Md. Jockey Club offers Preakness weekend trainer bonuses

  • userPress Release
  • dateMay 10, 2022

For a sixth straight year, the Maryland Jockey Club is offering bonus money totaling $100,000 to trainers who run a minimum of five horses in the 15 Thoroughbred stakes races during Preakness weekend, May 20 and 21, at historic Pimlico Race Course.

The blockbuster weekend includes a total of 16 stakes, 10 graded, worth $3.8 million in purses. The trainer with the most points will receive $50,000, second is worth $25,000, third $12,000, fourth $7,000, fifth $4,000 and sixth $2,000.

Points are accumulated for finishing first (10 points), second (seven), third (five), fourth (three) and having a starter (one) in the 15 Thoroughbred stakes, led by the 147th Preakness Stakes (G1), Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, May 21.

Other graded events on Preakness Day are the $250,000 Dinner Party (G2) and $150,000 Gallorette (G3) on turf and the $200,000 Chick Lang (G3), $150,000 Maryland Sprint (G3) and $100,000 UAE President Cup (G1) for Arabian horses on the main track. The UAE President Cup is not part of the bonus.

Supporting Preakness undercard stakes are the $100,000 Sir Barton for 3-year-old non-winners of a sweepstakes and $100,000 Skipat on dirt, along with the $100,000 James W. Murphy for 3-year-olds and $100,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint on the grass.

Preakness Eve, May 20, will be highlighted by the 98th running of the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) for 3-year-old fillies. Among the supporting graded-stakes are the historic $300,000 Pimlico Special (G3), $150,000 Miss Preakness (G3) and $150,000 Allaire du Pont Distaff (G3), all on dirt.

The Black-Eyed Susan undercard also includes the $100,000 Hilltop for 3-year-old fillies going one mile and $100,000 The Very One for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting five furlongs, both on the turf.

Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen was the leading Preakness weekend stakes trainer in 2018 and 2019, followed by Brad Cox in 2019 and Mike Maker in 2020. Asmussen edged Maker for the top spot again in 2021.

There will also be bonus money totaling $50,000 for trainers with the most points in non-stakes races during Preakness weekend. The points are accumulated in similar fashion with $25,000 going to the leader, $10,000 to second, $7,500 to third, $4,000 to fourth, $2,500 to fifth and $1,000 to sixth.

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