Man O'War

The winner of the 1920 Preakness and Belmont Stakes was the great Man O'War.
Considered by many racing experts and horse experts, the greatest thoroughbred of all time and he would have won the 1920 Triple Crown had he entered the Kentucky Derby.  His owner, Samuel Riddle, did not like racing in Kentucky and thought it was too early in the year for young horses to run a mile and a 16th.

Man O'War won the Preakness easily and had the track record but was eased up near the finish, however there was no easing in the Belmont as the won by 20 lengths and set the record for a mile and one eighth at 2 minutes and 14 seconds.  He beat the previous mark set by Sir Barton, the 1919 winner and first Triple Crown winner, by 3 seconds.

2013 Preakness Stakes (05/18/2013)

The 138th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Park in Baltimore MD saw the heavy favorite get a bad starting gate and then get squeezed and knocked off his game.  This left the door open for wire to wire winner Oxbow to runaway from the pack.

The Preakness Stakes - 2011

Saturday May 21st was the 136th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Park in Baltimore Maryland.


The favorite was Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom.


He gave it a great effort but came up short to my Derby pick Shackelford.

1953 Kentucky Derby

Today in 1953 the heavily favored and legendary Native Dancer, known as the Gray Ghost, was upset by the unheralded Dark Star, who nipped him at the finish.  This was the only defeat for Native Dancer, who won the Eclipse Award for 2 year old horse of the Year for 1952.  After the Derby, Native Dancer would not lose again and won the Preakness and Belmont Stakes and then won the Eclipse Award for Champion 3 yr old Colt for 1953 and then Horse of the Year in 1954.   Sadly, Dark Star would finish 5th in the Preakness and did not run in the Belmont due to a ligament injury suffered during the Preakness run.