Justify Justly Favored In Preakness

 

Kentucky Derby Aims To Put Dual Classic Winner on Resume in Historic Race

By Margaret Ransom

Though the Kentucky Derby (GI) has officially been run one more time than the Preakness Stakes (GI), Maryland’s most prestigious race is actually older than it’s red-rose-adorned counterpart and, to many, carries it’s own prestige. In fact, one of the most common expressions in racing, which is used even outside of racing — the purse — hails from the first Preakness run in 1873. The winning jockey is said to have hung a bag of gold coins on where the finish of the race would be, winner take all.

Though at first run at 1 ½ miles, the current Preakness distance of 1 3/16 miles has held steady since 1925 and has been the second jewel of the Triple Crown since 1932.  The great Secretariat still owns the stakes record for the distance, 1:53, though he wasn’t awarded the time until an investigation revealed the original clocking of 1:54 2/5 was incorrect.

The winner of the Preakness every year is… (more)