Rainy Preakness day turns off bettors, could hurt track bottom line

BALTIMORE — Though the rain stopped at least for a bit on Saturday afternoon, the Preakness is still likely going to be run in muddy or sloppy conditions with another line of showers expected to move through at some point before the race. 

Five straight days of rain around the Baltimore area has put a strain on the Pimlico racing surface, but Tim Ritvo, the chief operating officer of the Stronach Group, praised track superintendent Chris Bosley for keeping the dirt course safe and fair.

“We’ve been getting rave reviews from the horsemen all week long,” Ritvo said. “They’ve worked day and night, and we don’t see a lot of washouts along the rail so I’m very happy with them. Listen, this is a tough task. We’re dealing with a 143-year-old track that isn’t configured with the new kind of drainage so I'm really happy. Most importantly, the horsemen are happy.”

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The rough track conditions certainly made the Preakness card, which usually attracts big fields for its stakes races, far less attractive to bettors. Five out of the six races scheduled for the turf course were moved to dirt, resulting in several scratches. The Grade 2 Dixie, one of the top turf races of the entire spring, went off with just four horses after it was moved to the dirt. 

For the day, a total of 40 horses were scratched. 

“We have to accept it the way it is,” Ritvo said. “The weather is what it is. I’m appreciative of the horsemen that have tried and made an effort to run, but I understand the ones that don’t. It’s hard, but we’re all in this together so it is what it is. I’ve never seen a streak where leading up to the race we get five straight days of rain like this.”

As of 3:30 p.m., Ritvo said $3.5 million less had been bet nationwide on the Preakness card than the previous year, which could impact the bottom line for the track’s owners given how important Preakness Day is to their business. 

“We take a hit on the revenue here it could be the difference between being successful for the season and losing money,” he said. 

Ritvo said he wouldn't have an estimate on attendance until much later in the day. The crowd, both in the infield and in the grandstand, appeared to be lighter than the past few years where the race drew 140,000. More than an hour before the Preakness, fog rolled in and covered most of the racetrack. 

The track should suit Kentucky Derby winner Justify, who is 2-for-2 on off tracks. Earlier this week, trainer Bob Baffert said his only real concern was if the track began to dry out at some point in the day, making for a more tiring surface.