It all started with the Minisi, a northern New Jersey tribe of Native Americans. They called their area Pra-qua-les, meaning quail woods. After a series of spellings the name eventually evolved into Preakness.

One of its variations was Preckiness, used by General George Washington to describe the area where his troops were quartered in the winter of 1776-77. Nearly a century later, Milton H. Sanford, a thoroughbred owner, became attracted to the name. He called his farms, one in New Jersey and another in Kentucky, Preakness. His Jersey farm was located in the Indians' "quail woods."

Today, there remains a Preakness, N.J. When he bought a yearling sired by Lexington and foaled by Bay Leaf from A. J. Alexander, he named the colt (bred in Kentucky at Woodburn Farm) Preakness, unaware that he was contributing to turf immortality. Preakness, the eighth foal of Bay Leaf, cost Sanford $2,000. It was Preakness who turned up as a 3-year-old for his debut in the Dinner Party Stakes at Pimlico Park inaugural in 1870.

He was described as a "cart horse" for his ungainly appearance, but won that first stakes at Old Hilltop, which became a history-producing victory. In his triumph, Preakness was ridden by English jockey Billy Hayward, who supplied the name for one of Pimlico Park present adjoining streets. It was the colt's only start in 1870 but he left a lasting impression at Pimlico Park. Three years later, the Maryland Jockey Club honored him by calling its newest stakes race "Preakness". The Dinner Party Stakes eventually became the present-day Dixie Handicap.

Preakness continued to race through his eight-year-old season in America. He won the Baltimore Cup, carrying 131 pounds at age eight and also finished in a dead heat with Springbok in the 1875 Saratoga Cup at 2-1/4 miles. Later that year, Sanford sent Preakness to England. He became one of the first American horses to be given genuine recognition by the British. Eventually the Duke of Hamilton purchased Preakness from Sanford for breeding.

On a late summer evening in 1868, an agreement among sportsmen to stage a special race to commemorate a memorable occasion became the foundation for the middle jewel of racing's Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes.

Governor Oden Bowie of Maryland, a horsemen and racing entrepreneur, was among the distinguished roster of guests at an elegant dinner party after the races at the Union Hall Hotel in Saratoga given by Milton H. Sanford, who had gained much of his wealth selling blankets during the Civil War. John Hunter of New York proposed that the feast be commemorated by a stake race to be run in the fall of 1870 for three-year old colts and fillies at two miles, to be known as the Dinner Party Stakes in honor of the evening. Bowie electrified the gathering by suggesting a purse of $15,000, a staggering sum in those days. Governor Bowie requested that the Dinner Party Stakes be run in Maryland, and pledged to build a new racetrack to host it.

Hence, the idea for Pimlico Park Race Course was born, and in the fall of 1870, the inaugural Dinner Party Stakes was run on Pimlico Park opening. Won by Sanford's Preakness, one of only two male entrants in the seven horse field, the massive bay colt was a first time starter. His jockey, Billy Hayward, followed a unique tradition of the day after the race: a wire was stretched across the track from the judges' stand with a small silk bag filled with gold pieces. When the race was over, the winning jockey untied the string holding the bag and claimed the money. It is believed this custom brought about the modern day "wire" at the finish line, and the designation of "purse" money. Bowie's Dinner Party Stakes would later be run at Pimlico Park as the Dixie Handicap (now known as the "Dixie"), and hold the honor of being the 8th oldest stakes race in America.

Two years before the Kentucky Derby would appear, Pimlico Park was busy introducing its new stakes race for three-year olds, the Preakness, during its first-ever spring race meet in 1873. Governor Bowie had named the mile and one-half race in honor of Dinner Party Stakes - winner, Preakness. The scene was set for the first Preakness Stakes on Tuesday, May 27, a warm and muggy spring day at Pimlico Park. The crowd, well aware of Bowie's accomplishments in putting Baltimore on the national Thoroughbred map, swelled to 12,000. The violet-painted stands and the Victorian Clubhouse, which survived until a fire destroyed it in 1966, were decorated with the Maryland Jockey Club blue and white pennants. Entertainment was provided by Itzel's Fifth Regiment Band, which played operatic airs from Martha and Il Trovatore, and popular tunes of the day. The first Preakness drew seven starters, but it was John Chamberlain's three-year old, Survivor, who galloped home easily by ten lengths to a purse of $2,050 to this day, the largest Preakness margin of victory.

