Thoroughbred Racing Fan Association, Inc.
Thoroughbred Racing Fan Association, Inc.
MEMORIES OF THE PREAKNESS
6/4/2023
The Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes bookend the Triple Crown. Each is iconic in their own way. The Derby begins and ends the hopes and dreams of thousands of fans and the connections of hundreds of horses that have been preparing for the day. They will be the only Thoroughbred born two years ago that can claim immortality of being a Triple Crown winner. Hundreds of horses that tried but did not get into the Derby will have to find another path to fame. The Belmont Stakes royally waits to crown the next Triple Crown winner hazed into a special group of thirteen.
This weekend The Preakness Stakes, a ligament to the other two, will determine if a Triple Crown is possible. Overlooked like a foster child the Preakness Stakes will bring Maryland racing and the City of Baltimore into national attention. The race attracts fans across the globe and offers a refreshing experience from the “over-hyped Kentucky Derby”. In the early eighties, before I became a real fan and ThoroFan foaled I made my first of a few early trips to “the Old Hilltop” to watch the Preakness Stakes. A fan since 1978 qualified me as one length below a rookie, although I thought I was more. Humbling as I look back.
Although the 1978 Belmont Stakes broke my racing virginity, the 80s at the Preakness gave me an unconscious education. In reflection to watch horses of the year, like Alysheba (1988) and Sunday Silence (1989) win was a graduate education. To enjoy United States 3-year-old champions like Risen Star (1988) and Older male horse Snow Chief (1986) perform delivered for me a new appreciation for the breed. I was becoming a racing fan thanks to Pimlico and the Preakness Stakes – journey that takes decades.
Old Hilltop was old, and it showed it. Built in 1870 it weathered over 110 years before I walked through the grandstand doors. It is the second oldest racetrack in the United States; opening seven years after Saratoga opened. The neighborhood when built was a beautiful suburban-like area of the grand city, yet over the years it deteriorated in unison with the track itself. Renovation to the Clubhouse has sustained it for racing over the years. Fans tolerated the inconvenience like a holes in the soles of old shoes. Pageantry and entertainment magnitude of the Preakness Stakes have held the plant together by thin horsehair. Visiting the track on any other day would justify as an archaeological dig of urban blight. Sad. Yet hope is on the way. Recently, the State of Maryland has approved the bonding of over $375 million to renovate with work beginning in 2023 with completion, hopefully for the 2026 meet.
The journey to the Preakness Stakes parallels the excitement of any vacation. Hotels bordering the harbor of Chesapeake Bay make the Preakness a long weekend event. Views astound. Baltimore City restaurants offer a culinary experience based on crabs, hard and soft Shell, the latter being in season with the running of the Preakness. My mouth still waters as I remember my first visit to the Obrycki restaurant just blocks off the harbor. Maryland Crab Soup, Crab Cakes, Lump Crab dinners or Jumbo Hard-Shell crabs may have a better return on your investment than a Trifecta at the track.
My first time to the Preakness Stakes, even with admission and reserved seats presented a few challenges. Staying downtown heightens the trip. Hotel choices are abundant. A walk from the Harbor area is Camden Yard, home of the Baltimore Orioles which teases you to miss some of the Preakness activities to catch a MLB game. This year the Texas Ranger are in town to play the Orioles in a Friday night game. Maybe?
Getting from the harbor to Pimlico always tested my problem-solving skills, especially on Preakness morning. Many of the main roads are converted to one way access to hasten the commute to the track. The opposite is true when leaving the track. Car service with an experienced Baltimore driver is the ticket; finding one is more difficult. On my first stay I was a little lucky. With the right size tip to the doorman at the hotel I was directed to a black town car. “Money talks and nobody walks” booked me the car to and from the track. The bonus was the driver was a moonlighting Baltimore police officer with a convenient badge. The “tin” sliced through traffic jams and delivered us to the front gate. Better yet, leaving the track the car was waiting for us where I was left off in a no parking zone. Go figure.
Weather for the race may be a problem for horses and riders, it isn’t for fans with reserved Clubhouse seats. Floor to ceiling windows glaze the view of the entire track, although AC has a little to be desired. Wagering windows dot the floor above the Clubhouse seating assuring that it is hard to get shut out even on Preakness day. Like most big days of racing the card holds some of the best races the Maryland Jockey Club has to offer.
Unlike the 1930s, 1940s and 1970s, the 1980s featured no Preakness winners winning the Triple Crown. From my naïve view the decade of the 80s at the Preakness Stakes showcase some of our best Thoroughbreds. Gate Dancer, Summer Squall, Alysheba, Sunday Silence, Risen Star, Snow Chief and Chief’s Crown and Deputed Testimony ran and won the middle leg of the Triple Crown in 1980s.
Although I saw many of them my memory rewinds to 1986 when Tanks Prospect beat Chief’s Crown by a head at the fire. I remember worrying about rain and track condition which never materialized. The sun was bright with slight shadows that I assumed came from the clubhouse structure. Positioned in the clubhouse with my wife, we had a great view of the start and finish of the race. Although we thought
Chief’s Crown was the likely winner, our handicapping relied on shaky skills and our favorite numbers. 3-
1-6 was the day of the year of my father-in-law’s birthday. So, we boxed the 316 in an exacta. Since Chief’ Crown was the #3 that was our back-up play. Lucky for us Tanks Prospect was the #6. Southern Sultan was # 1 but finished up the track. We doubled our money.
Like most fans we were happy to have the winner and less interested in our return on investment. Our driver took us back to our hotel in Baltimore where we planned to celebrate our great day at the Preakness Stakes. Sunday morning found us perched at a table in a harbor side café whose name I have forgotten. The breeze of the water and the warming sun wrapped up a weekend at the Preakness. Our plane would take us back to reality later that day where we would unpack our luggage and memories. Next would be our eighth consecutive Belmont Stakes to attend and the opportunity to create more racing memories.