The 2024 Preakness Stakes schedule takes place on Saturday, Mary 18th, 2024. It will be the 149th running of the event. Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland is always the location for the race. It usually falls on the third Saturday in May after the Kentucky Derby. The race is the second jewel in horse racing’s Triple Crown and was first run in 1873. Post time for the race is approx. 6:50 PM ET (5:50 PM CT, 4:50 PM MT, and 3:50PM PT). We’ll take you through the schedule, TV broadcast, and more about the race below.
How Do Horses Qualify for the Preakness Stakes?
For the Preakness Stakes, only three-year-old thoroughbreds are eligible to qualify for the race. The winners of the: Kentucky Derby, Oaklawn Invitational, Federico Tesio Stakes, and El Camino Real Derby automatically qualify for the Preakness Stakes. Several of the horses who didn’t win the Kentucky Derby will also travel to Pimlico for the race. There are always at least 10 horses in the race, and all have been a champion somewhere on the road to Baltimore.
2024 Preakness Stakes Weekend Schedule (May 17th-18th)
The 2024 Preakness Stakes has two days of events. Friday, May 17th is Blacked Eyed Susan Day. Besides the parties that day, the Black-Eyed Susan Race is the last one of the day at the track. Its post time is normally 5:45 PM ET. Then, on the 18th, we see a similar racing schedule leading up to the main race.
2024 Preakness Stakes Schedule, Post Time, and TV Coverage
So, if you are at the track, there are races all day before the big race. The gates at Pimlico typically open at 9am. It starts to get busy after lunch. Then, it gets more boisterous as the day goes on. For those looking for the Preakness Stakes TV schedule, NBC starts its broadcast at 4:30 PM ET. The post time is set for approximately 6:50 PM ET (5:50 PM CT, 4:50 PM MT, and 3:50PM PT).
If you are attending in person and going in the infield, get there early if this is your first time. I got a little overwhelmed the first time that I went. Most years, there are around 100,000 fans who attend the race. It can get crazy.
When are the Post Positions and Preakness Stakes Odds Posted for 2024?
So, it’s a little different than the Kentucky Derby post position draw and odds announcement. The 2024 Preakness post positions and line odds will come out on Monday, May 13th around 5:30 PM ET. This will also serve as a confirmation of the horses that will be running the race.
What were the 2023 Preakness Stakes Payouts?
So, if you are the type who likes to see or take part in the odds. The 2023 Preakness Stakes payouts were:
- Win: No. 1 National Treasure ($7.80 | $4.00 | $2.60)
- Place: No. 7 Blazing Sevens ($5.00 | $2.80)
- Show: No. 3 Mage ($2.40)
What is the Preakness Stakes Purse Size?
So, there’s a boost in the Preakness Stakes purse this year. It goes up from $1.5 million to $2million USD.
How Long is the Preakness Stakes?
A common question that comes up with my friends who do not follow horse racing at all, is how long is the Preakness Stakes? The race is run over a distance of 1 3/ 16 miles or 9.5 furlongs on dirt.
How Fast do the Horses Run in the Preakness Stakes?
The Preakness Stakes is a tad shorter than the Kentucky Derby. That being said, the fastest Preakness time was set by Secretariat in 1973 in 1:53 flat. We haven’t really seen a horse get close to beating that time since then.
Who are the Preakness Winners (Last 10 Years?)
| Year | Horse | Length / Time | Purse |
| 2023 | National Treasure | 1 & 3/16 / 01:55.12 | $1,500,000 |
| 2022 | Early Voting | 1 & 3/16 / 01:54.54 | $1,500,000 |
| 2021 | Rombauer | 1 & 3/16 / 01:53.62 | $1,000,000 |
| 2020 | Swiss Skydiver | 1 & 3/16 / 01:53.3 | $1,050,000 |
| 2019 | War of Will | 1 & 3/16 / 01:54.3 | $1,500,000 |
| 2018 | Justify | 1 & 3/16 / 01:55.9 | $1,500,000 |
| 2017 | Cloud Computing | 1 & 3/16 / 01:56.0 | $1,500,000 |
| 2016 | Exaggerator | 1 & 3/16 / 01:58.3 | $1,500,000 |
| 2015 | American Pharoah | 1 & 3/16 / 01:58.5 | $1,500,000 |
| 2014 | California Chrome | 1 & 3/16 / 01:54.8 | $1,500,000 |
Has a Filly Ever Won the Preakness Stakes?
So, if you are one to play the odds. Over the history of the Preakness, there have been six fillies to win the race. Most recently by Swiss Skydiver in 2020. Here’s the list:
- 2020 – Swiss Skydiver
- 2009 – Rachel Alexandra
- 1924 – Nellie Morse
- 1915 – Rhine Maiden
- 1906 – Whimsical
- 1903 – Flocarline
Watch the 2023 Preakness Stakes (Full Race)
That’s all we have for now for the 2024 Preakness Stakes schedule. We’ll leave you with a replay of the 2023 Preakness Stakes to get ready for this year’s race. You’ll notice we don’t have 10 horses (life happened). So, the race still goes on. We’ll see how many we get for 2024.
