Maryland 2020 schedule adds a stakes to Preakness Day, boosts purse of Federico Tesio

The 2020 Maryland Jockey Club stakes schedule released Friday has a familiar look but includes several significant tweaks.

The Laurel Park fall meet, which runs from the beginning of the year through April, will have 21 stakes while the Preakness meet at Pimlico in May will have 17. The 38 races are the same number as a year ago and their total value of $6.325 million is a hair higher than in 2018.

The May 16 Preakness will have nine supporting stakes this year, one more than a year ago, as the Skipat Stakes has been moved from the previous day’s Black-Eyed Susan program. Black-Eyed Susan Day will continue to have seven stakes as the newly created $100,000 Milkmaid Stakes has been added to the line-up. The Milkmaid is a 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares.

The $200,000 Chick Lang, a six-furlong race for 3-year-olds, and the $150,000 Gallorette, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares, were both Grade 3 stakes last year. If by chance either, or both, are elevated to Grade 2’s for 2020, the Maryland Jockey Club has said the Lang purse will be increased to $250,000 and the Gallorette will receive a $50,000 boost to $200,000. Both races are on the Preakness undercard.

The biggest news at the Laurel Park winter meet is that the purse of the Federico Tesio Stakes on April 18 has been increased from $125,000 to $200,000, which will make it a more attractive option for horses looking for a Preakness prep. The Tesio will remain a Win and You’re In for the Preakness and the afternoon’s supporting feature, the $125,000 Weber City Miss, will again be a Win and You’re In for the Grade 2, $250,00 Black-Eyed Susan on May 15.

There will be four supporting stakes on the Tesio-Weber City Miss card. As an appetizer of sorts, a pair of Maryland-restricted stakes have been added on Friday, April 17, to kick off the weekend.

Sal Sinatra, president of the Maryland Jockey Club, believes this year’s changes have strengthened the stakes schedule.

“We’ve increased the purse of the Tesio, a Win and In for the 145th Preakness, to $200,000 and we’ve given horsemen some additional incentives to run the weekend of the Preakness,” he said. “We’re also hopeful that the Chick Lang and Gallorette will be upgraded and add to the excitement of Preakness weekend.”

To view a pdf of the Maryland Jockey Club stakes schedule, click here.