It's the 134 running of the $1 million Preakness Stakes, the middle jewel of the Triple Crown. Three year old Preakness Stakes Contenders, will run the one and 3/16th mile track at Pimlico in Baltimore, Maryland. In the U.S., all the action takes place on Saturday, May 16, 2009. More Preakness Stakes horse betting information

The House of Style

From 1870 through 1966, a fashionable segment of racing fans would not consider being anywhere else on Preakness day than the sprawling, comfortable Victorian building affectionately known as the Old Clubhouse.

Painted yellow with white trim and green shutters, the Old Clubhouse stood for 96 years as a sentinel at the foot of the homestretch.

Lamentably, an entire generation has grown up without ever having known the wooden structure that was cruelly destroyed like kindling in a fireplace on a night in June, 1966. Erased in a few minutes was a deeply ingrained Maryland racing tradition, decades of memories, racing heirlooms, genteel customs and a way of life rudely evaporated.

In its heyday, the Old Clubhouse represented an aspect of Thoroughbred racing that present-day racing fans would find difficult to envision. For members of the Maryland Jockey Club there was no need for a dress code. The height of fashion attire was assumed there. The clientele—gentlemen in business suits or tweed sports coats and ladies impeccably costumed up to their hats—were served in the main dining room by white-coated Harry M. Stevens waiters, directed by a maitre d’ wearing a tuxedo. Elegance prevailed, and the menu was on a par with the atmosphere.

The Old Clubhouse, entered on the ground level, opened to a beautiful wide staircase, which led to the main floor containing the dining room and numerous sitting rooms, all with gleaming wood floors. A wrap-around porch, a favorite spot to watch the races, encased most of the second floor.

The third floor, beneath the ornate cupola topped by a horse and rider weather vane, contained a number of rooms. In the earlier days, these rooms were assigned to trainers of prominent stables during the two-week spring and fall meetings. When the building was refurbished in the mid-1950’s, these rooms were converted to dining areas and a beautifully restored library and reading room. Unfortunately, a number of irreplaceable racing books, photographs and paintings were lost in the fire.

For luncheon on Preakness day, reservations were required months in advance and space—including tables on the lawn—was at a premium. For one of the porch tables, no reservation was ever available. It was assumed that William Woodward, Sr., of Belair Stud and Gallant Fox and Omaha fame, would appear to dine and view the Preakness every year.

A present-day Preakness tradition, the Alibi Breakfast, which seems to grow larger every year, was founded in the Old Clubhouse. The late Vaughn Flannery, an artist who painted many scenes of Pimlico, is credited with proposing the Alibi Table in the corner of the Clubhouse. The table was set up early each morning during race meetings, by order of Joe Stevens, Sr. Trainers, racing officials and other guests dropped by during training hours for coffee and a food snack, and swapped racing stories. Many tales involved details of losing bets, hence the name—Alibi Table. Attendance grew over the years. Now 500 or more have breakfast at Pimlico on the Friday morning before the Preakness.

A token remembrance of the Old Clubhouse remains at Pimlico. A replica of the destroyed building’s cupola sits in the infield, complete with horse and jockey weather vane, the only surviving remnant of the original building. Just as in days of old, the colors of the winning owner in the Preakness are painted on the rider, immediately following the running of the race.