Pimlico Race Course

Pimlico in Baltimore is a one-mile dirt oval with tight turns and a relatively short stretch — a configuration that has historically favored tactical speed, rewarding horses able to secure an early, forward position and save ground around the bends. It is one of the oldest tracks in the country and, for most of the year, cards a modest meet built around its one enormous day.

That day is the Preakness Stakes, the middle jewel of the Triple Crown, run two weeks after the Kentucky Derby. Our angle: in Preakness handicapping, respect speed and stalking types that can lie close to the pace on a tighter oval, weigh the quick two-week turnaround for Derby runners, and give a hard look to fresh shooters skipping the Derby — the short, speed-friendly layout has repeatedly rewarded well-placed horses over deep closers.