@winningstride: 🏇 A Day Like Today | October 25, 1870 Pimlico Race Course Opens Its Gates By WinningStride Every Stride Tells a Story On this day 156 years ago, Pimlico Race Course opened its gates in Baltimore, Maryland, welcoming an estimated 12,000 spectators to the first day of racing at what would become one of America’s most historic racetracks. But the story of Pimlico actually began two years earlier, at a dinner party in Saratoga Springs, New York. In 1868, a group of prominent horsemen proposed organizing a special race to be held two years later. Maryland horseman Oden Bowie offered to bring the contest to Baltimore and establish a racetrack to host it. The Maryland Jockey Club acquired approximately 70 acres of land, and Pimlico Race Course was born. During its inaugural meeting in October 1870, a colt named Preakness captured the two-mile Dinner Party Stakes. A son of the legendary stallion Lexington, Preakness was owned by Milton H. Sanford and ridden by Billy Hayward. Making his racing debut, Preakness defeated six rivals, including the favored Foster, in a performance that would forever connect his name to American racing history. Three years later, on May 27, 1873, a new stakes race for three-year-olds was introduced at Pimlico. It was named in honor of that colt. The Preakness Stakes was born. Survivor captured the inaugural running by an impressive 10 lengths, beginning a tradition that would eventually become the second jewel of America’s Triple Crown. Over the generations, Pimlico witnessed some of racing’s most unforgettable moments. In 1938, Seabiscuit defeated War Admiral by four lengths in their legendary match race. In 1973, Secretariat delivered his extraordinary Preakness performance, setting a record of 1:53 that still stands. But these are only a few chapters in Pimlico’s remarkable history. For more than a century and a half, its dirt track has been the stage for legendary champions, historic rivalries, unforgettable finishes, and countless moments that helped shape American Thoroughbred racing. Today, 156 years after its opening, Pimlico is undergoing a major redevelopment, with the Preakness scheduled to return to Baltimore in May 2027. The photograph featured in today's poster is one I personally captured during the 2025 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, preserving a view of the historic grandstand before redevelopment began. Buildings may change, grandstands may disappear, and new generations of racing fans will take their places. But the history written on that track will remain. What began with a dinner party in 1868 became one of the most enduring traditions in American Thoroughbred racing. 🏇 Pimlico Race Course | 156 Years of History #WinningStride #ADayLikeToday #Pimlico #PreaknessStakes #HorseRacing

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Sunday 25 October 2026 14:33:41 GMT