The Preakness Stakes: Fast Facts

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REUTERS / John Gress

One racehorse looks for a Triple Crown bid, while 11 others look to derail him. The 135th annual Preakness begins tonight at 6 p.m. EST.

Fast Facts:

Held annually at Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore, Maryland, the second oldest track in the nation and used just once a year for the Preakness. The stadium has played host to some of the most famous thoroughbred racehorses of all time, including Seabiscuit, War Admiral, and Man o’ War.

-Often termed “The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans” because the winning horse earns rights to a blanket of black-eyes susans, which are Maryland’s state flower. The blanket takes three people two full days to create.

-This year’s crowd favorite is Super Saver, the Kentucky Derby winner who is two wins away from gaining a Triple Crown.

-It’s been 32 years since a Triple Crown winner has been awarded.

-Only three horses in the past 20 years that didn’t run in the Kentucky Derby went on to defeat the Derby champion at the Preakness.