Thoroughbred racing is the most popular form of racing in the world.  It features three-year-old thoroughbreds and signals the beginning of the horseracing season.  People party on the infield but rarely get to see much of the race.  The rich and famous sit in elegant box seats in the stands.

Although the Kentucky Derby is the most well-known horse race in the world, there are other races that offer the same excitement.  The Kentucky Derby is a major media event with photographers, television and radio crews, and reporters gather from around the world to cover the event.  The track opened in 1875 but remained a local track until 1902 when a new owner took over.  Col. Matt Winn was a promoter and made the track profitable by the next year.  He made many improvements and expansions and today the Kentucky Derby is one of the premier races in the United States.  It is called the most exciting two minutes of sports in the United States.

The Kentucky Derby is the first race of the Triple Crown.  Preparation for the race begins in January with eight races that help horses, trainers, and jockey is at their best for the race.  This race is for three-year-old thoroughbreds and many horses live on in history because they won this prestigious race.  One of the most recent winners was Barbaro.  Unfortunately, this great horse shattered his leg in his next race and just recently was euthanized.  He had won the admiration of people around the world.

The Preakness is the second race in the Triple Crown thoroughbred racing world in the United States.  It is also the shortest track in the Triple Crown.  The Preakness winner is covered with a horseshoe of Black-Eyed Susans the state flower of Maryland.  This race has many rich traditions just as the Kentucky Derby.  The racetrack was named for a colt from the Preakness Stables and opened in 1873.  The Preakness has seen many historical events including the win of the first African-American jockey to win the race. 

The audience is asked to take part in signing the state song of Maryland and traditionally it is lead by the United States Naval Academy Glee Club.  They assemble in the infield and lead the crowd in singing the state song.  If the winner of the Preakness is the Kentucky Derby winner, excitement grows until the Belmont Stakes run.  The field will include a two-time winner that could win the Triple Crown.  The presentation ceremony includes a half-size replica of the original Woodlawn Vase that has been awarded to the winner since 1917.  The original is kept in the Baltimore Museum of Art and is brought to the race each year to use in the winner’s ceremony.

The Belmont Stakes is the last leg of the Triple Crown.  The Belmont Stakes draw plenty of attention, especially if a horse has won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness.  The Belmont Stakes is considered to be a test of Champions because the race is a mile and a half long oval.  It is the largest oval in North America and was named after August Belmont.

The year 2006 was an unusual field because it did not have a Preakness or Derby winner as part of the field of 12. 

Preparations are now underway for the beginning of the Triple Crown racing season.  Three-year-old thoroughbred horses, trainers, owners, and jockeys are working hard and anticipating the start of the major part of the racing season.  Watch a live race if you have not had a chance to because you can feel the excitement in the air and it’s contagious!

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