When the Preakness Stakes schedule gets in full swing, Pimlico Race Course has the eyes of the horse racing world centered on it for a couple days each and every May. This is because the second leg of the Triple Crown happens at the Baltimore racetrack in Maryland on an annual basis.
This page is all about the full Preakness Stakes program of events on the track at Pimlico. A two-day meet that starts with the Black Eyed Susan Stakes and its card on the third Friday in May, everything culminates the following day. That is when the Preakness program happens.
There’s a complete Preakness schedule of events across both days of the meet in Baltimore below. This tells you about every single race on the consecutive cards at Pimlico. Our tables tell you how far each of the Preakness Stakes horses events is in terms of distance. Some have restrictions based on the horse’s age and sex, or whether or not they have won before.
Before we get to the Preakness Stakes schedule, there’s the first day of the meet. Most of the betting interest on this card involves Black Eyed Susan picks as it is the feature race. Supporting that Grade II race for three-year-old fillies over the same distance as the Preakness are three Grade III events.
These are as follows. First, the Miss Preakness Stakes is a sprint contest with the same age and sex restrictions as the Black Eyed Susan Stakes. The Hilltop Stakes, meanwhile, is a turf race over a mile for three-year-old fillies. Finally, the last of the Grade III races is the Pimlico Special Stakes on dirt over an 9.5 furlongs and open to older horses.
Earlier on the supporting card is a Listed event for fillies and mares, the Allaire Dupont Distaff Stakes. This contest is also run over Preakness and Black Eyed Susan course and distance. A conditions turf sprint, The Very One Stakes, is yet another females only event at Pimlico on this date. Here is the Friday Preakness Stakes schedule in full:
Race No | Race Name | Race Type | Surface | Distance | Age of Horses |
1 | Allowance Race | Turf | 1m 1f | 3yo+ | |
2 | Allowance Optional Claimer | Claiming Race | Dirt | 6f | 3yo+ |
3 | Maiden Special Weight | Maiden | Turf | 5f | 3yo-5yo |
4 | Allaire Dupont Distaff Stakes | Listed | Dirt | 1m 1f | 3yo+ fillies & mares |
5 | Allowance Optional Claimer | Claiming Race | Turf | 5f | 3yo+ |
6 | Allowance Race | Dirt | 6f | 3yo+ | |
7 | Allowance Optional Claimer | Claiming Race | Turf | 1m 0.5f | 3yo+ |
8 | Allowance Optional Claimer | Claiming Race | Dirt | 6f | 3yo+ |
9 | The Very One Stakes | Conditions | Turf | 5f | 3yo+ fillies & mares |
10 | Miss Preakness Stakes | Grade III | Dirt | 6f | 3yo fillies |
11 | Hilltop Stakes | Grade III | Turf | 1m | 3yo fillies |
12 | Pimlico Special Stakes | Grade III | Dirt | 1m 1.5f | 3yo+ |
13 | George E. Mitchell Black Eyed Susan Stakes | Grade II | Dirt | 1m 1f | 3yo fillies |
14 | Maiden Claimer | Claiming Race / Maiden | Turf | 5f | 3yo-5yo |
Moving on to the biggest day in Pimlico Race Course’s calendar, everything builds to the Grade I Triple Crown race. Most of the wagers taken by Preakness Stakes betting sites are on the big race for sure. There’s a packed program before we get to that, though.
The Preakness Stakes schedule contains another 14 races. There are five Grade III contests and a with couple Listed status in the build-up to the main event. Each of these are worth a mention too. The Chick Lang Stakes is a six-furlong sprint on the dirt for three-year-olds only. There is also the Maryland Spring Stakes at the same distance open to older horses.
Three of the Grade IIIs are turf races. These are the Gallorette Stakes over an extended mile, the Dinner Party Stakes that is the oldest stakes race in the entire Mid-Atlantic region, and James W Murphy Stakes for three-year-olds. Here is the complete Preakness race schedule for the big day:
Race No | Race Name | Race Type | Surface | Distance | Age of Horses |
1 | Allowance Race | Turf | 5f | 3yo+ | |
2 | Allowance Optional Claimer | Claiming Race | Dirt | 1m 0.5f | 3yo+ |
3 | Maiden Special Weight | Maiden | Turf | 1m 0.5f | 3yo-5yo |
4 | Sir Barton Stakes | Black Type | Dirt | 1m 0.5f | 3yo |
5 | Allowance Race | Turf | 1m 0.5f | 3yo+ | |
6 | Chick Lang Stakes | Grade III | Dirt | 6f | 3yo |
7 | Gallorette Stakes | Grade III | Turf | 1m 0.5f | 3yo+ |
8 | Dinner Party Stakes | Grade III | Turf | 1m 1f | 3yo+ |
9 | Skipat Fillies Stakes | Listed | Dirt | 6f | 3yo+ fillies & mares |
10 | Jim McKay Turf Sprint Stakes | Listed | Turf | 5f | 3yo+ |
11 | Maryland Sprint Stakes | Grade III | Dirt | 6f | 3yo+ |
12 | James W Murphy Stakes | Grade III | Turf | 1m | 3yo |
13 | Preakness Stakes | Grade I | Dirt | 1m 1.5f | 3yo |
14 | UAE President Cup | Grade I | Dirt | 1m 0.5f | 4yo+ Pureblood Arabians |
Based on last year’s Preakness television schedule, post time is about 7pm local time in Baltimore on the third Saturday in May. The card and race order of events is always subject to change year on year, however.
According to the Preakness Stakes schedule, there are a massive 14 races on the card for the day of the big race. This includes a Grade I only open to pureblood Arabian horses, the UAE President Cup.
As noted above, the Preakness race day schedule contains 14 races in total and there are five Grade III events that form a big part of the supporting card. There are also two Listed races and a Black Type event on the dirt, the Sir Barton Stakes, which honors the first-ever Triple Crown winner.
Winners of the Preakness are draped in a garland of Black Eyed Susan flowers. This is similar to what happens at the Kentucky Derby. At Churchill Downs, a garland of Roses adorns the winning horse after the race.
The Preakness TV schedule says NBC Sports shows the big race live on its channel. In this day and age, however, there is also streaming to think of. Peacock has a Preakness broadcast schedule on its platform for those who want to live stream events in Baltimore.
Pro handicapper Jamie Clark has been picking winners of the biggest horse races worldwide for more than a decade now. He provides valuable insight and analysis for the Preakness Stakes and other major events in America.
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