One hundred and forty-four years ago, some Maryland horsemen wanted to prove their state could run with the big boys when it came to high-profile horse racing. Thus was born the Preakness Stakes, a race that has morphed into the Free State’s biggest annual party, when upwards of 100,000 people (more than 135,000 last year, a record) find their way to Pimlico for the day’s action.

Those festivities include the race, of course, sandwiched between the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes as part of horse racing’s Triple Crown. But there’s also so much more: food and drink, live entertainment and the festive quagmire that is InfieldFest. For no sporting event do Marylanders assemble in greater numbers.

What follows is a guide for both veteran Preakness attendees and those new to the tradition. In truth, there’s so much going on, one might almost forget there’s a horse race involved. So remember: Saturday’s racing starts at 10:30 a.m., with post time for the Preakness about 6:45 p.m.

In the unlikely event you need even more Preakness information, go to preakness.com.

Ais for Always Dreaming, winner of this year’s Kentucky Derby and the near-automatic favorite to win the Preakness — because everyone wants a Triple Crown winner, right? Of course, Always Dreaming won the Derby on a very sloppy track, so it should be interesting to see how he does on a day when the weather is (hopefully) much less miserable.

B is for the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, which is run today, a 11/8-mile race for 3-year-old fillies that is the middle jewel of the filly Triple Crown (preceded by the Kentucky Oaks and followed by the Acorn Stakes). Though not as old (it’s been around since 1919, when the Preakness was already 46) or as prestigious as Saturday’s big race, it’s still a big deal, the second-biggest race run at Pimlico each year. (B is also for the Black-Eyed Susan cocktail, the official drink of the Preakness.)

C is for Celebrities, of whom there should be plenty roaming around Pimlico on Saturday. (Last year rapper 50 Cent, actor Josh Charles and chef Bobby Flay were among those spotted.) Keep an eye out for them in the corporate tents and in the more well-heeled sections of the Grandstand and Clubhouse.

D is for “Down the stretch,” as in “Down the stretch they come,” a phrase track announcer Dave Rodman will undoubtedly exclaim as the horses make that final turn Saturday and sprint for the finish. Welcome to the most exciting part of the race.

Eis for Exacta, something that’s very cool to hit if you’re a betting person, as it means you picked the top two finishers in order, and are probably in for a nice return from the betting window. At last year’s Preakness, the exacta paid out $44.20 on a $2 bet. Of course, that’s not as good as the trifecta (picking the top three finishers in order), which paid $73.10, or the superfecta (the top four finishers in order), which paid $317. For a quick lesson in how to place a bet like an expert (or at least like you know what you’re doing), check out pimlico.com/racing-101/how-to-wager. Good luck with your bets Saturday.

F is for Furlong, the standard measure of distance used in horse racing in the U.S. A furlong is equal to one-eighth of a mile, or 220 yards (660 feet). The Preakness is a 9.5-furlong race, or 13/16 miles. By comparison, the Kentucky Derby is 10 furlongs, the Belmont Stakes 12 furlongs.

G is for Grandstand, the place where most people not milling about on the Infield (see “I” below), will be watching Saturday’s 142nd Preakness (although the race is 144 years old, there was no Preakness in 1891-1893). Available grandstand admission for the Preakness is $135, $40 for the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes on Friday. Two-day packages are available for $175-$385.

H is for Hats, and there should be plenty of them on display. Elaborate headwear is de rigueur for many of the ladies making an appearance at the Preakness, and scanning the crowd for the best and the gaudiest is a sport in itself.

I is for the Infield, set inside the racetrack’s oval and probably where the most fun will be had Saturday. It’s certainly where the most people will be gathered (with a capacity upwards of 60,000; the rest of Pimlico can hold about 50,000). InfieldFest, with all the food and drink and sun and the armed forces reps and the bikini contest and who-knows-what-else (though, thankfully, not Kegasus, the infield mascot who was retired a few years back), kicks off at 7 a.m. Admission runs $100-$110 — more, if you want to take advantage of the Mug Club (see “M” below).

J is for the Maryland Jockey Club, which owns Pimlico and runs the Preakness. The group’s been around since 1743 (George Washington seems to have been among its early members, as were signers of the Declaration of Independence William Paca and Charles Carroll of Carrollton). The club also runs Laurel Park, where the state’s other big-time horse race extravaganza, Jim McKay Maryland Million Day, is run (look for it Oct. 21).

K is for the Kentucky Derby, a fledgling horse race (around since 1875, it’s two years younger than the Preakness) that is the first jewel in horse racing’s Triple Crown and annually helps winnow out the field for the Preakness by convincing some thoroughbreds they’d best look for success elsewhere. Twenty horses, for instance, ran in this year’s Derby, whereas the Preakness has 10 entries. (Just kidding, all you fine folks at Churchill Downs, we love ya. Go drink yourselves a mint julep or two, on us.)

