Globe Corner Blogs

A guest post from fellow horse race-goer Kerry Skemp

Baltimore may be famous for its gritty nature, but the city’s also home to a slightly more upscale activity: horse racing. Pimlico Race Course hosts the Preakness Stakes, the second leg in horse racing’s Triple Crown, sandwiched between the noble Kentucky Derby and the oft-forgotten Belmont Stakes (which happened Saturday, June 4). Though less famous than the Derby, the Preakness Stakes is actually older—first run in 1873. These days, each Preakness has the hope of a Triple Crown contender. Many folks cheer for the Derby champ to finish the 1 3/16 mile race first, while others root for a longshot to come out on top. Regardless of who wins, it’s difficult not to be entertained by the Preakness’ unique blend of blue collar and bluebood, a tribute to Baltimore’s working class spirit. And with Baltimore a relatively quick, cheap trip from much of the East Coast, there’s no reason not to check it out next May. These tips from my own recent Preakness experience may help guide your experience.

My trip to the Preakness began, as many others surely do, with a journey from my downtown Baltimore hotel (the very nice Sheraton) to the racetrack at Pimlico—about a 20-minute drive. Maryland Public Transit will take you there from downtown in less than an hour for less than $5, but our group shelled out $30 for a cab, spending the money to save travel time. Pimlico’s a slightly shabby but safe neighborhood, surrounded by a mix of residences, 7-11s, and bail bond places. The trek from our drop-off spot to the racetrack gates took us past Preakness entrepreneurs selling everything from $40 backyard parking spots to $1 bottles of water to $5 “designer” jeans. Is there any more stylish way to return from Baltimore than in a pair of Preakness pants?

No beverages of any kind are allowed at the track, but you can bring food. If you forget to pack snacks, though, don’t worry—people who live near Pimlico open up their kitchens for business on race day, selling jerk chicken, fried chicken, grilled corn, and all manner of other home-cooked fare. They probably don’t have permits to sell these creations, but who cares? This is the Preakness, not the Derby, so unbutton your shirt a little. Heck, you might as well take it off—dozens of sunburned men in the infield certainly did.

And that brings us to the infield: the major selling point of the Preakness. Unlimited beer (in a plastic cup, of course) for $20, nearly-unlimited grassy space to stretch out in, and an unlimited amount of really fantastic people-watching: what more could you ask for? If you’re not the grandstanding type, don’t want to pack a fancy outfit, or—as one website put it—are under 60 years old, the infield is for you. We arrived around 2pm and encountered plenty of people who’d clearly had Budweiser for breakfast, including a few poor passed-out souls whose “friends” had seen fit to draw certain rather, uh, immature images on their sleeping faces. The infield offers many areas to sit: closer to the sound stages and beer tents, it gets fairly crowded, but there’s plenty of room near the track. Chairs are allowed, so we staked out the ones we’d brought at the 3/4 mile mark and waited for the ponies to pass by.

The day of the Preakness features thirteen races, but the impressive speed of the horses meant we didn’t see any race for more than a few seconds, making for a long, lazy afternoon broken up by brief spurts of excitement. We also had some trouble telling the races apart, owing to our lack of horse racing knowledge. Only the Preakness, with familiar contenders Lookin at Lucky, Paddy O’Prado, and Derby winner Super Saver in the lineup, stood out to us. Cameras at the ready, we fidgeted impatiently until the powerful pack of horses flew past us, each pushing for a better position. After the horses sprinted from sight, we squinted at the big-screen television to see who finished first, and waved our betting ticket with glee when it was our pick.

The excitement of seeing a dozen powerful horses thunder past you never gets old, and the camaraderie of the infield is hard to beat. A trip to any Triple Crown race is worth it—but the Preakness infield is definitely an enjoyably unpretentious place to place your bets. Pony up for an infield ticket next year.

Read more: Baltimore, Horse Racing, Preakness Stakes, The Kentucky Derby, Travel


Llalan specializes in all things Ohio, but has funny stories from all over the US and Canada, plus a few snort-inducing ones from Thailand. And not only does she read books from around the world, she also samples beers in as many languages as possible. Favorite style: the multi-national American Double IPA.

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