Always Dreaming felt pretty comfortable in stall 40 after his derby victory in 2017. The board connected to the wall notes other champions that stayed in the stall. (MJC photo)
By Maribeth Kalinich
The stall of Pimlico Race Course 40 in Barn E is legendary. It is the space that has been reserved for the winner of Kentucky Derby when they come to compete in the preakness. But has every derby winner who came in Stall 40?
That is still a mystery that starts with the question when the tradition of Stall 40 started?
According to news stories, the former vice -president of Pimlico, and general director Chick Lang, “Mr. Preakness”, the tradition, but we still don’t know exactly when.
Lang’s term of office in Pimlico extended from 1960 to his retirement in 1987. It is therefore logical to assume that tradition started somewhere in the early sixties.
Another indication is the sign that on the wall hung outside Kraam 40 who offer horses who lived there as derby winners and preakness winners.
The first listed on the list was 1961 Derby Champ Return Who also took the preakness that year.
Also noted in the sixties, Northern Dancer (1964), Kauai King (1966), Forward Pass (1968) and Majestic Prince (1969) was.
The note of the 70s three triple crown winners: Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977) and Affirmed (1978).
But did all these champions really stayed in Stall 40? And were trainers superstitious about their preakstess starters who stayed in the secretariat’s stall?
A photo of secretariat in a stall in Pimlico recently appeared on eBay. Above the big champion is the maternity number … 41. A search also produced a second photo of Big Red in Kraam 41.
The photo on eBay is verified by TRC with origin.
The mention states: This photo is produced from the original 35 mm-diaor of author/photo journalist Raymond G. (Raymie) Woolfe, Jr. It comes from his personal collection of original recordings date back to 1972 and 1973. To ensure that you receive an original print, the photo is in the corner and will “Raymond G. Woolfe, JR that stands for Thoroughbred Racing Collectibles, Inc. because we have obtained exclusive rights to bring the original collection of Mr.’s picture of an Mr. photo photo of an Mr. photo photo of an Mr. photo photo of a photo photo of a photo photo of a photo photo of a photo photo of a photo photo photo photo photo photo photo of estate sales.
Wolfe was a jockey and the son of a trainer who fell into fashion photography who later translated into shooting for daily racing form and eventually published a book about secretariat.
Some trainers are superstitious about where the bed of their horses is down for a race. Whether it is because of superstition or for practical reasons, some chose not to go to Stall 40.
The Derby champion is the star of the preakness and the media buzzing around that shed and that stall can distract, perhaps disturbing for the horses (and their people).
Neil Drysdale chose to keep Fusaichi Pegasus In one of the backstretch barns in 2000. Once carefully, Drysdale chose the Derby winner in Barn 7 on the Backstretch, three Furlongs from Kraam 40 and the roar of television teams and newspaper writers too stable.
In 2002 Bob Baffert chose to convert War In stall 32 for the preakness because he feared that his horse would be distracted by a marefish next to the door.
In 2003, Funny cideAt the last minute sent by trainer Barclay Tagg, stabiled in the Maryland -based trainer Mary Epper’s Barn (one of the bricks on Belvedere) to keep him calm and away from the press.
Smarty Jones The tradition resumed in 2004 that settled in prestigious stall 40. The tradition seemed to have existed almost another decade.
Barbaro (2006) and Big Brown (2008) Both came from Derby to win stall 40 in Pimlico. The latter would leave a preaks winner, while we all know that the first came across an unkind fate.
In 2010, when Todd brought Pletcher Super saveR to Pimlico, he briefly considered keeping his horse in stall 40.
“We are sent to this shed anyway, and it is not as if we have already extracted the preakness from another stall or have a happy stall here, so we went with it,” said Pletcher. “I didn’t want to take the tradition.”
Bob Baffert would win that year Look at Lucky.
In 2012, Stall 40 wax occupied by Rick Dutrow, Jr., trainee Stabbing hole Who came in from New York.
