The Preakness Stakes, which serves as the second installment for the U.S. Triple Crown Series, is moved to a tentative date. This year, the Preakness Stakes is about to celebrate its 145th renewal. Instead of doing it on May 16, 2020, it was postponed to a later date this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Preakness Stakes Amidst the Pandemic
Last month, the Kentucky Derby, which is the first segment of the Triple Crown Series, announced that the racing competition would happen on September 5, 2020. With this movement, The Stronach Group, owner of the Preakness Stakes, decided to postpone the said event to a later date.
In line with the movement of the Preakness Stakes, the Infield Fest, which takes place in the middle of the Preakness season is already canceled. DJ Marshmello and Musician, who are the headline performers, would no longer be present in the Infield Fest. Other Preakness Stakes events, except the racing game, were also suspended.
Concerning the new date of the Preakness Stakes horse race 2020, The Stronach Group said that they would identify a new date referring to the best practices imposed by the local government to regulate the Coronavirus outbreak. As of today, the United States of America has recorded a total of 364, 088 COVID-19 cases.
Because of the continuous rise of Coronavirus cases in the U.S., with New York as the state with the largest number of affected individuals, The Stronach Group may not be able to set a new date within the next two months. Additionally, they would still have to wait until the number of affected cases slow down until the pandemic is gone.
While it is true the Preakness Stakes might take a little longer this year before it will commence, bettors will have a longer opportunity to hone their betting skills. It means that they will have enough time to observe a deserving racehorse to wager in the upcoming Preakness Stakes. Do know that few horses initially sent their bid to join the Preakness, and this is the best time to get to know them better.
Meanwhile, bettors can take part in many sports betting games offered online. As the COVID-19 outbreak affects the economic status of the sports betting industry, online bookies are taking this as an advantage to formulate online betting games to cope with their profit loss. Bettors will still create a better opportunity of earning while staying at home.
Preakness Stakes Trivia And Fun Facts
The Preakness Stakes first ran in 1873, in which Survivor was the first racehorse to win the competition by ten lengths. The initial purse prize for this competition was only $2,050. Today, the prize of this racing competition has already reached $1.5 million. Moreover, the Preakness Stakes is attended by all three-year-old thoroughbreds who will compete in a one 3/16 mile running distance.
As mentioned, the Preakness Stakes follows two weeks after the Kentucky Derby. Since the world is facing a Coronavirus outbreak today, the race is moved to a later date this year. It is the first time in a long time that the Preakness Stakes won’t settle in its usual date.
Preakness Stakes Tradition
Every year, the winner of the Preakness Stakes is awarded a priceless trophy. It is named as a Woodlawn Vase, which is created by Tiffany & Co. It has an estimated price of $4 million and is considered as the “Most Valuable Trophy In American Sports.”
Aside from the trophy, the Preakness Stakes winner is also given Maryland’s state flower. It is called the “Blacked-Eyed Susans.” The symbolic flower only blooms during fall and summer; thus, the Preakness Stakes organization uses Viking Daisies instead, which is a flower that closely resembles the Black-Eyed Susans.
Preakness Stakes Top Performers
In the history of the Preakness Stakes top performers, Eddie Acaro was named as the top-performing jockey earning a total of six Preakness Stakes titles. Other jockeys who made an impressive Preakness Stakes record include Kent Desormeaux (three titles) and Victor Espinoza (three titles).
On the other hand, some top trainers were able to shine in the Preakness Stakes history. In 1888, R. Wyndham won seven Preakness Stakes titles. During the recent years, Bob Baffert has been performing well in this racing competition who also recorded seven titles. At the same time, D. Wayne Lucas was able to produce six Preakness Stakes accomplishments.
Takeaway
Most of the sporting events today in the United States were canceled following the COVID-19 outburst. It is to make sure that the health and safety of the public are prioritized over the interest of these sports organizers to gain profits. With this, the Stronach Group decided to postpone the competition following the Kentucky Derby’s movement. Although the date is not yet identified, rest assured that Stronach Group is working closely with the government and other horse racing committees to announce the exact date in a few months.
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