BALTIMORE, MD— War of Will won the 144th Preakness Stakes on Saturday, May 18, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, after sustaining a setback in the Kentucky Derby.
Jockey Tyler Gaffalione, 24, described the experience as “incredible” in an interview with NBC about winning the second jewel of the Triple Crown.
From the start, War of Will zipped out, then climbed ahead on the home stretch.
The horse “showed what he had today” in a win that was “probably more special given everything that we’ve been through,” trainer Mark Casse told the Associated Press.
War of Will was part of the Kentucky Derby incident that resulted in the disqualification of front-runner Maximum Security. Race stewards determined the horse had drifted and interfered with War of Will’s race.
Maximum Security did not run in the Preakness since he was healing from injuries sustained in the May 4 derby, according to CBS News, while Kentucky Derby winner Country House opted not to participate in the Preakness as he recovered from a cough.
Despite the winner of the Kentucky Derby not running in the Preakness this year, Pimlico Race Course drew thousands as all eyes turned to Baltimore — and it was a sight to see.
Bodexpress tried to win Preakness without a jockey pic.twitter.com/lBRbxCORdW
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 18, 2019
The favorite going into the race was Improbable.
There were 13 horses competing in the Preakness Stakes; here are their post positions and odds, announced on Wednesday, May 15:
War of Will is owned by Gary Barber, a film producer who was in Cannes, France, at the Cannes Film Festival.
Post time was 6:48 p.m. for the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes.
A couple of issues caused complications at Pimlico, including a plumbing failure the day of Preakness.
The women’s bathrooms were not working in the grandstand from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, after a water main broke near the race course earlier in the week, The Baltimore Sun reported.
The chief operating officer for the Stronach Group, which owns the race course, cited the old infrastructure, telling The Sun: “It gets tougher every year to give the experience that the customer deserves for an event like this.”
The plumbing problems arose about a month after another wrinkle; in April, the Maryland Jockey Club announced that nearly 6,700 seats were being decommissioned in the grandstand because of concerns over structural integrity.
The Stronach Group is considering whether to move the Preakness to Laurel Park, another one of its properties.
Gates opened at 8 a.m on Saturday, May 18, at Pimlico Race Course, 5201 Park Heights Ave, Baltimore, MD 21215.
Post time is 6:48 p.m. for the Preakness, which is one of 14 races. The first starts at 10:30 a.m.
Get tickets to Preakness. Enter PATCHTICKETS10 for 10 percent off.
As the races are going on, an all-day music festival will draw about 20,000 fans to the infield for the 2019 InfieldFest. Performers include Kygo, Logic, Juice WRLD, FISHER and DJ Frank Walker.
Tickets started at $59 for general InfieldFest admission, and there are upgrades for bottomless drinks and other perks. Enter PATCHTICKETS10 for 10 percent off.
Leading up to the Preakness, festivities included sunrise tours and the 95th running of the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes.
There were free sunrise tours of Pimlico Race Course Tuesday through Friday before the Preakness. Tours started at 6 a.m., and the last one was at 8:45 a.m.
During the 20-minute walking tour, members of the public could see the barns, observe the horses amid their morning workouts and learn about the history of the race. There was also a chance to shop for souvenirs at the on-site museum.
People were instructed to park at the intersection of Northern Parkway and Woodcrest Avenue in the Rogers Avenue lot to go on the tour, and wear comfortable walking shoes.
Featuring a test race for fillies, Black-Eyed Susan Day ran from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 17. Held the day before Preakness, it draws a smaller crowd to Pimlico, for a fashion show, cocktails, book signings and other activities.
Organizers said the highlight of Black-Eyed Susan Day was the “Runway on the Rail,” from noon to 6 p.m., including boutiques, flower crowns, fashion sketches and other festivities.
From noon to 2 p.m., three authors signed their books near the grandstand:
From noon to 3:15 p.m., judges selected the best dressed fashionistas and best groomed horses in “Hooves and Heels.”
The first race began at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, May 17. Post time for the Black-Eyed Susan is 4:48 p.m. Get tickets to the Black-Eyed Susan. Enter PATCHTICKETS10 to get 10 percent off.
A portion of the proceeds from the 2019 Black Eyed Susan Day goes to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, which supports healthy horse care practices, and After the Impact Fund, which provides treatment for veterans and retired athletes, including jockeys.
TicketNetwork is a Patch promotional partner. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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