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► = i Retelling Story of Preakness Founding Adds Color to Race Was First Known as Dinner i Party Stakes, then Reunion, Dixie, Finally Present Name By OSCAR OTIS PIMLICO, Baltimore, Md., May 16. — Traditions have a way of growing at historic Pimlico, but the original tradition of the founding of the Preakness Stakes remains unchanged throughout the years. However, it might be added that the retelling of the story each year at this appropriate time seems to add to the glamour of the* inaugural, for it was a story that "could not happen today." To put it briefly, the Preakness Stakes, second leg of the now well established "Triple Crown," came about at a convivial supper party in Saratoga in 1868. The wine was good and Jhe talk was brilliant, all of the talk being about thoroughbreds. The merry gentlemen, before the evening was over, agreed to found a new race to be known as the Dinner Party, Stakes, and because one of the gentlemen present was a Marylander, and a persuasive Marylander at that, it was agreed that the Dinner Stakes would be run in Maryland. The mere fact that there was no site for the race, no track, no anything for the affair did not deter the people in question, but a track was built, and the race was run as scheduled in 1870. Newspaper accounts of the race are still in existence, and from all reports, the day was as festive as "the dinner party where the idea originated. The race was renewed as the Reunion Stakes, and, in 1872, it became known as the Dixie. In 1873, the Maryland Jockey Club, oldest organization of its kind in the nation, decided that -Maryland needed a three-year-old race of consequence, and founded the present race that is known as the Preakness, a race named in honor of the great but ill-fated horse of that name who had won the inaugural running of the Dinner Party Stakes. „ Horse Named for Farm of Owner To settle any arguments in this present .day and age as to the origin of the name Preakness, the colt was named for the farm of his owner, and there is still iri New Jersey a post office bearing the name Preakness. The race attracted "most of the best" in the nation from year to year in its earlier runnings. A colt named Survivor won the inaugural running, he being by Vandal from an unnamed mare by Lexington; The influence of- Lexington: was profound on the race, for Tom Ochiltree, one of his greatest sons, won in 1875, another, Shirley, was the winner in 1876, and a -third, Duke t f Magenta, scored in 1878. This latter winner started a ruri of "Preakness wins" for R. W. Walden, a run that was to extend, to six, a mark which still stands to this day. The early Preakness runnings are pretty well documented, but it can be truthfully said that the stake in its present forhi is of -comparatively recent origin. In 1922, the Preakness was run on the same day as the Kentucky Derby, an arrangement which satisfied nobody. Even so, the Preakness drew a crowd of some 35,000, the renewal being won by Pillory, while Morvich was winning the last of his career* as it so- turned out, in the Derby. In 1923, the Preakness was run prior to the Derby, making it possible for a three-year-old to compete in both, stakes. That arrangement also was unsatisfactory, so, after much talk, the present "Triple Crown" schedule taking form, with the Kentucky Derby taking the first Saturday in May, the Preakness following, and in the later established program of allowing a two-week interval between the two. The Preakness has always drawn good crowds, regardless of the weather. It was on a Tuesday afternoon, May 27, 1873, that Survivor became the first winner of the stake that was to become an American classic, and the estimated attendance has been given us at 12,000. This included the governor of Maryland. From- that day to this, the governor usually attends if it is at all possible, and usually it is.
