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Tony Guadagnoli 17y

The Preakness: Baltimore & Barbaro's Memory Beckon

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Stuck between the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes, the Preakness often is the forgotten leg of horse racing's Triple Crown.

That won't be the case this year, one year after Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro's catastrophic breakdown in the front stretch. His subsequent six-hour surgery and eight-month ordeal included an outpouring of support few had seen for a horse and ended with Barbaro being euthanized Jan. 29.

Preakness: By the numbers

3 — Number of Preakness winners at stud at Three Chimneys in Kentucky — Smarty Jones (2004), Point Given (2001) and Silver Charm (1997).

6 — Starting from post position No. 6 has produced the most Preakness winners, 15.

7 — Preakness wins for Calumet Farm, the most for owners and breeders. The last came in 1968 with Forward Pass.

11 — Horses that won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, but failed to win the Preakness.

11½ — Margin of victory in lengths for 2004 Preakness winner Smarty Jones, the largest in the race's history. Smarty Jones missed winning the Triple Crown when he finished second to Birdstone in the Belmont.

20 — Number of horses that have won the Derby and Preakness, but failed to complete the Triple Crown at the Belmont.

31 — Starters for D. Wayne Lukas, the most by any trainer. He has saddled five Preakness winners.

$48.80 — At odds of 23-1 in 1975, Master Derby became the biggest longshot winner in Preakness history and paid $48.80 to win.

52 — Fillies in the Preakness. Only four have won, with Nellie Morse (1924) the most recent winner.

68 — Number of favorites to win the Preakness. Citation (1948) and Spectacular Bid (1979) were at the lowest odds, 10 cents to $1.

132 — The 132nd Preakness Stakes will be run May 19.

1,135 — All-time Preakness starters to date.

1920 — In his first race of the year, Man O' War won the Preakness.

118,402 — Record attendance at Pimlico for the 2006 Preakness.

$484,120 — Amount Pine Bluff earned in winning the 1992 Preakness, still the highest winner's share.

$1 million: Assessed value of the Woodlawn Vase, the most valuable trophy in American sports and presented annually to the Preakness winner. A smaller sterling replica, valued at $30,000 is awarded to the winning owner on a permanent basis.

$87,544,368: Total amount wagered on Preakness Day last year of which $56,394,560 was wagered on the Preakness Stakes.

Few will remember Bernardini won the 2006 Preakness, but no one will forget Barbaro.

In an e-mail on what would have been Barbaro's fourth birthday last month, jockey Edgar Prado, who rode Barbaro last year, wrote, "Barbaro showed us the will to live against all odds.

"He left us a ray of hope, and now it's up to us to make sure his legacy and message continues to go on and on."

When more than 100,000 descend May 19 on Pimlico Race Course (5201 Park Heights Ave., Web site) to see if Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense can continue his journey to The Triple Crown, Barbaro will be everywhere.

The Maryland Jockey Club changed the name of the Sir Barton Stakes (named after the first Triple Crown winner) to the Barbaro Stakes. The 1-1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds will be contested on the Preakness undercard.

The Barbaro Memorial Fund (Web site) was established by an anonymous donation to the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa., where Barbaro was treated, to help aid large animals. Fan sites still see an outpouring of sympathy. His death has sparked debate over implementing artificial track surfaces.

Still, the Preakness Stakes (Web site) remains one of America's oldest traditions — started as the Dinner Party Stakes in 1870 and won by the horse Preakness — and has become increasingly popular to attend. Last year's record crowd of 118,402 was the seventh in eight years to top 100,000, and attendance has grown steadily over the last three years.

Kentucky Derby runner-up Hard Spun will try to spoil Street Sense's bid for The Triple Crown.

Street Sense trainer Carl Nafzger was second with Unbridled, the Kentucky Derby winner, in the 1990 Preakness.

"We may have to do something different here if we are going to spoil his Triple Crown," said Larry Jones, trainer of Hard Spun. "I like Carl a lot, but I don't intend for him to have The Triple Crown."

While not as big as the infield party at the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness infield is considered to be wilder with a mostly college-age crowd. Thus, you get the appropriate official beer sponsor of the Preakness infield — Dos Equis (two horses).

Infield tickets retail for $45 through Ticketmaster. (Or consult StubHub!) On Preakness Day, infield tickets may be purchased at Pimlico for $60.

While the Derby has Oaks Day, the Preakness has Black-Eyed Susan Day (Web site) on May 18 with the 83rd running of the race for 3-year-old fillies.

The black-eyed Susan is the official Maryland state flower and a floral blanket of the same goes to the Preakness winner. (The official drink recipe can be found online.)

Fans can take a guided tour of the stable area May 16-18 during Sunrise at Old Hilltop and watch the contenders during their morning workouts. Tours are free and run from 6-9 a.m.

In the Crab Derby (Web site), local celebrities race crabs to the finish, with the winner receiving $500 to be donated to the charity of his choice. This year's event will be at noon May 17.

'Twas the Night Before Preakness is a free outdoor concert May 18 from 6-9 p.m. at Harbor East (Web site), which begins on South Caroline Street and continues west to the water's edge. The north border is Fleet Street, and the boundary on the south is Lancaster Street and the promenade around the Inner Harbor.

Buckwheat Zydeco will perform, preceded by Baltimore's own Junkyard Saints. The concert will culminate with a fireworks show over the harbor.

