Preakness Stakes - the top horse racing betting tournament
Horse contest is the noblest sport in history. Golf can only compete with them. But golf does not have such a long history of formation. A few centuries ago, people realized that animals could be used for more than just physical locomotion. At first, animals were used for walking and enjoying riding.
A little later, the idea was formed that it was possible to organize competitions. Who has a faster pet – that’s the central question. In the same format, the contests have reached the present day. In the modern world, they are also considered a sport for noble spectators. Many fans love the feature option.
The more time passes, the more varieties of competitions appear. Almost every continent on earth can boast of having its own well-known tournament. The continent of North America is no exception. Preakness Stakes is the hallmark of the United States.
The tournament managed to win the hearts of many spectators. Today it is watched, and enjoyed, and every second fan even bids on its events. Now we want to get acquainted with the main features and black events in detail. It is necessary to fully understand the situation.
What is the Preakness Stakes Tournament?
The tournament is a championship in which purebred American horses participate. A special and distinctive feature is that the event is held on Armed Forces Day USA. The holiday, like the competition, is celebrated on the third Saturday of month. Every year on the third Saturday in May, Thoroughbreds gather at the main racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland.
Key peculiarities | |
Foundation year | May 1973 |
Geographical region | Maryland, USA |
Holding date | Third Saturday in month |
Part of Series | Triple Crown |
Contest type | Flat |
Animals | Thoroughbreds |
Surface | Dirt |
Track | Left-handed |
Money prize | 1.5 million USD |
Qualification age | 3 years old |
Holding features
Sports experts have long given the contest a level 1. The rating is considered high-class. Animals run a distance of 9.5 furlongs, which, translated into familiar units, means 1 whole and 3/16 miles or 1 km 900 m.
Distance/weights | |
Field distance | 1 km 900 m (1 3/16 miles) |
Field coverage | Dirt |
Colts/geldings | 126 pounds (57 kg) |
Fillies | 121 pounds (55 kg) |
The surface of the running field is mud. Colts, geldings, and fillies are allowed to compete. Each species carries its own weight. The first two carry 126 pounds each, transferred – 57 kg, fillies – 121 pounds, transferred – 55 kg. Horse racing is considered the crown jewel of the Triple Crown.
Triple Crown | ||
Kentucky Derby | Preakness Stakes | Belmont Stakes |
17 May 1873 | 27 May 1873 | 18 June 1867 |
In turn, the Triple Crown is a series of contests in which thoroughbred three-year-old horses participate. The Triple Crown includes three events – the Kentucky Derby, our tournament, and the Belmont Stakes, respectively in time. The Crown was opened in 1875.
History of the competition origin
The Kentucky Derby was first held in 1973. Two years earlier, Preakness was introduced as a racing game for kids. The name of the competition was in honor of the foal, which was the first to enter the arena and won on an opening day.
After the victory, the foal’s jockey made a special gesture. He untied the bag of gold coins. So there was wiring at the finish line. Since then, horse contest has received a prize fund, which is called a purse. The first official launch took place on May 27.
7 participants took part in the event. Then the Survivor became the winner. The prize was $2,000. The first seven years of racing were limited in scope. More experienced horses were given more weight. From the start of the new millennium to the present day, the event’s attendance rate ranks second in the entire North American continent.
The tournament was held annually on the third Saturday of month, but 2020 was an exception. Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, the organizers were forced to reschedule the meeting. Competitions were held on October 3 of the same year. It was the first transfer in the history of horse contest.
Game purse formation peculiarities
At the time of the opening of the tournament, its cost was estimated at 1 thousand dollars. 1919 was the first year when changes were made. The cost increased by 25 times and became 25 thousand dollars. In 1946, the cost increased again – now to 100 thousand dollars, and in 1959 – to 150 thousand USD.
The period from 1980 to 1990 became indicative – 200 000-500 000 USD. Finally, in 1997, the tournament reached a value of 1 million.
Date | Purse |
1873 | $1 000 |
1919 | $25 000 |
1946 | $100 000 |
1959 | $150 000 |
1980 | $200 000 |
1990 | $500 000 |
1997 | $1 000 000 |
2014 | $1 500 000 |
The last increase until 2022 is considered to be 2014 – the wallet amounted to one and a half million USD.
Last tournament results in 2019-2022
In order to qualitatively and clearly understand the intricacies of the competition, any wagerer needs to know the results of the participant’s performance in past seasons.
What is remembered about 2019?
In 2019, the contests were traditionally held on the third Saturday of May, namely May 18, 2019. It was the 144th season to have been a classic at Baltimore, Maryland. Important – the competitions were covered by all national and many private TV channels from 17:00 to 19:15.
