The Preakness Stakes: By the Numbers T e Preakness Stakes debuted on Tuesday,
May 27, 1873 at Pimlico Racecourse in Balti- more with Survivor winning by 10 lengths in a fi eld of seven horses. Owned by John F. Cham- berlain, Survivor held the Preakness record for greatest margin for well over a century until Smarty Jones came along in 2004 and won by 11 ½ lengths. Smarty Jones still holds the record for greatest margin of vic- tory in the Preakness. T is year marks the running of the
149th
Preakness Stakes, which has been run over a dis- tance of 1-3/16 miles since 1925. T e annual Preakness Meet will run May 8 through May 27 this year on T ursdays through Sundays at Pimlico with the middle jewel of the Triple Crown run on May 18. T e 100th
running of
the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, for fi llies, runs on May 17 with several other Grade 1 stakes races running over both days. In addition to the live racing, Preakness Week hosts numerous social activities. A complete schedule is posted on
Preakness.com and Pim-
lico.com. Some highlights for this year include: Mother’s Day at Pimlico brunch on May 12, the Post Position Draw on May 15, and the annual Alibi Breakfast on May 16. Preakness LIVE this year is headlined by Grammy win- ner Jack Harlow on May 18. In addition, Sun- rise Tours run May 14-17. Read more about this year’s Sunrise Tour Guides in this issue! With 148 years of history to dive through, here
are a few fun facts about the Preakness Stakes and some of its big winners over the years.
Maryland-breds
T ere have been eight Maryland-bred horses to win the Preakness Stakes with Deputed Tes- tamony being the latest winner. Bred by J. Wil- liam Boniface of Bonita Farms and Francis P. Sears, the 1980 colt was by Traffi c Cop and out of Proof Requested, by Prove It. In 1983, De- puted Testamony won six stakes races for owner Bonita Farm, including the Preakness Stakes. He last raced in May 1984 at Pimlico, after which he was retired to stud due to an injury sustained during the race. Deputed Testamony remained at Bonita Farm until he died of natural causes at the age of 32 in 2012. He was inducted into the Maryland-bred Hall of Fame in 2017. Bee Bee Bee was bred by William S. Miller
and owned by William S. Farish, III. T e 1969 colt won the 1972 Preakness Stakes and was named Maryland Champion 3-Year-Old that year. He was by Better Bee out of the Mizami
In 1877, Cloverbrook became the fi rst Mary- land-bred to win the Preakness Stakes.
mare Paula. Bee Bee Bee stood in Japan from 1974 till 1992. Kauai King was sired by famed fellow Preak- ness winner Native Dancer. T e 1963 colt was out of Sweep In, by Blenheim, and bred by Pine Brook Farm. Raced by Ford Stable, Kauai King won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 1966. He missed the Triple Crown win when fi nishing fourth in the Belmont Stakes. Kauai King was named Maryland-bred Champion 3-Year-Old Colt in 1966 as well as Horse of the Year. He retired that year due to
an injury and fi rst stood at Sagamore Farm un- til being shipped to England in 1971. In 1973, Kauai King move to Japan where he stood at Maekawa Stallion Station until his death in 1989 due to old age. Branncastle bred the
1939 Preakness win- ner Challedon, who was by Challenger out of Laura Girl by Sir Gal- lahad. Owned by Glade Valley Farm, Challedon won the New England Stakes, Pimlico Futurity and Maryland Futurity as a two-year-old before claiming the Preakness Stakes and eight other stakes wins in 1939. He fi nished second in the Kentucky Derby that year earning Champion 3-Year-Old and Horse of the Year honors. In 1940, Challedon was named Champion Handicap Horse as well as Horse of the Year. He entered stud in Kentucky in 1943 and was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1977. T e 1898 Preakness winner Sly Fox was bred
by Bowling Brook Stud and owned by Charles F. Dwyer that season. Sly Fox was by Silver Fox out of Asteria by Kantaka. He went on to race overseas in England and France during the 1899 and 1900 seasons. R. Wyndham Walden owned and bred Re-
fund, who won the 1888 Preakness Stakes. T e chestnut colt was by Sensation and out of Let- ty, by the British stallion Australian. T e 1888 Preakness Stakes was also his maiden win! W. Jennings bred 1887 Preakness Stakes win- ner Dunboyne who was by Uncas out of the British mare Frey, by Dundee. T e very fi rst Maryland-bred to win the Preakness Stakes was Cloverbrook in 1877.
12 | MAY 2024 | THE EQUIERY YOUR MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL PUBLICATION
Cloverbrook was bred and owned by Edwin Augustus Clabaugh. He was by Vauxhall out of Maudina by Australian, who was also the dam grandsire to Refund. Cloverbrook won the Kentucky Stakes as a two-year-old in 1876 before winning both the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in 1877. He was still winning stakes races in 1878.
Triple Crown Winners Only 13 horses have earned Triple Crown
honors with consecutive victories in the Ken- tucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. Sir Barton was the fi rst Triple Crown winner back in 1919. T e chestnut colt bred by Madden and Gooch was by Star Shoot out of Lady Sterling, by Ha- nover, was owned by Commander J.K.L. Ross. He was trained to victory by M.G. Bedwell. Although he was the fi rst Triple Crown win- ner, the term “Triple Crown” did not appear in print until around 1936, well after Sir Barton’s impressive victories. Commander Ross owned a farm in Maryland where the former Freestate harness track was located. In 1919, the Preakness was run on a Wednesday, just
four days
after the Derby. T e 1930s saw three Triple
Sir Barton in 1919 became the fi rst of 13 horses to win the Triple Crown.
Crown winners including Maryland’s Belair Stud’s Gallant Fox in 1930 and Omaha in 1935. Gallant Fox won the Preakness fi rst as it was run before the Derby in 1930. After his racing career, Gallant Fox went on to sire winners of more than 90
races, including his son Omaha, making the pair the only father-son duo to win a Triple Crown. Both horses were trained by James Fitzsim- mons and bred in Kentucky. Omaha went on to become the only Triple Crown winner to race abroad, winning two races in England before fi nishing second in the Ascot Gold Cup. War Admiral claimed the crown in 1937 for Glen Riddle Farm. Trained by George Conway, the brown colt was bred by S.D. Riddle and was by the great Man o’War. Interestingly, War Admiral only stood at 15.2 hands compared to the giant that was Man o’War. He went on to be Man o’War’s top off spring by earnings. War Admiral prepped for his Triple Crown victory in Maryland. Whirlaway won in 1941 followed by Count
Fleet in 1943, Assault in 1946 and Citation in 1948. Citation, bred and owned by Calumet Farm, became the fi rst horse in U.S. history to earn more than a million dollars. He won 19 continued...
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