Flashback: The 5 fastest Preakness winners
The historic Preakness Stakes has been contested 146 times since its inaugural renewal in 1873. In the early years, it shifted tracks and distances frequently, but it has been settled in its present configuration of 1 3/16 miles at Pimlico since 1925.
Who are the fastest Preakness winners under its current conditions? You might be surprised by some of the names who rank high on the list. Let’s recall the five fastest winners of the Preakness:
5. Curlin (2007): 1:53.46
A blazing pace helped carry Curlin to a top-five time in the 2007 Preakness. After dropping as many as 13 lengths behind intense fractions of 22.83, 45.75 and 1:09.80 seconds, Curlin came sweeping from off the pace to defeat Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense by a head in 1:53.46. Curlin’s rapid time was a testament to his talent; he went on to earn two Horse of the Year titles.
4. Louis Quatorze (1996): 1:53.43
Much like Curlin, a fast pace contributed to Louis Quatorze’s rapid victory in the 1996 Preakness. Unlike Curlin, Louis Quatorze was the one setting the pace. Rebounding from a 16th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, Louis Quatorze dashed to the front through splits of 23.04, 46.21 and 1:09.90 before repelling a challenge from future Hall of Fame inductee Skip Away to win by 3 1/4 lengths in 1:53.43 seconds.
3. Tank’s Prospect (1985): 1:53 2/5
Much like Curlin, a last-minute rally from behind a fast pace carried Tank’s Prospect to a speedy triumph in the Preakness. At a time when the race was timed in fifths of seconds rather than hundredths, Tank’s Prospect dropped into the back half of the field through splits of 22 2/5, 45 1/5 and 1:09 2/5, then surged late to catch champion juvenile Chief’s Crown and win by a head in 1:53 2/5. Because of problems with the timing of Secretariat’s Preakness (see below), Tank’s Prospect’s clocking originally ranked as a track and stakes record.
2. Swiss Skydiver (2020): 1:53.28
The second-fastest Preakness time in history belongs to the champion filly Swiss Skydiver. The 2020 edition was held in October because of COVID, and those extra few months of maturity helped Swiss Skydiver deliver a powerful performance. After saving ground behind modest early fractions of 24.48 and 47.65 seconds, Swiss Skydiver unleashed a dramatic mid-race move to seize command through six furlongs in 1:11.24. From there, she maintained a strong pace to the finish line and held off Kentucky Derby winner Authentic to win by a neck in 1:53.28.
1. Secretariat (1973): 1:53
Timing problems prevented Secretariat’s record clocking of 1:53 flat from being recognized as such until 2012; for decades, he was officially credited with 1:54 2/5. But the strength of his performance always was obvious. A dramatic burst of acceleration around the first turn carried Secretariat from last to place first, a position he retained all the way to the finish line. Even after making his huge early move, Secretariat was able to sprint the final 3/16 of a mile in 18 4/5 seconds to defeat his talented rival Sham by 2 1/2 lengths.