As we count down to the 143rd running of the Preakness Stakes, it is time to revisit some fun Preakness trivia:
0 – The number of Black-Eyed Susans that I have ever had to drink.
1 – The number of times that there were two Preakness winners in one year. In 1918, there were 26 horses entered. So, the race was run in two divisions, producing two winners — War Cloud and Jack Hare, Jr.
2 – The number of times the Preakness was held on the same date at the Kentucky Derby (1917, 1922).
3 – The number of weeks before the Belmont Stakes that the Preakness is run.
3 – The Saturday in May that the Preakness is currently held.
3 – The number of tracks that the Preakness has been run at — Pimlico (1873 – 1889, 1909 – present); Morris Park Race Course in the Bronx, New York (1890 – no age restriction); Gravesend Race Track in Coney Island, New York (1894 – 1908).
4 – Number of years we were subject to “Kegasus” as the Preakness mascot (2010- 2013).
5 – Number of fillies to win the Preakness (1903 Flocarline, 1906 Whimsical, 1915 Rhine Maiden, 1924 Nellie Morse, 2009 Rachel Alexandra).
6 – Most wins by a jockey in the Preakness — Eddie Arcaro (1941, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1955, 1957).
7 – Most wins by a trainer, owner, and breeder in the Preakness. Trainer R. Wyndham Walden (1875, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1888). Owner and also Breeder Calumet Farm (1941, 1944, 1947, 1948, 1956, 1958, 1968, 2013).
7 – The number of different distances that the Preakness has been contested at: 1 mile, 1mile and 70 yards, 1 1/16 miles, 1 1/8 miles, 1 3/16 miles, 1 1/4 miles, and 1 1/2 miles.
7 – Number of starters in the first Preakness Stakes on May 27, 1873.
8 – Consecutive number of years that the attendance exceeded 100,000 (2001 – 2008).
9 – Average size of the Preakness field.
10 – Second-largest margin of victory by a horse in the first Preakness run in 1873 by Survivor. This record held until 2004 when Smarty Jones won by 11-1/2 lengths.
11 – The number of times that the Preakness was run prior to the Kentucky Derby.
12 – The number of Preakness winners that went on to win the Triple Crown.
14 – Maximum number of starters currently allowed in the Preakness.
22 – The number of times the word Preakness appears in this article (including the title).
23 – The number of horses that won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness that failed to win the Triple Crown.
26 – Number of horses entered in 1918 (see above).
Hopefully there will be a large number deposited in your bank account after this year’s Preakness. Enjoy the race!
Ray Wallin is a licensed civil engineer and part-time handicapper who has had a presence on the Web since 2000 for various sports and horse racing websites and through his personal blog. Introduced to the sport over the course of a misspent teenage summer at Monmouth Park by his Uncle Dutch, a professional gambler, he quickly fell in love with racing and has been handicapping for over 25 years.
Ray’s background in engineering, along with his meticulous nature and fascination with numbers, parlay into his ability to analyze data; keep records; notice emerging trends; and find new handicapping angles and figures. While specializing in thoroughbred racing, Ray also handicaps harness racing, Quarter Horse racing, baseball, football, hockey, and has been rumored to have calculated the speed and pace ratings on two squirrels running through his backyard.
Ray likes focusing on pace and angle plays while finding the middle ground between the art and science of handicapping. When he is not crunching numbers, Ray enjoys spending time with his family, cheering on his alma mater (Rutgers University), fishing, and playing golf.
Ray’s blog, which focuses on his quest to make it to the NHC Finals while trying to improve his handicapping abilities can be found at www.jerseycapper.blogspot.com Ray can also be found on Twitter (@rayw76) and can be reached via email at ray.wallin@live.com.
