She has been an amateur rider, an assistant trainer, the boss of her own barn, and a groundbreaker. Brittany Russell may soon add classic-winning trainer to her résumé as well.
The 151st Preakness Stakes May 16 at Laurel Park drew a full field of 3-year-0lds attempting to make history for their connections in the Triple Crown series. Fourteen accomplished jockeys will head to the starting gate Saturday evening, including two riders making their Preakness debuts and five that have Preakness wins on their résumés. Let’s meet them:
Much more often than not, horses fail to live up to the regal names bestowed upon them. Maiden claiming races are filled with horses that have a "King" or "Queen" in their name. But if a horse ever justified its moniker, few did it as magnificently as Majestic Prince.
Given a name that exuded class, Majestic Prince was indeed equine royalty during a short but spectacular 10-race career that saw him come heart-breakingly close to a Triple Crown sweep in 1969.
This year’s Preakness Stakes on May 16 will be remembered as unique when racing historians look back years from now. The 151st edition of the second jewel in U.S. horse racing’s Triple Crown will be held for the first, and probably only, time at Laurel Park in suburban Baltimore, Md.
Each of the Triple Crown classics started as a race that was grounded in the history of its distinct location, a celebration of the sporting tradition of its region. Their union into one accomplishment came with its share of fits and starts, an evolution that was both influenced by and influential to decisions that made them the Triple Crown.
