Preakness Returns

Preakness 147 kicked off their 2-day affair in the Park Heights neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland this past weekend. Thousands gathered to enjoy the first full event since 2019. A day filled with elegance and excitement, Preakness 147 was Baltimore's Kentucky Derby meets Coachella.

For jockey fans, the races did not disappoint. Jockey Florent Geroux, with horse 'Interstatedaydream', beat crowd favorite Adam Manor by 1 ¼ and took home $25,000 during the Black-Eye Susan event on Friday May 20th. The 147th Preakness States was won by Jose Ortiz with horse 'Early Voting'. Starting out the gate with literal “horse” power and sleek rider posture the final race was a close one. Nearing the last quarter of the track, as the horses began to tire, it was the jockeys who got their riding partner through the finish line; to the win for Jose Ortiz.

Dress code during Preakness was a mixed palette and spoke to the dynamics of the event. Some attendees brilliantly wore couture inspired sundresses with Fascinators accompanied by men in brightly complimented suits. On the other hand, some who came specifically for the InfieldFest and Preakness LIVE concerts wore knit bikini tops and jean shorts. Fabrication ranged from sequins and taffeta to metallic polyester.

Aside from the abundant food, drinks and carousel ride at the InfieldFest, Preakness LIVE hosted two days of concerts that drew very diverse crowds of all ages. Friday was the most thrilling of the two days with Megan Thee Stallion and Lauryn Hill headlining the night. The music of the evening was contemporary Hip Hop, R&B and classic Neo Soul. Day two of Preakness LIVE drew party goers to jam throughout the day with club sensation Marshmello.

A surprisingly captivating event was the showcase on the Culinary Stage. The stage featured many African-American chef/owners from of the most revered restaurants in the city of Baltimore to include Saon Brice, Executive Chef of BLK Swan; Jasmine Norton, the first black and woman owned oyster bar, The Urban Norton; Keyia Yalcin the founder and owner of The Yalcin Group and Fishnet; and Malik Joseph from Bar One. The culinary display was an entertaining cooking segment while learning more about each visiting chef.

Some of the high profile guests included Governor Hogan, Mayor Brandon Todd, Gayle King, Carson Kressley. the Silvas, Lupita Nyong’o, Baltimore Ravens Athletes, and Washington Commander athletes to name a few. Many who missed are already planning for next year’s event. By then the operational mishaps that followed COVID break such as the traffic control and exit plans are all sorted out.