Making a Preakness bet at Pimlico should be interesting as the Kentucky Derby winner tries to stay alive for a Triple Crown. It will be the 135th running of the Preakness Stakes and the Derby winner is the likely favorite in Preakness odds.
The Preakness bet is one of the few reasons to actually make a bet at Pimlico. The Preakness weekend has 15 of the 18 stakes races at the meet. Racing in Baltimore could be on its last legs and even though Pimlico has the Preakness that is about all the track has. Even the Preakness has not been as popular in recent years.
The track has made the decision this year to degrade the race even further as they will allow people in the infield to receive unlimited refills of beer for $20. Last year the track banned bringing any beverages into the infield and attendance dropped by more than 34,000 people. This year customers can’t bring anything in but they can buy a 16-ounce mug in the infield and get it refilled unlimited times.
Pimlico this year will be all about what is going on around the track. That is too bad since the Preakness will actually be degraded by what Pimilco is doing. In addition to the beer, the track is having concerts, a cornhole tournament, a bikini contest, a professional women’s beach volleyball doubles tournament, and a scavenger hunt. Does racing even matter at Pimlico anymore? A shortened meet, a number of activities that are not even related to horse racing, and rowdy fans, it does not sound like a racetrack. It sounds more like a bar.
It used to be that making a Preakness bet was part of an exciting Triple Crown season. Pimlico has now made it less important. The good news for those making a bet is that you can do it without going to Pimlico. Online racebooks have Preakness odds that are the same as what you will see at the track. You can make a bet on the Preakness and get the great excitement of the race without having to deal with a tarnished Pimlico racetrack.
The Preakness is the second race in horse racing’s Triple Crown. It will be held this year on Saturday, May 15th. The attention will be on the Kentucky Derby winner as he looks to keep his Triple Crown chances alive.