Shorter meet, same stakes
Pimlico's spring meet will be three weeks shorter than usual, but the compressed schedule will still feature 26 stakes worth a collective $4 million, including five stakes on opening weekend.
The marquee meet of the Maryland racing season will run from April 20 through June 12, highlighted by the 130th running of the $1 million Preakness Stakes on May 21.
The first Saturday of the meet, April 23, will be anchored by the $150,000 Federico Tesio for 3-year-olds and the $200,000 Jim McKay Breeders' Cup for older horses. In addition, three new stakes for Maryland-breds and Maryland Million nominees will be contested. Each of the restricted stakes will carry a $25,000 bonus if the winner is a Maryland-bred and an additional $25,000 bonus if the winner is Maryland-sired.
All 10 of the meet's graded stakes will be run during Preakness week, including six on Preakness Day.
The Grade 1 Pimlico Special, worth $500,000, tops a May 20 program that includes four other stakes.
A new race on the stakes calendar, the Xtra Heat for 3-year-old fillies on April 30, will serve as a prep for the Grade 3 Miss Preakness, held on the same day as the Pimlico Special. Xtra Heat, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2001, was based at Laurel Park and won 25 stakes during her career.
2005 spring stakes schedule
| DATE | EVENT | CONDITIONS | DISTANCE | PURSE |
| Sat.,April 23 | COUNTRY LIFE FARM* | 3YO F | 1 1/16 miles | $100,000 |
| Sat.,April 23 | MARYLAND STALLION STATION* | 3YO | 6 furlongs | 100,000 |
| Sat.,April 23 | NORTHVIEW STALLION STATION* | F&M, 3YO & Up | 1 1/8 miles | 100,000 |
| Sat.,April 23 | FEDERICO TESIO | 3YO | 1 1/8 miles | 150,000 |
| Sat.,April 23 | JIM MCKAY BC HANDICAP | 3YO & Up | 1 1/8 miles | 200,000 |
| Sat.,April 30 | XTRA HEAT | 3YO F | 5 furlongs | 50,000 |
| Sat.,May 7 | HENRY CLARK | 3YO & Up | 1 mile (T) | 75,000 |
| Sat.,May 14 | HILLTOP | 3YO F | 1 1 1/16 miles (T) | 75,000 |
| Fri.,May 20 | PIMLICO SPECIAL (G1) | 4YO & Up | 1 3 1/16 miles | 500,000 |
| Fri.,May 20 | BLACK-EYED SUSAN (G2) | 3YO F | 1 1/8 miles | 200,000 |
| Fri.,May 20 | PIMLICO DISTAFF (G3) | F&M, 3YO & Up | 1 1/16 miles | 150,000 |
| Fri.,May 20 | MISS PREAKNESS (G3) | 3YO F | 6 furlongs | 100,000 |
| Fri.,May 20 | THE VERY ONE | F&M. 3YO & Up | 5 furlongs (T) | 75,000 |
| Sat.,May 21 | PREAKNESS | 3YO | 1 3/16 miles | 1,000,000 |
| Sat.,May 21 | DIXIE (G2) | 3YO & Up | 1 1/8 miles (T) | 200,000 |
| Sat.,May 21 | MARYLAND BC HANDICAP (G3) | 3YO & Up | 6 furlongs | 200,000 |
| Sat.,May 21 | W.D. SCHAEFER HANDICAP (G3) | 3YO & Up | 1 1/8 miles | 100,000 |
| Sat.,May 21 | GALLORETTE HANDICAP (G3) | F&M, 3YO & Up | 1 1 1/16 miles (T) | 100,000 |
| Sat.,May 21 | HIRSCH JACOBS (G3) | 3YO | 6 furlongs | 100,000 |
| Sat.,May 21 | WOODLAWN | 3YO | 1 1 1/16 miles (T) | 100,000 |
| Sat.,May 21 | SIR BARTON | 3YO | 1 1/16 miles | 100,000 |
| Sat.,May 21 | MURMUR FARM STARTER HDCP. | 3YO & Up | 1 1/16 miles | 50,000 |
| Sat.,May 28 | BEN COHEN | 3YO & Up | 5 furlongs (T) | 50,000 |
| Sat.,June 4 | PEARL NECKLACE* | 3YO F | 1 1/16 miles (T) | 50,000 |
| Sat.,June 11 | DEPUTED TESTAMONY* | 3YO | 1 1/16 miles | 50,000 |
| Sat.,May 29 | SKIPAT | F&M, 3YO & Up | 6 furlongs | 50,000 |
* Restricted stakes