Doug O’Neill’s Derby 2012 winner was in a completely different barn as I’ll have one more And his friend Lava -Man were at the clubhouse of Barn D in Kraam 17. O’Neill housed his 2016 Derby winner Nyquist In stall 24.
In 2015, instead of placing American Pharoah In Stall 40, Baffert in front of his house Derby -Winner and his other preakness starter, Dortmund, Next to each other in stalls 29 and 30.
Baffert always said it was too noisy around stall 40.
Baffert, who won the most preakness stakes with eight, told the Ocala Starbanner: “I have never been able to win the triple crown from that stall.”
In 2018, Baffert led To justify To block 28, not 40.
It is a good gamble that, in addition to Justify and American Pharoah, the other Baffert -horses stayed in other stalls than 40.
Baffert started his preakness career with a 1997 victory with Silver charm and 1998 with Really quiet Both also won the derby.
In 2020, Baffert’s Derby winner Authentic Stayed at an unknown location and finished second in the preaks to Swiss Skydiver.
Seven-time preakness winner of the late D. Wayne Lukas would keep his derby winners on the winner Avenue side of the Stakes Barn next to the rest of the horses in which he shipped.
In 1988, Lukas started his first preakness start with his derby -winning ant Winning colors who finished third with the son of Secretariat” Upright star.
Lukas won the preaks and the belmont stakes in 1994 with the infamous Tabasco Cat who did not ran in the derby. In 1995, Lukas chose to take two starters to Pimlico. His derby winner Thunder Gulch would eventually finish third as a stable size Wooden land. Lukas scored a personal triple crown that year with Thunder Gulch who also won the Belmont Stakes.
Win the derby again in 1996 with GrindstoneWhich unfortunately was the son of the last race of Unbridled, brought Lukas Victory Speech to Pimlico who finished fifth Louis Quartorze.
In 1999, Lukas would bring both spring classics Charismatic.
“I never put my derby winners in that one stall (40),” Lukas said reporters with a smile at this year’s preakness. “It was never a big tradition for me. We have five [Preakness] Winners from the other side of the barn. “
2023 Derby Champ Mage Did not stay in stall 40. Gustavo Delgado Sr., opted for the adjacent barns and Mage, who finished third in the preakness, remained in stall 33.
Owner Ramiro Restrepo told about the preakness experience: “I think what stood out, was the responsibility that came with the Derby winner at Pimlico. The attention of fans and media, the pressure to be the only Derby Harroper who turned into the preakness that year.
Horse who sent on the same day as the preakness did not stay in the stakes at all Testamony representative (1983) Shipping of Bonita Farm en Animal kingdom (2011) who came in from Fair Hill.
When Derby Winner Sink The preakness bypassed in 1982, Chick Lang placed a goat in stall 40 (take that Soverigny!)
Another mystery that can remain unsolved is the Incongruent numbering system in Barn E. Stall 40 is between 34 and 36.
Traditionally because of superstition there is no stall 13 at Pimlico.
The two trainers who have won the most preakness stakes weighed on the demolition of the Pimlico Barn.
When discussing the approaching demolition of the barns, Lukas told reporters during the 150th preakness week: “I’m really going to miss it”,
“It has always been one of my favorites and I also speak for the other trainers,” said Lukas. “I have never spoken with a trainer who worked the preakness that was not the most of it.”
Baffert who has more than Lukas said: “Are they going to break it down? I mean, I like this shed. I would like to bring this barn to Santa Anita.”
2024 Derby winner Mystik Dan’s trainer Kenny McPeek noted that he would be sad to see the barn go. “All stories, history is there.”
Soon the green siding stables between the distant parking lot and the back of the facility will be the oldest barns on Pimlico’s ownership. Stables A, B and C were built somewhere in the 1920s, while D and E were built somewhere in the 1930s.
Barn e is furthest from the facility supported by high evergreen trees and sometimes you would never know that you were in the middle of Baltimore City.
The 14 stable stable consists of wood, block and aluminum (and probably a little asbestos and lead paint).
For us, the stable consists of the rich history of 150 preakness winners.
#Traditions #superstition #Pimlicos #Stall