Weather should not be a major factor in the 146th Preakness Stakes, second leg of the Triple Crown, with almost perfect conditions expected for this Saturday.
The Weather Channel forecasts the weather to be mostly sunny with just a 12 percent chance of rain and temperatures between 52 and 76 degrees.
Bar unexpected showers, track conditions for the Preakness Stakes will be either good or fast for a third consecutive year. The last time the race was run on a wet track was in 2018, when Justify won on a sloppy surface.
2021 Preakness Stakes Forecast
Service: The Weather Channel
Projected weather: Mostly sunny, light winds
Projected temperatures: High of 76 degrees, low of 52 degrees
Race-time projection: UV Index: 10, 38% humidity
Chance of rain: 9% chance of rain
Service: AccuWeather
Projected weather: Mostly sunny, 8 mph winds
Projected temperatures: High of 75, low of 52
Race-time projection: UV Index: 10, 30% humidity
Chance of rain: 9% chance of rain
Related:The Field For The 146th Preakness Stakes: Picks, Odds and Contenders
“It should be pretty nice conditions, with temperatures around 74 degrees, skies partly to mostly sunny and winds from the east on the light side at 5 to 10 miles an hour. That’s pretty ideal,” said Miller, who plans to watch the race himself.
“It has been pretty dry across the area for the last week, so any horses who are strong on a [fast] track will benefit from that, and any of the ‘mudders’ will probably struggle a bit.”
That would mirror track conditions for the past two years, including last October when, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Preakness was run in October. The last year the race took place on a sloppy track was in 2018.
Miriam Lee has always been a horse racing fan thanks to trips to the tracks in her home state of Maryland with her father as kid. She owns an OTTB and is an advocate for promoting the sport among her peers. Miriam studies communication arts at Hood College and will receive her master’s degree in 2021, which she plans to use for a career in screenwriting. Her all-time favorite racehorse is Man O War.
