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Pimlico spring meet opens Pimlico will offer 27 stakes races worth $3.97 million during its spring meet, which begins Thursday. As always, the highlight of the eight-week stand is the 132nd running of the $1 million Preakness S. (G1), the middle jewel of the Triple Crown, on May 19. Saturday, which is being billed as the Spring Festival of Racing, will feature six stakes races, including the $125,000 Federico Tesio S. for three-year-olds. The nine-furlong Tesio, a local stepping stone to the Preakness, is expected to include ETUDE (Include), the winner of the March 24 Private Terms S. at Laurel Park. Fourteen of the added-money races, including all nine graded stakes during the spring meet, are slated for Preakness week. The May 18 program will feature five stakes races for fillies and mares, including the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan S. (G2), the $200,000 Allaire DuPont Breeders' Cup Distaff S. (G2) and the $125,000 Miss Preakness S. (G3). One day later, the Preakness Day card will feature nine stakes races, six graded, including the $250,000 Dixie S. (G2), the $200,000 Maryland Breeders' Cup Sprint H. (G3), the $100,000 William Donald Schaefer H. (G3), the Hirsch Jacobs S. (G3) and the Gallorette H. (G3). Pimlico officials had to scrap the 2007 running of the legendary Pimlico Special H. (G1), which was captured by Horse of the Year Invasor (Arg) (Candy Stripes) in 2006, due to a purse shortage. Other changes to the stakes schedule include the discontinuation of the Jim McKay Breeders' Cup H.; name change of the Sir Barton S. to the Barbaro S.; name change of the Hoover S. to the Jim McKay Sprint; name change of the Baltimore Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint to the Baltimore City Turf Sprint S.; addition of the Whimsical S.; and distance changes of the Woodlawn S. (1 1/16 miles to one mile on the turf), Hilltop S. (1 1/16 miles to one mile on the turf) and Xtra Heat S. (five furlongs to 5 1/2 furlongs). The 31-day meet at the historic Baltimore track will conclude June 9.
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