The Preakness Stakes is an American flat horse race held annually at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds, and is the second leg of the most prestigious U.S. Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. The Preakness has been held since 1873, making it the second oldest horse race in the United States and the third oldest in the world.
The Preakness and its Prestigious Prize Money
The Preakness Stakes is one of the most prestigious horse races in the world with a total purse of $1 million. This makes it the second richest horse race in North America behind the Kentucky Derby. The winner of the Preakness receives a $600,000 purse and a blanket of Black Eyed Susans, the official flower of the Preakness.
2020 Preakness Stakes and its Record Number of Horses
The 2020 Preakness Stakes was the 145th running of the race and was held on October 3rd, 2020 at Pimlico Race Course. It featured a record number of 16 horses, making it the largest Preakness field in history. The large field included the winner of the Kentucky Derby, Authentic, and the winner of the Preakness Stakes, Swiss Skydiver.
Reasons for the Record Number of Horses in Preakness 2020
The record number of horses in the Preakness 2020 can be attributed to several factors. The first is the timing of the race. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kentucky Derby was delayed from its traditional first Saturday in May to the first Saturday in September. This allowed horses that would have otherwise been ineligible to qualify for the Preakness as they had already aged out of the three-year-old requirement.
Additionally, the purse money for the Preakness was increased from $1.5 million to $2 million for 2020, making it the richest purse in the Triple Crown series. This allowed for more horses to enter the race, as owners knew they could potentially win more money if they had a successful horse.
Notable Horses in 2020 Preakness Stakes
The 2020 Preakness Stakes featured some of the biggest names in horse racing. The field included:
- Authentic, winner of the 2020 Kentucky Derby
- Swiss Skydiver, winner of the 2020 Preakness Stakes
- Art Collector, winner of the 2020 Blue Grass Stakes
- Mr. Big News, winner of the 2020 Louisiana Derby
- Ny Traffic, winner of the 2020 Haskell Invitational
- Jesus’ Team, winner of the 2020 Federico Tesio Stakes
- Max Player, winner of the 2020 Withers Stakes
- Pneumatic, winner of the 2020 Matt Winn Stakes
- Thousand Words, winner of the 2020 Shared Belief Stakes
- Excession, winner of the 2020 Jim Dandy Stakes
- Liveyourbeastlife, winner of the 2020 Indiana Derby
- Pneu Star, winner of the 2020 Ohio Derby
- Nova Rags, winner of the 2020 Sir Barton Stakes
- Maxfield, winner of the 2020 Matt Winn Stakes
- Crowded Trade, winner of the 2020 Unbridled Stakes
The Winner of the 2020 Preakness Stakes
The winner of the 145th running of the Preakness Stakes was Swiss Skydiver. She was ridden by jockey Robby Albarado and was trained by Kenneth McPeek. Swiss Skydiver is a bay filly and was the only female horse in the field. She was the first filly to win the Preakness since Rachel Alexandra in 2009.
Post Race Controversy Surrounding Swiss Skydiver
After Swiss Skydiver’s victory in the Preakness, the race became mired in controversy. The Maryland Racing Commission decided to review the race after receiving a complaint from the owner of another horse in the race, Art Collector. The complaint alleged that Swiss Skydiver had violated medication regulations and should be disqualified from the race.
The Final Decision on Swiss Skydiver
After a thorough investigation, the Maryland Racing Commission cleared Swiss Skydiver of any wrongdoing and declared her the official winner of the 2020 Preakness Stakes. The Commission found that the filly had tested negative for any prohibited substances and that she had complied with all race day regulations.
Conclusion
The 2020 Preakness Stakes featured a record number of 16 horses, making it the largest Preakness field in history. The large field included some of the biggest names in horse racing and was ultimately won by Swiss Skydiver, a bay filly who became the first filly to win the race since Rachel Alexandra in 2009. Despite some post-race controversy, the Maryland Racing Commission ultimately cleared Swiss Skydiver of any wrongdoing, making her the official winner of the 2020 Preakness Stakes.