After the event, the jockey club made a sensational announcement – in 2019, a record attendance of 150,000 people was recorded. Then this figure became the first in the ranking of American thoroughbred horse racing on the continent.
Let’s take a detailed look at the ranking table and top stats:
Position | Animal | Jockey | Trainer | Margin | Prize |
1st | War of Will | Tyler Gaffalione | Mark E. Casse | – | $990 000 |
2nd | Everfast | Joel Rosario | Dale Romans | 1.25 | $330 000 |
3rd | Owendale | Florent Geroux | Brad Cox | 1.25 | $182 000 |
4th | Warrior’s Charge | Javier Castellano | Brad Cox | 2.5 | $99 000 |
5th | Laughing Fox | Ricardo Santana Jr. | Steve Asmussen | 3.75 | $50 000 |
At the very beginning of the contest, the Bodexpress horse threw off his jockey. Fortunately, no one was hurt. It ran the track without a jockey. The judges did not count the official finish. Warrior’s Charge was the first to take the lead, but something got in the way.
The winner of War of Will initially went on fourth position long time. Almost before the finish line, the participant managed to make every effort and finish first.
Season 2020 – the most unusual and unconventional
The coronavirus pandemic has also affected this competition. The 2020 season was the 145th in history. The first level race was traditionally held in May. The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic prevented planned activities.
The organizer informed fans about the transfer to October. The meeting, normally held as the second in the Triple Crown series, ended the series this year. And indeed – on October 3, 2020, the meetings took place. The place and distance of the contest remained the same – a hippodrome in Maryland, 1.9 km.
Moreover, in 2020 the competitions were held without spectators. It was a big blow and shock not only for the spectators and fans but also for the participants themselves. Motivation in this business is very important. But the lack of spectators was not the reason for the poor performances of the participants. Detailed picture of the results:
Position | Animal | Jockey | Trainer | Margin | Prize |
1st | Swiss Skydiver | Kenneth McPeek | Robby Albarado | – | $600 000 |
2nd | Authentic | Bob Baffert | John Velazquez | head | $200 000 |
3rd | Jesus’ Team | Jose D’Angelo | Jevian Toledo | 10 | $110 000 |
4th | Art Collector | Tom Drury Jr. | Brian Hernandez Jr. | 10 | $60 000 |
5th | Max Player | Steve Asmussen | Paco Lopez | 11.25 | $30 000 |
The participants of the season were also:
- Art Collector – first place in Blue Grass Stakes and Ellis Park Derby;
- Thousand Words – 1st place in Shared Belief Stakes;
- Mr. Big News – 3rd place in Kentucky Derby!
The 2021 season went as planned
By tradition – the third Saturday, May 21, Maryland. A distinctive feature of the period was the disqualification of two participants before the start. Betamethasone was found in the blood of stallions, which is considered doping.
They were excluded from participation for the current and next periods. The top-5 table looked as follows:
Position | Animal | Jockey | Trainer | Margin | Prize |
1st | Rombauer | Michael W. McCarthy | Flavien Prat | – | $1 000 000 |
2nd | Midnight Bourbon | Steve Asmussen | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 3.6 | $600 000 |
3rd | Medina Spirit | Bob Baffert | John Velazquez | 5.6 | $200 000 |
4th | Keepmind | Robertino Diodoro | David Cohen | 9.7 | $110 000 |
5th | Crowded Trade | Chad Brown | Javier Castellano | 12.4 | $60 000 |
The last period of 2022 – what to remember?
The 147th contest season took place on May 21, 2022. The tradition has been preserved, and the geographical location too. The Preakness hosted the Kentucky Derby winner in a classic way. He competed with other opponents, among whom were beginners.
The rookies beat the Derby/ not in qualifying. The top 5 list is presented as follows:
Position | Animal | Jockey | Trainer | Margin | Prize |
1st | Early Voting | Jose Ortiz | Chad C. Brown | 1.25 | $990 000 |
2nd | Epicenter | Joel Rosario | Steve Asmussen | 1.25 | $330 000 |
3rd | Creative Minister | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Kenneth G. McPeek | 3.5 | $182 000 |
4th | Secret Oath | Luis Saez | D. Wayne Lukas | 6.25 | $99 000 |
5th | Skippylongstocking | Junior Alvarado | Saffie Joseph Jr. | 7.5 | $50 000 |
Sports experts, spectators, and bettors are already looking forward to the new period of 2023. They hope that it will bring new triumphant winners, bright matches, and incredible bets with winning earnings.
