The Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, historically run in recent years on the day before the Preakness Stakes, will instead be run on the same card as the Preakness this year, according to a stakes schedule distributed by Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on Wednesday.
The 2020 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore has been rescheduled to Oct. 3 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Larry Hogan, the governor of Maryland
The Preakness Stakes, traditionally the middle jewel of the Triple Crown, has yet to be re-scheduled for this season as the coronavirus pandemic continued to upend the Thoroughbred industry and the world at large. However, the race, traditionally a colorful party in Baltimore, will have a different feel this year as The Stronach Group and Maryland Jockey Club announced that the race's accompanying InfieldFest concerts and events will be canceled.
The 2020 Maryland Jockey Club stakes schedule released Friday has a familiar look but includes several significant tweaks.
The city of Baltimore has withdrawn a lawsuit seeking the condemnation of Pimlico Race Course and the transfer of the track's assets, including the rights to the Preakness Stakes, according to the parties involved.
Betting on the Preakness Stakes set a record for the third year in a row, according to the chart of the race, while the overnight rating for the broadcast of the race dropped sharply in the absence of the horses that ran best in the Kentucky Derby two weeks earlier.
The overnight rating for the Preakness Stakes broadcast declined sharply compared to last year’s overnight, dropping 22 percent to a 4.3 with a 10 share, according to figures released on Sunday by NBC.
War of Will, who won the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, is poised to be the only horse this year to compete in all three Triple Crown races, with trainer Mark Casse saying on Sunday morning here at Pimlico that the Belmont Stakes on June 8 would be the next target barring any unforeseen setbacks.
Here are the top five finishers with available mutuel prices from the 2019 Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course.
