Jude Feld’s 10 Reasons to Love Preakness 133

Miss Preakness – Maggie Wolfendale
Maryland Jockey Club Photo

10) Frank’s Energy Drink Girls – Described as “Heidi Gone Prostitute” by a well-known racing pundit, with their velvet lederhosen, breast pumping corsets and long stockings, there is enough paraphernalia for almost any sex fetish. The fact that the girls have killer bodies adds to their appeal but they are a sleazy curiosity at Pimlico offering shots of Stronach’s energy drink to folks in the grandstand.

9) Crazy Gamblers – There are some hard-core punters at Pimlico. Even after 13 live races, including one of the most impressive performances by a jockey and a racehorse that I have ever seen, there were people staying for the simulcast races from South America. One guy even threw his program in disgust as his selection folded like a lawn chair in the 14th – That’s intensity!

8) Black-Eyed Susan Cocktail – An odd concoction of vodka, rum, triple sec, lime juice, orange juice, and pineapple juice served in a collectable Preakness glass for $9.00. People drink them like water and leave Pimlico with towers of glasses stacked up in tribute to their imbibing capabilities.

7) Anna Rosie Napravnik – Beautiful blue eyes and a pretty face belie that fact that this girl can ride a racehorse. She has great hands, finishes well and always has her mounts in position to win. She will probably win the Preakness someday.

6) The Weather – Preakness day was a perfect mix of baby blue sky, white clouds and cooling breezes. I never acquired a bead of sweat all day – a major miracle for me. Maryland My Maryland!

5) The Woodlawn Vase – The most valuable trophy in all of sports, the Preakness trophy is awesome. Watching it leave the cupola area under guard of soldiers and policemen evokes an “awe before the sacred” emotion.

4) Dave Rodman – On top of being an accurate announcer with a great voice, Rodman is a wonderful fella with a tremendous love of the Thoroughbred sport and a real affinity for the Preakness and its history – after all, he’s called 18 of them.

3) Maggie Wolfendale – The 2008 “Miss Preakness,” a biology major at Towson University and daughter of top Maryland trainer Howard Wolfendale, is as engaging as she is lovely. A striking contrast to the Energy Drink girls, she exuded nothing but style and class and was the perfect representative of the second jewel of the Triple Crown. The hibiscus tattoo on her right foot is really cool too.

2) Kent Desormeaux – If he felt any pressure you couldn’t see it. He was smiling and joking all day, shook hands and kissed women all the way down to Big Brown on the turf course saddling area and then rode a perfect race. How can you not like a jockey that says post-race, “In Kentucky we got the cake, today we added some icing, now we’ll see if we get the candles.”

1) Big Brown – The first time I saw him run, his debut at Saratoga last September, I commented to colleague Mike Penna, “What the fuck was that?” I have been going to the races for 48 years and I have never seen a horse run like Big Brown. He continues to delight and amaze me. I wish him the best of everything in New York.

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