Differences between this year’s Preakness and the Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is the first jewel of the Triple Crown and is a 1 ¼ mile race run at Churchill every year. The Preakness is the second leg, held two weeks later (on May 16th) and is shorter at 1 3/16 miles.
But there is a different twist to the Preakness this year. The race is being moved to Laurel Park due to renovations at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. The Preakness Stakes have been held at “Old Hilltop” in Baltimore since 1909. It was originally held there in 1873, but had stops at New York City before returning 35 years later.
Laurel, Maryland, is about 30 miles south of Pimlico Race Course, which is expected to be rebuilt in 2027.
One of the main differences is the size of the tracks. Laurel Park is wider, bigger, and configured in a way that could alter bias tendencies and alter pace dynamics.
Laurel Park’s track circumference is 1 1/8 miles, while Pimlico is one mile. The turn configuration features wider, more sweeping turns at Laurel Park, while Pimlico features tighter and shorter turns. The running style that is favored is tactical speed and closers at Laurel, while Pimlico is more about tactical speed.
Laurel is also much wider at 95 feet, while the Pimlico track is 70 feet wide. The track at Laurel gives horses more room to maneuver out of the turns.
The stretch run to the finish of this year’s race will be 1,089 feet, which is 63 feet shorter than the classic’s stretch run at Pimlico.
Now, when you look at the Derby, the race offers 20 horses in the field, while the Preakness offers a cap at 14 runners.
Another difference is the crowd. The 2026 Preakness will be capped at 4,800 with no fans allowed in the infield. At this year’s Kentucky Derby, there were over 150,000 fans. Attendance at the Preakness had decreased for various reasons over the years, but they were still around 10 times what Laurel is expected to draw.
How does all of this impact handicapping the Preakness? Experience at this track could matter. Laurel hosts regular Maryland stakes races, including the Federico Tesio Stakes.
The fact that there will be no more than 14 horses and that Laurel Park is wider than Pimlico means less congestion than the Kentucky Derby Field at Churchill. This usually benefits horses with tactical speed and riders who want to secure position early.
Overall, the temporary move to Laurel probably increases the importance of:
1)Tactical speed
2)Local familiarity
3)Clean positioning
4)Adaptability to a different dirt surface.
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