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Historic Woodlawn Vase which becomes the property of the winning owner in the Preakness until the 1950 running of the Pimlico fixture. ;• Preakness of Today Outgrowth Of Old Dinner Party Stakes Maryland Jockey Club,Which* Sponsors Event, Is One of Oldest Turf Organizations PIMLICO, Baltimore, Md., May 13.— The Preakness, a magical name in the world that is the turf, is down for decision for the seventy-third time at this historic race course tomorrow afternoon. It has truly been said that the Preakness runnings of modern years have held additional prestige in the public mind because of the rich traditions surrounding the race and this, while true, does not go far enough. The original Preakness in 1873 was the result of a sportsmanlike gesture on the part of some turf and financial leaders of that day, the Preakness, as constituted today being an outgrowth of a race originally run in 1870 and known as the Dinner Party Stakes. While the first Preakness was run in 1873 and is thus two years older than the Kentucky Derby, it has not been run continuously. During the years when there was no racing in Maryland some of the Preakness runnings were staged at the Brooklyn Jockey Clubs Gravesend track, in fact, from 1894 to 1908, inclusive. This leaves a gap of but four years, 1890-1894, to be accounted for and it may be that some future researcher will find this missing years, just as David F. Woods discovered the Gravesend running of the race a couple of years back while going through some musty files. Survivor won the inaugural running of the Preakness. He was by Vandal from a mare whose name will forever be lost in obscurity, except that she was by the immortal sire, Lexington. The race was designed as a "classic" from the beginning, and it has so been raced ever since. In modern times, the public and turf began to notice a correlation of the major spring events of three-year-olds on the American turf, and the Preakness, together with the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, began to be grouped apart from all other American races for that age group and became known as the "Triple Crown." In the minds of American breeders today, it is thought magnificent when a thoroughbred is able to win even one of these races; when a horse wins all three, he is hailed as being truly great. Only Eight Triple Crown Winners Winners of the "Triple Crown" have not come along frequently. To be exact, there have been but eight in the annals of the American racing. They are Sir Barton, Gallant Fox, Omaha, War Admiral, Whirl-away, Count Fleet, Assault and Citation. Omaha, in turn, was the son of a "Triple Crown" winner, Gallant Fox. One tradition that has never been changed at a Preakness running is that of the band. The day Survivor won, Itzels Fifth Regiment Band was stationed in the grandstand and played a number of martial airs throughout the afternoon. Modern practice was the band parade down the homestretch prior to the Preakness running to the bold and stirring tune of Dixie. The Maryland Jockey Club, operators of historic Pimlico and more recently Laurel as well, was founded in 1870 and is one of the oldest organizations of its kind in the new world. The club was an outgrowth of the old agricultural and mechanical society. The State of Maryland subscribed 5,000, the city of Baltimore 5,000, prominent citizens 5,000 and 20 life subscribers added 0,000 each. The story may be a myth for all we know, but none in Maryland doubt the tradition that in 1870, on the eve of the first season of the Maryland Jockey Club, Col. Effingham Calvert, beaming with pride in the anticipation of the inaugural race meeting of that organization, said about as follows : "Baltimore is the third commercial city in the union, sir — the fourth in population, having close on to 400,000 inhabitants. She has 200 churches, a Peabody Institute, nine synagogues, a monument 180 feet high, the prettiest girls in the world, the great Maryland Club and the Concordia for her German citizens, where the best of Rhine wine is consumed every night. There are no such oysters to be had on Gods footstool as come out of Chesapeake Bay and yet, sir, it is only today that we are about to inaugurate a Maryland Jockey Club, which we hope will be a credit to our noble old state, which always returns a Democratic majority at the polls. You, sir, have your splendid Jerome Park up in New York, with its great natural beauty, but, sir, we shall be at you yet!** The modern Pimlico is directed by men who have not lost touch with the traditions of the past, yet who have put on a type of racing the equal of any in America. These men offer a stake-a-day program in the spring, a series of .cup races in the fall. The directing head of Pimlico is Henry A. Parr III., of the illustrious Maryland family; vice-president is John K. Shaw, Jr., of the hunt set; John O. Needles is secretary, and directors include William L. Brann, John C. Clark, Matt L. Daiger, Janon Fisher, Jr., Alfred Gwynne Vander-bilt, John M. Heil, Howard S. Thompson, Lawrence Per in, Harold Tschudi, Vaughan Flannery, Walter Wickes and David F. Woods. Among the notable names of the past closely associated with the Preakness and old Pimlico are Prince George Lorrilard, who won five consecutive renewals with Duke of Magenta, Harold, Grenada, Saun-terer and Vanguard; F. Wyndham Walden, who saddled seven Preakness winners, accomplished during the 14-year period from 1875 through 1888; former Governor Bowie, a member of the original Maryland Jockey Club, and the subscribers to the dinner stakes; Messrs. Brown and Hall, M. H. Sanford, James J. O. Fallon, F. Morris, D. D. Withers, R. M. Cameron and Messrs. Denison and Crawford.
