Photo Credit: Eclipse Sportswire
American Pharoah receives his garland after winning the 2015 Preakness en route to a sweep of the Triple Crown.
NBC airing one-hour special tribute to American Pharoah’s Preakness victory on traditional Preakness Day.
The postponed date for the 145th Preakness Stakes will be revealed Saturday afternoon at the top of an NBC special series marking the original date for the second leg of the Triple Crown series.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Stronach Group Chairman and President Belinda Stronach will make the announcement at 5 p.m. as part of a one-hour broadcast that will also celebrate American Pharoah’s 2015 Preakness victory in the wake of a blinding downpour at then 145-year-old Pimlico Race Course. American Pharoah hydroplaned to the finish in brilliant fashion.
The Stronach Group (consumer branding as 1/ST) and Hogan announced the race would be postponed in mid-March, shortly after Churchill Downs Inc. moved the Kentucky Derby from May 2 to Sept. 5 because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
WBAL-TV reported last week that the rescheduled Preakness would be run Oct. 3. But the Maryland Jockey Club quickly put out a statement saying the date had not been confirmed. A source with knowledge of negotiations told the Sun and the Associated Press that dates in July and August were also under consideration.
With the Belmont Stakes, scheduled for June 6, still not rescheduled and the Preakness set to run either before the Derby or a month after it, this could be the first time in 88 years the Triple Crown is out of its modern order and spacing set in 1932. If the Preakness goes first in order their “Second To None” slogan will be literal.
This will be the 111th consecutive Preakness Stakes at 150-year-old Pimlico. After a hiatus to New York for 15 years the race moved back permanently in 1909, the same year painting the winning colors on the weathervane atop the cupola became a tradition.
For more Preakness info or tickets visit https://www.preakness.com.
Past The Wire Staff
