The Preakness Stakes is a historic horse race, dating back to 1873, and is the second race in the Triple Crown series. There have been 13 Triple Crown winners to date, with the most recent being Justify in 2018. Records can be difficult to break, and several horses with the fastest times in Preakness history have held onto their records for decades. The top five fastest times in Preakness history are held by Secretariat, Swiss Skydiver, Tank’s Prospect, Louis Quatorze, and Curlin.
Secretariat, widely considered the greatest racehorse in history, set the record for the fastest Preakness time in 1973 with a finish of 1:53. In 2012, it was revealed that the official record had been miscalculated and Secretariat’s time was actually faster than previously thought. Another significant moment in Preakness history was Swiss Skydiver’s victory in 2020, where she defeated the Kentucky Derby champion with the second-best time in the history of the race.
Tank’s Prospect holds the third-best time at the Preakness Stakes with a victory in 1985, beating the favorite Chief’s Crown by a head. Tank’s Prospect fell to the back of the pack for most of the race but made a sprint in the final stretch to secure the win. Louis Quatorze, who finished at No. 4, had a fast-paced victory in 1996, bouncing back from a disastrous finish at the Kentucky Derby. Curlin, coming in at No. 5, rallied from behind to defeat the Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense in 2007.
There have been six female winners of the Preakness Stakes in history. Swiss Skydiver is one of the female horses who came closest to breaking Secretariat’s record in 2020. Tank’s Prospect, Louis Quatorze, and Curlin all showcased speed and determination in their respective victories at the Preakness Stakes. These horses overcame challenges and setbacks to secure their places in the history of the prestigious race. The Preakness Stakes continues to be a highly anticipated event in the world of horse racing, with fans eagerly awaiting the next record-breaking performance.
