Preakness Stakes Attendance and Favorites, by the Numbers

Attendance at the Preakness Stakes usually ranks second in North America behind the Kentucky Derby and usually surpasses the attendance of all other stakes races, including the Belmont Stakes, the Breeders’ Cup Saturday program and Kentucky Oaks Day. Unfortunately in 2020 there were no spectators due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and after limiting the turnstiles to 10,000 in 2021, the gates were opened to the status quo last year and will be again this year.

The most attended Preakness in history was in 2017 when Cloud Computing emerged victorious in front of 140,237. In 2015 when American Pharoah won the second leg of his Triple Crown, 131,680 were present and when Justify accomplished the feat in 2018, 134,497 were there to witness history.

In 145 races (the Preakness was run in two divisions in 1918), a total of 73 winners have left the post as the favorite. Since 1911, when pari-mutuel wagering began at Pimlico, 28 Preakness favorites have started at odds of less than even money with eighteen winning and, 10 returning .50 to 1.00 or less —  Citation, 1948 (¢.10-1.), Spectacular Bid, 1979 (¢.10-1), Count Fleet, 1943 (¢.15-1), Big Brown, 2008 (¢.20-1), Native Dancer, 1953 (¢.20-1), Secretariat, 1973 (¢.30-1), Nashua, 1955 (¢.30-1), War Admiral, 1937 (¢.35-1), Seattle Slew, 1977 (¢.40-1), Justify, 2018 (¢.40-1), Affirmed, 1978 (¢.50-1) and California Chrome, 2014 (¢.50-1).