The Pimlico Special is a Grade 3 American

thoroughbred horse race Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

for horses age three and older over a distance of miles ( furlongs) held at

Pimlico Race Course Pimlico Race Course is a thoroughbred horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Ol ...

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

in mid May. The race currently offers a purse of $300,000.

History

The Pimlico Special was first run in 1937 and was won by that year's U.S. Triple Crown winner

War Admiral War Admiral (May 2, 1934 – October 30, 1959) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the fourth winner of the American Triple Crown. He was also the 1937 Horse of the Year and well known as the rival of Seabiscuit in the 'Match ...

who went on to be voted the American Horse of the Year. In 1938, the Pimlico Special was host to one of American racing's most historic moments when

Seabiscuit Seabiscuit (May 23, 1933 – May 17, 1947) was a champion thoroughbred racehorse in the United States who became the top money-winning racehorse up to the 1940s. He beat the 1937 Triple Crown winner, War Admiral, by four lengths in a two-horse ...

defeated

in a much anticipated

match race A match race is a race between two competitors, going head-to-head. In sailboat racing it is differentiated from a fleet race, which almost always involves three or more competitors competing against each other, and team racing where teams consi ...

. That race was covered by almost every major newspaper, magazine and radio station of the time. Discontinued after 1958, the race was revived as a handicap event in 1988 and made a

graded stakes race A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). A specific grade level (I, II, III or listed) is the ...

one year later in 1989. The race was not eligible for grading in 2011 because it had not been run the previous two years. Eighteen Pimlico Special winners have gone on to win a Championship for Horse of the Year or an Eclipse Award as the best horse in their divisions. The latest was Invasor in 2006; others include Mineshaft,

Real Quiet Real Quiet (March 7, 1995 – September 27, 2010) was an American Eclipse Award, Champion Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse. He was nicknamed "The Fish" by his trainer due to his narrow frame. He is best remembered for winning the first ...

Skip Away Skip Away (April 4, 1993 – May 14, 2010), was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 1998 Horse of the Year, 1996 Champion Three-Year-Old, and 1997 and 1998 Champion Handicap Horse. He won 10 Grade One races for $9,616,360 in ...

, Cigar,

Criminal Type Criminal Type (1985–2005) was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. He won two Eclipse Awards in 1990. Background A descendant of Nearco, he was bred at the famed Calumet Farm in Lexington, Kentucky and owned in partnership with Jurg ...

Blushing John {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Blushing John , image = , caption = , sire = Blushing Groom , grandsire = Red God , dam = La Griffe , damsire = Prince John , sex = Stallion , foaled = 1985 , country = United States , colour = ...

Tom Fool Tom Fool (March 31, 1949 – August 20, 1976) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 1953 American Horse of the Year and was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame. He sired the champion racehorses Buckpasser and Tim Tam. B ...

, Capot, Citation, Assault,

Armed Armed (May, 1941–1964) was an American Thoroughbred gelding race horse who was the American Horse of the Year in 1947 and Champion Older Male Horse in both 1946 and 1947. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in ...

Twilight Tear Twilight Tear (1941–1954) was an American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse. At age two, she won four of her six starts, finishing second and third in her other two starts. Her performances earned her the title of 2-year-old filly honors i ...

Whirlaway Whirlaway (April 2, 1938 – April 6, 1953) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the fifth winner of the American Triple Crown. He also won the Travers Stakes after his Triple Crown sweep to become the first and only horse to w ...

, Market Wise,

Challedon Challedon (1936–1958) was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred in Maryland by William L. Brann and Robert S. Castle, he raced under the colors of their Branncastle Farm. Two-year-old-season Racing at age two, Challed ...

and

.2007 Maryland Jockey Club Media Guide, page 47-52 on March 3, 2007. The Pimlico track record for miles is held by

Farma Way Farma Way (April 2, 1987 – November 18, 1999) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and sire foaled in Kentucky. As a four-year-old in 1991 he was one of the leading racehorses in North America, winning the Santa Anita Handicap, Pimlico ...

who ran the distance in 1:52 2/5 while capturing the 1991 Pimlico Special.

Records

Speed record: * 1:52.40 –

(1991) (at current distance of miles) Most wins by a horse: * 2 –

(1939 & 1940) Most wins by a jockey: * 4 –

Eddie Arcaro George Edward Arcaro (February 19, 1916 – November 14, 1997), was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who won more American classic races than any other jockey in history and is the only rider to have won the U.S. Triple ...

(1939, 1943, 1946, 1948) Most wins by a trainer: * 4 – Ben A. Jones (1942, 1944, 1945, 1947) * 4 – John M. Gaver Sr. (1943, 1949, 1950, 1953) Most wins by an owner: * 6 – Calumet Farm (1942, 1944, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1990)

Winners of the "Pimlico Special" since 1937

''Notes:'' * ‡ For 3-yr-olds in 1937 and 1954 * † Won by

Walkover John_Carpenter_was_disqualified,_prompting_his_teammates_John_Taylor_(athlete).html" ;"title="John_Carpenter_(athlete).html" "title="Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metres">men's 400 metres running in a walkover. Americ ...

s in 1942 and 1948

References

Official website for the Pimlico Special
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060702221452/http://www.preakness.com/RacingInfo/PimlicoSpecial.htm , date=2006-07-02
The Pimlico Special at Pedigree Query

Graded stakes races in the United States Open middle distance horse races Recurring events established in 1937 Pimlico Race Course Horse races in Maryland Sports competitions in Baltimore Recurring sporting events established in 1937 1937 establishments in Maryland

History

Records

Winners of the "Pimlico Special" since 1937

See also

References