Winning The Race
In 1917, the first Woodlawn Vase was awarded to the Preakness winner, who was not allowed to keep it. Eventually a half-size reproduction of the trophy was given to winners to keep permanently. The original trophy is kept at the Baltimore Museum of Art and brought to the race each year under guard, for the winner's presentation ceremony.
In 1940, it was proposed to drape the winning horse in a garland of black-eyed Susans, the state flower of Maryland. This posed a problem, as the race is run nearly two months before the flowers come into bloom in late June or July. At first, yellow daisies were painted to resemble black-eyed Susans; workers switched to chrysanthemums later. Although the Preakness is sometimes referred to as "the race for the black-eyed Susans", no black-eyed Susan is ever used.
In 1918, 26 horses entered the race, and it was run in two divisions, providing for two winners that year. Currently, the race is limited to 14 horses.
In 1948, the Preakness was televised for the first time by CBS.
The Preakness has been run at seven different distances:
- 1½ miles (2.41 km) : 1873–1888, 1890
- 1¼ miles (2.01 km) : 1889
- 1-1/16 miles (1.71 km) : 1894–1900, 1908
- 1 mile 70 yards (1.67 km) : 1901–1907
- 1 mile (1.61 km) : 1909, 1910
- 1⅛ miles (1.81 km) : 1911–1924
- 1-3/16 miles (1.91 km) : 1925–present
Read more about this topic: Preakness Stakes
Famous quotes containing the words winning and/or race:
“Most of our platitudes notwithstanding, self-deception remains the most difficult deception. The tricks that work on others count for nothing in that very well-lit back alley where one keeps assignations with oneself: no winning smiles will do here, no prettily drawn lists of good intentions.”
—Joan Didion (b. 1934)
“The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.”
—Bible: Hebrew Ecclesiastes 9:11.