L is for Lookin at Lee, the runner-up at May 6’s Kentucky Derby, where he took off as a 33-1 long shot. He’s back for the Preakness, where it’s a safe bet he’ll go off with better odds; he was listed at 10-1 as of Tuesday.

M is for the Mug Club, InfieldFest’s all-the-beer-you-can-drink component. Used to be that people could bring their own beer onto the infield, but that met with predictably sloppy (and dangerous — remember the “Running of the Urinals”?) results, not to mention less revenue for Pimlico. Thus, the Mug Club was started. For $120, you can theoretically drink all day, from 8 a.m. until last call at 6:45 p.m. (which is roughly when the Preakness should start).

N is for NBC, which will be broadcasting the Preakness, for those who would rather enjoy the race from the comfort of their living rooms. Local coverage starts at 1 p.m. Saturday on WBAL (Channel 11), with hosts Gerry Sandusky and Donna Hamilton. NBC will take over from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., with Bob Costas presiding.

O is for Old Hilltop, Pimlico’s enduring nickname, in honor of a rise in the infield that was a popular gathering spot for race fans who wanted to see the horses close-up. Sadly, Old Hilltop’s old hilltop was leveled in 1938, in the name of offering everyone a better view.

P is for Preakness the horse, which won the first big race run at Pimlico, the Dinner Party Stakes, on the day the track opened in 1870. He was said to be “ungainly” and not much to look at, but he ran a good race on that October day, beating out second-place finisher Ecliptic and early favorite Foster. Which explains why there is no “Ecliptic Stakes.”

Q is for Louis Quatorze, the horse that won the 1996 Preakness; an 8.5-1 long shot, he beat pre-race favorite Cavonnier, who had finished second in the Kentucky Derby, by 83/4 lengths. Louis Quatorze died in February and is buried at Murmur Farm in Darlington. If there were an “In Memoriam” segment at the Preakness, he would certainly be in this year’s.

R is for Rogers Avenue, one of three streets in the area around Pimlico that will be re-routed to accommodate Preakness traffic. Rogers will be open to pedestrians only from Winner Avenue to Northern Parkway from 10 tonight to 9 p.m. Saturday. Winner Avenue and Hayward Avenue will be converted to one-way for parts of Thursday-Saturday; for details, go to preakness.com/visitors-guide/faq.

S is for Secretariat, the 1973 Triple Crown winner and quite probably the greatest racehorse ever. He set records that still stand in all three races (even though it took Preakness officials 29 years to officially acknowledge it, because of a damaged race-day timer). And he won the Belmont by 31 lengths; when he crossed the finish line, the second-place horse was in a different ZIP code. Should you attend the Preakness on Saturday, be sure to stand for a moment and be awed by the thought, “Secretariat was here.”

T is for the Terrace Dining Room, one of three places to fine-dine during your visit to Pimlico (outside the infield, of course, which is a world all its own). There’s also the Hall of Fame Room and the Sports Palace. The Preakness day buffet menu includes black Angus beef, marinated chicken and “Old-Hilltop Maryland Crab Cakes.”

U is for Untouched Talent, the paternal grandmother of Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming. Her racing career doesn’t seem like much special: In four starts, she won twice and placed twice, with career earnings of $243,550 (by comparison, Exaggerator won $900,000 for winning last year’s Preakness alone). But her progeny seems to have done all right for themselves, and she’s still at it: In January, she gave birth to the first child of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, a girl.

V is for John Velazquez, the jockey who will be atop Always Dreaming in the Preakness. A native of Puerto Rico, he was inducted into the Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2012. In a career that began in 1990, he’s won over 5,000 races, with total earnings exceeding $300 million. Sounds like Always Dreaming is in good hands.

W is for the Woodlawn Vase, which goes to the winner. It’s 3 feet tall, made of sterling silver (about 30 pounds of it) and is said to be worth about $3 million. Created by New York’s Tiffany & Co. in 1860, it used to actually be handed over to the winner’s owner, who got to keep it for a year. Nowadays, they get a replica, one-third the size and containing 12 pounds of silver. But they still get to hold the actual trophy for a few minutes after the race (armed guards bring it from the Baltimore Museum of Art, where it’s on display).

Xis for eXciting, which we’re sure the Preakness will be. (Hey, you try to come up with something better for “X” — and no, we doubt anyone will be playing a xylophone.)

Y is for Yellow, one of the colors the weather vane atop the Pimlico Grandstand cupola will be painted if Always Dreaming wins the Preakness. The weather vane — a jockey and his horse, naturally — is always painted the colors of the silks the winning Preakness jockey wears. In Always Dreaming and Velazquez’s case, that would be yellow and blue.

Z is for Zedd, whose electronic dance music stylings will be part of the entertainment at InfieldFest. Additional music for the day-long party will be provided by Sam Hunt, Good Charlotte, LOCASH and High Valley.

chris.kaltenbach@baltsun.com

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