BALTIMORE – Patti Cooksey and Andrea Seefeldt own a special place in Pimlico history as the only two women to ride in the Preakness. Last year, they had roles in another part of track lore when they rode in the inaugural Lady Legends for the Cure on Preakness eve.

Cooksey, Seefeldt, and five of the other six retired female jockeys who rode in the highly successful Lady Legends event will be back Friday. The $31,000, six-furlong allowance offers parimutuel wagering as the seventh of 13 races. It will also serve to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer research.

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Afleet Alex and Scrappy T nearly collide in the Preakness. More: Hovdey's Top 10 Preakness moments.

Just out of curiosity, Ramon Dominguez, wonders what the statute of limitations is on the institutional memories surrounding his most dramatic, nearly tragic, experience in the Preakness Stakes. It’s been six years. Enough already?

After running third in his career debut at Arlington last September, Animal Kingdom has won three of four subsequent starts, with the only loss coming by a head in a March 3 turf allowance at Gulfstream.

The front-running winner of that allowance was a Fusaichi Pegasus colt named Powhatan County, whose only subsequent start resulted in a fifth-place finish in the April 8 Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland. A hind-end ailment has sidelined Powhatan County for a while, said George Weaver, who trains him for Richlyn Farms.

Eddie Gaudet will be trying to complete his own Black-Eyed Susan/Preakness double – 40 years apart.

Gaudet, a mainstay of the Maryland circuit for decades after moving here from his native New England, won the 1971 Black-Eyed Susan with At Arms Length and will have his first Preakness starter Saturday with longshot Concealed Identity. His wife, Linda, co-owns Concealed Identity with Morris Bailey, a longtime Gaudet client.

PREAKNESS STAKES 2011: Contender profiles, news updates, video, and odds

BALTIMORE – The first group of horses scheduled to run Saturday in the 136th Preakness arrived Wednesday at Pimlico at about 12:30 p.m. Eastern following a flight from Louisville to Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

The Preakness starters that arrived were Astrology and Sway Away on a first van, followed by Dance City on a second van.

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FAIR HILL, Md. - Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom had a spirited 1 5/8-mile gallop over the Tapeta suface at the Fair Hill training center Wednesday morning.

PREAKNESS STAKES 2011: Contender profiles, news updates, video and odds »

Barry Irwin sometimes used to make the business of syndicating Thoroughbreds look easy. He and a partner would spot a racehorse with the potential to improve, buy the animal, sell shares to investors. They often won stakes races this way, and almost won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness.

Ten races remind us why the Preakness often offers the best of the Triple Crown.

10. 1971 -- The Fairy Tale

Those who figured that the Venezuelan colt Canonero II was nothing but a fluke when he won the Derby were slapped with the bright reality of his record Preakness performance.