May 22nd, 2012 
Photo Credit: C.Holt
This past weekend, I got to attend the 137th Preakness Stakes! The second jewel of the triple crown of horse-racing (wedged between the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes ) was an amazing experience. Over 120, 000 fans from all over the world came to Baltimore for the event. The Pimlico Race Track is the second oldest in the U.S. Two years before the Kentucky Derby was run for the first time, Pimlico introduced its new race, the Preakness, during its first-ever spring meet in 1873. This year’s Kentucky Derby winner, I’ll Have Another, inched past the favorite Bodemeister in the last few seconds to win the race!
Photo Credit: C. Holt
The day began early and included a last-minute decision about which hat to wear. There were thirteen races on Preakness Day (and the Preakness Stakes was #12!) so the day was long. But the weather was perfect, the Black-Eyed Susans were plentiful, and there was excitement was in the air. For those who have not been, the Preakness isn’t quite as formal as the Kentucky Derby or the Ascot in the UK. Still, there were plenty of eye-catching hats to see. And some men sported seersucker suits, bow-ties and Nantucket red pants.
Photo Credit: C. Holt
Although I didn’t venture across the track to the Infield, there was plenty of entertainment there. Maroon 5, Wiz Khalifeh and The Darkness headlined InfieldFest. Celebs like Kevin Spacey, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, and Ray Lewis were there. So were politicos like Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Governor Martin O’Malley, and Nancy Pelosi. It was a great event and the countdown until next year begins!
