The 148th run of the Preakness Stakes takes place on Saturday, May 20. Mage, the Kentucky Derby winner, enters with 8-5 odds as he attempts to take the second leg of the Triple Crown. The 1 3/16 mile course may be somewhat wet and muddy with the forecast calling for showers in Baltimore this weekend.
Which horse has the Preakness record?
The Preakness Stakes record belongs to a legend — Secretariat. Ridden by Ron Turcotte, the horse finished the 1 3/16 mile course with a 1:53 time in 1973. Secretariat set records for all three Triple Crown races that year, records that still stand today.
But Secretariat’s record at the Preakness Stakes wasn’t officially recognized until 2012. The official time recorded during the race itself was 1:53.4. However, the official clock at the track malfunctioned, and the time was immediately disputed by the Daily Racing Form whose time keepers contended that Secretariat broke the record.
In 2012, the Maryland Racing Commission settled the matter for good. Using new technology to conduct a forensic review of the 1973 race, it was determined that Secretariat had indeed finished in a record 1:53 flat.
That’s still the record since the race went to 9.5 furlongs in 1925. Last year, Preakness winner Early Voting ran the race in 1:54:54.