1. The Preakness Stakes is the second race in the Triple Crown series, sitting right between the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.
2. The race is typically held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore and has been run there since 1873. In 2026, it is being held at Laurel Park due to Pimlico Race Course undergoing redevelopment.
3. The official flower of the Preakness Stakes is the Black Eyed Susan, which is why the winning horse is draped in a blanket of yellow flowers after the race.
4. The race is shorter than the Kentucky Derby, running at 1 3/16 miles instead of 1 1/4 miles.
5. The Preakness Stakes is often called “The Run for the Black Eyed Susans.”
6. Legendary racehorse Secretariat still holds the fastest Preakness time ever recorded at 1:53.
7. The winner of the Kentucky Derby does not automatically win the Preakness. Many Triple Crown dreams have ended in Baltimore.
8. A weather vane painted with the winning jockey’s colors is updated after every Preakness Stakes race, continuing a tradition that dates back more than 100 years.
9. The Woodlawn Vase is awarded to the winner of the Preakness, and is considered the most expensive trophy in American sports.
10. Like the other two races in the Triple Crown, the Preakness is for 3 year olds only. A horse has only one chance in its life to win The Preakness.
