⁄16 miles completed in 1 minute and 53 seconds. The 1973 winner, would end up as a Triple Crown champion and an icon of horse racing, being referenced by enthusiasts of the racetracks for years and years.

Who Could Line-Up In The Preakness?

The horses that will travel to Pimlico to compete for the second leg of the Triple Crown will ultimately depend on the condition of the horses from the Kentucky Derby.

We will likely see the winner of the opening Triple Crown race line-up in the Preakness Stakes, as connections will be looking to see their equine star join the list of great that have experienced success in all three races. However, some connections have already announced that their Derby horses may bypass the Kentucky Derby in preference for a start in the Preakness Stakes.

Chad Brown has already teased that Early Voting may head straight to Pimlico instead of lining up in the Kentucky Derby. The three-year-old will be a standout entry for the race, as he finished second in the G2 Wood Memorial, and also claimed a graded victory when coming out on top over Un Ojo in the G3 Withers.

Blackadder is another that looks set to go straight to Pimlico, as he didn’t pick up any Kentucky Derby qualifying points due to his affiliation with Bob Baffert. Baffert has been banned from the Preakness Stakes, as he had already been from the Derby, following the scandal involving Medina Spirit’s alleged use of illegal substances in last year’s win at Churchill Downs.

However, he did have one attempt to earn points, but he could only finish ninth in the G1 Blue Grass Stakes.

Joe, for trainer Michael Trombetta, could be a very interesting contender in the Preakness, having already won two stakes races during his career. His latest victory came over 1 1/8 miles in the Federico Tesio at Laurel Park.

Visit this website to learn more about the contenders of the Preakness Stakes: https://www.twinspires.com/preakness-stakes/contenders

How Have Kentucky Derby Winners Fared?

Kentucky Derby winners have enjoyed a fine record in the Preakness throughout history, with 36 winners of the Derby have claimed success in the Preakness.

However, 23 of these horses have failed to land success in the Belmont Stakes to complete the Triple Crown. Burgoo King was the first to land both the Preakness and Kentucky Derby without winning the Belmont in 1932.

Prior to Justify in 2018, California Chrome won both the Preakness and Kentucky Derby, but his Triple Crown bid was halted by injury at Belmont.

Last year’s winner of the Derby heading into the Preakness Stakes was Medina Spirit. The Baffert-trained horse was a contentious runner in the race after news emerged of his failed drugs test, but connections agreed to testing measures to ensure his participation. However, the three-year-old eventually finished third in the second leg of the Triple Crown series.

Chris Skeldon

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