Preakness Diaries: Draw Day

Wednesday of Preakness week was an action-packed day this year: not only was it draw day (when officials from Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness Stakes, determine what numbers the horses will be and their projected odds for Saturday’s race) but we also were witness to the arrival of most of the Preakness contenders. To top it off, America’s Best Racing was throwing a Preakness kick-off party at Baltimore’s Mt. Washington Tavern on Wednesday night, so my Wednesday dance card was delightfully full! 
The Preakness horses who were flying in from Churchill Downs in Louisville were scheduled to arrive at Baltimore-Washington Airport at about 1:15; there actually was a flight tracker that we could watch, so the various members of the press waiting for the horses to arrive were watching that like air traffic controllers as we awaited the arrival of the 3-year-old Thoroughbreds.
Since I arrived at the Pimlico barn area a little early, I decided to head on over to where the Budweiser Clydesdales were stabled to see the gentle giants in person. I was in for a treat, since the Clydesdales were having their baths.

These horses are so huge that their caretakers actually had to stand on jerry-rigged sawhorse stepladders to wash the Clydesdales’ manes and faces.

Special attention had to be paid to the long, luscious hair near their hooves, called feathers. The grooms used a special purple shampoo on them to bring out the white hues and cancel out any yellow tinge, and then applied a detangling spray before combing them out to perfection.

And perfection was achieved, too. Look at how beautiful these horses are!

The Budweiser Dalmatian was there, too; this is Brewer, and he was happily sunbathing as his larger companions had their beauty treatments. 

His protégé Barley was there, too – he turned four months old today! He is very, very adorable and it took everything I had not to break all the rules and go in for a snuggle.

It was a wonderful way to pass the time, and before I knew it the Preakness contenders were arriving. Two police motorcycles preceded the horse vans and as the massive rigs got situated, cameras from the press whirred and clicked to life.

I am not making this next part up at all; we knew that Kentucky Derby winner American Pharoah would be the first off of the truck, and as the gate was lowered and preparations were made to unload the horses, I focused and got ready to try to get a shot of the big horse.

All of a sudden, I heard a male voice over my right shoulder saying, “Who’s in the van?” Without turning around, I said, “American Pharoah.” “Who?” the voice replied. “American Pharoah. The Kentucky Derby winner,” I replied. “Who now?” 
OK, I was starting to get confused at this point since I couldn’t imagine that anyone holding a Preakness press pass wouldn’t know that name. I lowered my camera, turned my head, and came face to face with a smirking Bob Baffert, American Pharoah’s trainer. It was both hilarious and sort of mortifying! Before I could say anything else or even take a photo of him, Baffert hustled off to take his Kentucky Derby champ to his temporary home at Pimlico. 

Baffert’s other Preakness trainee Dortmund followed swiftly after; I have a big soft spot for this horse, not only for his ability but also for the amazing amounts of attitude he can work into one glance. 

First official #DortmundSideEye of @PreaknessStakes week at @PimlicoRC! cc: @horseracinghl pic.twitter.com/Nr67KBp4Ot
— Penelope P. Miller (@PenelopePMiller) May 13, 2015

The beautiful Danzig Moon was next, followed by the somewhat mysterious Tale of Verve. 

Firing Line was the last of the Preakness contenders to come off the van; he finished second in the Kentucky Derby and I think he’s a real threat in Saturday’s race.

Before I knew it, I had to bolt back to the press box because I had to change and get ready for the post position draw that was kicking off at 5 p.m. Since I was going to do a little on-camera work, I also ended up doing my hair and applying makeup in the middle of the press box using only overhead lighting and a webcam. Sometimes you just have to lean into things and put the “k” in klassy. 
Anyway, after doing my standup (that part of videos when people say who they are, where they are and why they’re there) we boogied to the draw. There was so much going on: an amazing jazz band, delicious food galore, a fully stocked bar and, at the very center of things, the draw board.

There were also sign holders stationed near the tables reserved for the connections of the Preakness runners indicating where each group should sit: 

But the star of the show was certainly the Woodlawn Vase. It’s the most valuable trophy in sports and it’s an amazing example of craftsmanship.

As draw time grew closer, the crowd grew denser as people grabbed drinks and food and prepared to find out what post positions the Preakness runners would be assigned. 

Since I was using Periscope for the @ABRLive Twitter account, I didn’t manage to snap any photos of the action during the actual event; however, I did fill out a sheet that has the post positions and odds for the race:

Here’s my take on the situation: I’m not that bothered by American Pharoah getting position No. 1. He’s a fast, handy horse and I think that he’ll overcome the inside post if he’s half the horse I think he is.
After the draw, there was a huge press scrum surrounding trainer Bob Baffert as he answered questions about his two Preakness runners, American Pharoah and Dortmund. 

Sadly, I didn’t have much time to stay at the draw, because America’s Best Racing was throwing a party with Sagamore Racing at Mt. Washington Tavern to kick off Preakness week, and I was desperate to take in the festivities! When I arrived, our Ambassadors Victoria Garofalo and Dan Tordjman were waiting to greet guests with a huge smile on their faces: 

As the evening wore on, the place filled up with horse owners, trainers and jockeys as well as fans of the Preakness and people who were just curious about the big race. It was an amazing evening, and I hope that we get to continue the party at next year’s Preakness. 

Thank you as always for joining me, and I’ll be back soon with even more action from Pimlico and the Preakness!