Beyond the Preakness events, Baltimore offers much in the way of food and fun.

The Baltimore Orioles will be playing the Washington Nationals at RFK Stadium (2400 East Capitol St. S.E., Washington, D.C., Web site) at 7:05 p.m. May 18-19 and 1:35 p.m. Sunday. What a perfect way to cap off your Preakness weekend. (Buy tickets.)

If you can't make it to D.C., Baltimore's Pickles Pub (520 Washington Blvd., Web site) near Camden Yards is a great spot to watch the game.

The Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum and Sports Legends at Camden Yards (Web site) feature exhibits and memorabilia from Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken Jr. to Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, a Baltimore native.

Sports Legends is located in Camden Station at the gateway to Oriole Park at Camden Yards (301 W. Camden St.) and honors famous Baltimore athletes, while three blocks west the Ruth museum (216 Emory St.) is a tribute to the Sultan of Swat.

The U.S. Lacrosse Museum and Hall of Fame ( 113 W. University Parkway, Web site) features equipment, sculptures, memorabilia and artifacts dedicated to what is considered America's oldest sport. Meanwhile, M&T Bank Stadium (1101 Russell St., Web site) is hosting NCAA Men's Division I and II Lacrosse Championships May 26-28. (Buy tickets)

Spend any time in Baltimore and you're likely to head to the Inner Harbor Promenade (bordered by Lombard and Gay streets, Key highway, and Greene and Pace streets), which offers myriad shops, restaurants and exhibits. For lunch, try the original ESPN Zone (601 E. Pratt St., Web site).

Day-trip: Annapolis

If you plan to be in the Baltimore area for an extended period of time, a day trip to Annapolis should be on your agenda.

Along the Chesapeake Bay about 30 miles south of Baltimore, Annapolis is home to Maryland's state capital, as well as the United States Naval Academy. The city has many brick-lined streets and original buildings from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.

Visitors can tour The Naval Academy (121 Blake Road, Web site) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Access to the 338-acre campus, known as "The Yard," is limited and all visitors over age 16 must have a valid picture ID.

The future officers of the Navy line up in formation at noon each day in a fascinating military ritual.

The Maryland State House was the nation's capitol in 1783 and 1784 and is the oldest in continuous legislative use in the United States. Construction began in 1772 and the Maryland legislature first met there in 1779.

Annapolis often is called the Sailing Capital of the World and is home to the National Sailing Hall of Fame and Museum (67-69 Prince George St., Web site).

Its compact area makes Annapolis ideal to explore by foot. An ideal starting point is City Dock, which, with its piers, is the heart of the city. The Market House (25 Market Place, Web site) features a plethora of fresh fruits, cheeses, poultry and desserts.

The African-American Heritage Tour and Three Centuries Walking Tour (Web site) offer two of the best walks.

The African-American Heritage Tour traces the rich history of African-Americans in Annapolis and their impact nationally and internationally. Key historical sites include the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial and the Thurgood Marshall Memorial.

The Three Centuries Tour includes guides dressed in colonial garb. Stroll through historic Annapolis, explore the interior of the Maryland State House, and the Naval Academy.

Sports fans will note that two of the NCAA Division I men's lacrosse quarterfinals will be played in Annapolis on May 20, at noon and 3 p.m., at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Web site). The games feature Duke vs. North Carolina and Maryland-Baltimore County vs. Delaware.

— Tony Guadagnoli

The National Aquarium (501 E. Pratt St., Web site) and the Maryland Science Center (601 Light St., Web site) are two of the Inner Harbor's highlights.

The National Aquarium features open ocean tanks. Visitors (safe in a circular tube) are surrounded by sharks. At the Maryland Science Center, visitors can learn about dinosaurs, fossils, the solar system, their bodies and much more.

When it comes to food, Baltimore offers terrific options, led of course by crab cakes, steamed crabs, whole crabs, crab cobbler, crab apples and … well, you get the point.

Several of the best spots are tucked in nooks and crannies of the city's older neighborhoods, many of which have undergone a renaissance in the last couple of decades.

Obrycki's (1727 E. Pratt St., Web site) has some of the city's best blue claw crabs.

If you're looking for a specific beer, Max's Taphouse (737 S. Broadway, Web site) in Fells Point (east of the Inner Harbor) is hard to beat. Max's also hosts the American Craft Beer Festival from May 14-20, with more than 60 beers available.

Also in Fells Point, try the Green Turtle Sports Bar & Grille (722 S. Broadway, Web site). If you didn't get your fill during the Preakness or maybe if you overdid it, the Green Turtle's Sunday Brunch features unlimited Bloody Marys and mimosas.

Other good spots for nightlife include the Canton (adjacent to Fells Point) and Federal Hill (south of the Inner Harbor) areas. Take a cab or water taxi to the Fells Point/Canton areas.

In Little Italy (east of the Inner Harbor), you will find many dining options with Boccacio (925 Eastern Ave., Web site) consistently rated as serving some of the city's best Italian food.

If you still aren't full, sit back, sip on your Black-eyed Susan and dab your eyes when they sing "Maryland, My Maryland" during the parade to the starting gate at the Preakness — which certainly won't be forgotten any time soon, courtesy of Barbaro.

Tony Guadagnoli, a free-lance writer from western Washington, contends Secretariat remains one of America's greatest sports heroes.

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