2018 Preakness Stakes
The 2018 Preakness Stakes was the 143rd running of the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the American Triple Crown. It was a Grade I stakes race with a purse of $1.5 million for three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of 1+3⁄16 miles (1.9 km). It was held on May 19, 2018, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland and was broadcast on NBC from 5:00 pm to 7:15 pm EDT with coverage of the undercard on NBCSN starting at 2:30 pm.
| Preakness Stakes | |
| Grade I stakes race | |
"The Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown" "The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans" | |
| Location | Pimlico Race Course Baltimore, United States |
|---|---|
| Date | May 19, 2018 |
| Distance | 1+3⁄16 mi (9.5 furlongs; 1,900 m) |
| Winning horse | Justify |
| Winning time | 1:55.93 |
| Final odds | 0.40–1 |
| Jockey | Mike E. Smith |
| Trainer | Bob Baffert |
| Owner | China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing, WinStar Farm |
| Conditions | Sloppy |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Attendance | 134,487 |
It was a very muddy track and extremely foggy at post time with visibility down to a sixteenth of a mile. Out of the gate, Justify went to the early lead while Good Magic rushed up his inside to challenge. The two matched strides for the first mile before Good Magic tired somewhat down the stretch. Justify held off a fast closing Bravazo to win by half a length, keeping alive his hopes of winning the Triple Crown. The Maryland Jockey Club reported a track record total attendance of 134,487, the second highest attendance for American thoroughbred racing events in North America during 2018.