The new Preakness, off to a great start, prospered for the next 17 years. The early Preakness Stakes attracted quality horses and good crowds; however, in 1889, due to changes in the racing industry, the Preakness and Pimlico Park galloped to a halt. In 1890, the Preakness was run at Morris Park in New York. The Maryland Jockey Club continued to be involved in racing by presenting some steeple chasing and even trotting races at Pimlico Park, but the Preakness did not return home to Pimlico Park until 1909. During this interval, the Preakness was run for 15 years at the Gravesend track in Brooklyn, New York. These 15 so-called "lost" Preaknesses were officially enrolled in the race history of the classic in 1948; the 1890 Preakness was added in the 1960's.

Several traditions enjoyed today are attributed to the spontaneity of the 1909 Preakness renewal. For example, the musical rendering of "Maryland My Maryland" began when a bugler, moved by the spirit of the day, began playing Maryland's historic state song. The rest of the band, inspired by the music, joined in and the crowd reacted enthusiastically. In addition, Preakness 1909 also inaugurated the concept of the "painting of the colors" atop the weather vane, to honor the winning horse. From that day in 1909, the Preakness has run without a break each year at Pimlico Park, steadily growing in popularity and purse value. It was once said that having the Preakness in Baltimore is like being able to schedule the World Series or Super Bowl every year.

The Preakness Stakes has remained throughout history a true test of a horse's ability and class, a race where remarkable horses meet one another other in a great classic. The phrase "Triple Crown" was not coined until the 1930's, but it is this race on the third Saturday in May where the best of the Derby horses gather to see if there will be that window of opportunity for a Triple Crown prospect. Much goes on during this colorful time at Pimlico Park, but it has always been the horse that draws the fans. As poet Ogden Nash wrote: " The Derby is a race of aristocratic sleekness, for horses of birth to.

The Preakness requires a painter, tints of all colors and a ladder to complete an annual tradition shortly after the horses cross the finish line.

As soon as the Preakness winner has been declared official, a painter climbs a ladder to the top of a replica of the Old Clubhouse cupola. He applies the colors of the victorious owner’s silks on the jockey and horse which are part of the weather vane atop the infield structure.

The practice started in 1909 at Pimlico Park when a horse and rider weather vane sat at the top of the old Members’ Clubhouse, which was constructed when Pimlico Park opened in 1870. The Victorian building was destroyed by fire in June of 1966. A replica of the old building’s cupola was built to stand in the Preakness winner’s circle in the infield.

Originally, the ancient building had an arrow-shaped weather vane, but in 1909 it was struck down by lightning. To replace it, the Maryland Jockey Club commissioned an ornamental ironworker to forge a vane in the form of a horse and a rider. It was christened that spring by coating it with the colors of the silks borne by Effendi, winner of the 1909 Preakness.

The jockey on Effendi was Willie Doyle, who later served as one of the best racing officials in America and whose ashes, upon his death at the age of 67 in 1950, were spread across the finish line of the track where he scored his most famous victory.

In 1918, when the Preakness was run in two divisions, Jack Hare Jr. winning one end and War Cloud the other, the winning colors were changed after the first six months to give the victors equal time in the year on the weather vane.

When the old Members’ Clubhouse burned down the only thing saved from the ruins was the iron weather vane. It was put away for safekeeping at Pimlico Park as a memento. The old Victorian-styled clubhouse was built in 1870 and was the oldest structure in American racing before it was destroyed.

In recent years, Tommy Ennis, a Charles Town, W. Va. sign painter, had the honor of applying the winning colors on the five foot wide aluminum model of horse and rider weather vane on the replica of the old clubhouse. Ennis retired in 1987. Michael Willinger of Sykesville, Md. took over the job for the 1987 Preakness. Lawrence Jones, who lives in the Pimlico Park neighborhood, has the job now.

When Willinger had the assignment to paint the new colors on the weather vane, he commented:

“It is just the thrill of being able to participate in a big local and national event like this.”

“Let’s face it, it's the only televised sign painting job in the country.”