Upcoming 2023 season as part of the Championship
In 2023, the tournaments are planned to be held according to the classic Triple Crown scheme – the Kentucky Derby, the event in question, and the Belmont Stakes. The Kentucky Derby is scheduled for May 5-6 in 2023.
Two weeks after the Derby, the 2023 Preakness Stakes will take place. Namely, from the nineteenth to the twentieth of May 2023. The geographical location is traditionally non-winter – Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Triple Crown |
||
Kentucky Derby | Preakness Stakes | Belmont Stakes |
5-6 May 2023 | 19-20 May 2023 | 1 June 2023 |
Let’s talk a little more about the championship in question. The event will last two days – on the 19th-20th. The official opening ceremony is scheduled for the 19th. And already on the 20th – two official contests.
The schedule looks like this:
Date | Location | Time |
Saturday, 20 May 2023 | Pimlico Course | 13:00 |
Saturday, 20 May 2023 | Pimlico Course | 15:00 |
In 2022, it is planned to hold an official celebration in honor of the contests. The championship is considered an integral part of the culture of the American state. Not only the competition itself is held annually, but also a grandiose celebration.
Spectators cannot afford to miss an event of this magnitude. All spectators are always well-dressed, and the women indulge themselves in exquisite headdresses and evening dresses.
Run for Black-Eyed Susan
The stakes are often called the airstrip because of the black-eyed Susan. The name comes from the state flower of Maryland. These flowers are often given to the winner who comes first to the finish line.
However, in the last season of 2022, it so happened that the flowers did not have time to bloom. The winner was left without a bouquet, as they only bloomed in June. In 2023, the organizers hope that the flower will not let you down and everything will go according to plan.
State official song
Each event begins with the performance of a musical composition. In big international championships, it is the anthem. In the case of our tournament, the third verse of the official state song is always played at the start of the contest.
The US Military Academy Choir performs the song. The composition is associated with the times of the Civil War. The authorities sometimes made attempts to change the song, but the traditions remain unchanged.
Weather vane in the colors of the winner
Each time, after the announcement of the participant who came to the finish line first, a ritual is performed. The artist climbs to the highest roof near the hippodrome. There he gets his best paints. He paints the weather vane on the roof in the colors of the winner.
The blade of the weather vane is shaped like a horse. This weather vane was specially ordered and made by the organizers back in 1909.
The best jockeys of the 2022 racing season
At the end of all meetings, sports experts and organizers hold an awards ceremony. During the ceremony, the best representatives of the participants, the best jockeys and coaches are also remembered. 2022 has become very rich in good jockeys.
It was very difficult for the judges to decide on the first place and the top five. But there was no choice, and it had to be done. The picture looks like this:
Position | Name | Age | Country | Best career finish |
1st | Junior Alvarado | 35 | Venezuela | 4th in 2012 (Zetterholm) |
2nd | Tyler Gaffalione | 27 | Florida, USA | 1st in 2019 (War of Will) |
3rd | Florent Geroux | 35 | France | 3rd in 2019 (Owendale) |
4th | Brian Hernandez Jr. | 36 | Louisiana, USA | 4th in 2020 (Art Collector) |
5th | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 29 | Puerto Rico | 2nd in 2021 (Midnight Bourbon) |
This arrangement of places was not chosen in vain. Junior Alvarado has been trying to enter the top of the best jockeys for about three years now. He did his best for this title. And finally, in 2022, Junior Alvarado was not only in the top 5, but also became the best jockey of the season.
Why is it profitable to bet on Preakness Stakes?
Bids on horse racing, like the sport itself, are considered very noble and valuable. Here the bettor should take into account the maximum number of influence factors. After all, any little thing can change the course of events
. Most of all, the bettor should take into account the performance of the participants in past seasons. Thus, the player will be able to draw logical conclusions about possible performances in the upcoming seasons.
A reliable bookmaker is half the battle. A gambler should always cooperate with a reliable partner. To make the right choice, the gambler looks at the age of the bookmaker, the presence of an official license, and the reviews of regular customers. After evaluating these main factors, the bettor will make the right choice.
Horse racing gambling is a very popular type of betting among both gamblers and bookmakers. Many companies offer great opportunities for their clients. The most famous and popular bookmakers today are:
- Parimatch;
- Betobet;
- Betwinner;
- Royal Panda;
- ComeOn!
These bookmakers not only help customers to enjoy the race, but also do everything possible so that the user receives an additional rather big income.
It’s time to take decisive action
We hope that you have a minimum amount of doubt about the need to act. Horse racing tournaments are exciting events that give gambler millions of opportunities to earn money with pleasure.
The main thing is to be confident and know the limits. Then you will definitely succeed in the gambling world.