Welcome Back Pimlico Special!

After a 3 year absence, the Pimlico Special returns to Preakness weekend. While NBC Sports will not be hosting this year's edition (which will be held after the Black Eyed Susan on Friday), this race has a very rich history. Most notably being the match race between War Admiral and Seabiscuit in 1938.



In later editions, the likes of Whirlaway, Twilight Tear, Citation, and Tom Fool won. Other then Whirlaway and Citation, other Preakness winners who would win the Pimlico Special include Real Quiet and Assault (who like Whirlaway and Citation was a Triple Crown winner).

In more recent years Invasor, Eddington and Mineshaft have taken home the Pimlico Special crown. Here is Invasor's Pimlico Special which was also his US debut and really his first race against older horses (which was rare to say since he technically was an older horse, his body was still 3 at the time).



Here is this year's field for the Pimlico Special.

PP Horse A/S M/E Wgt Jockey Trainer
1 Toby's Corner 4 C LA 118 Castro Eddie Motion H. Graham
2 Endorsement 5 H 124 Garcia Martin Harty Eoin G.
3 Cease 5 G L 124 Napravnik Rosie Stall, Jr. Albert M.
4 Hymn Book 6 G L 124 Velazquez John R. McGaughey III Claude R.
5 Cherokee Artist 7 H LA 118 Santiago Victor Robb John J.
6 Nehro 4 C LA 118 Nakatani Corey S. Asmussen Steven M.
7 Mission Impazible 5 H L 118 Castellano Javier Pletcher Todd A.
8 Yawanna Twist 5 H L 118 Luzzi Michael J. Parisella John
9 Alternation 4 C L 124 Quinonez Luis S. Von Hemel Donnie K.
10 Eighttofasttocatch 6 G LA 124 Russell Sheldon Keefe Timothy L.

Special vs Schaefer

A few years ago, the Maryland Jockey Club had to make a decision. Get rid of the William Schaefer Handicap or the Pimlico Special. One was run on Black Eyed Susan day at the same distance as the Preakness (1 3/16 miles) and a G1, while the other was a shorter race (1 1/8) held on Preakness day was a G3. While the Schaefer has some good winners such as Master Command, Flashy Bull and last year's BCC winner Blame, it's the Pimlico Special that has the rich history.

Names like War Admiral, Seabiscuit (their 1938 match race being historic and part of the Oscar nominated movie that shares a name with the latter horse), Whirlaway, Citation (both of their wins, walkovers), Twilight Tear (who before 2009 was one of only 2 other 3yo fillies to be named HOY), and Tom Fool are some of the legendary names. Maryland bred Cigar won his homestate's second biggest race the same year he won the BCC. More recent HOY's who won include Mineshaft and Invasor (in his first US race).

At first the Schaefer had won the battle when the Pimlico Special was not run in 2002 and 2007, but it came back the next year both times. 2008 it looked like that the Pimlico Special was the only race run when the Schaefer went to the sidelines. However, the most famous Maryland race outside of the Preakness has not been run since. If by chance it comes back next year, it will have to work to get the Grade 1 ranking back because it's no longer eligible.

I know the Schaefer is named after the former Gov. of Maryland, but the namesake passed away a few months ago. I think it's time for the Pimlico Special to come back... that is if there's even racing at Pimlico next year.

Here is video of Seabiscuit vs War Admiral: