FIRST LADY DON MOORE AND RECORD PRODUCER D-NICE SAT DOWN WITH OUR MEGAN RIVERS TO TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT. THE INAUGURAL PREAKNESS FESTIVAL IS COMING TO BALTIMORE. FIRST LADY DON MOORE, SO THANKFUL TO HAVE YOU HERE TODAY.

The 2025 Preakness Stakes takes place this Saturday, May 17, at 4 PM ET on NBC and Peacock. Saturday’s race not only marks the 150th edition of the event, but it will be the final event at the historic Pimlico Race Course as demolition is expected to begin in June, part of the facility’s $400 million redevelopment.

For all of the wet weather and gloomy skies at Pimlico Race Course this week, the winds of change have been swirling in Maryland for much longer than a week or even a year.

BALTIMORE — Mark Casse was not a Metallica guy until he began training Sandman. Now he is a big fan. The band has returned the favor. Front man James Hetfield met the horse at Churchill Downs before the Kentucky Derby, and he and the rest of Metallica filmed a video for Casse and Co. wishing Sandman well in the Preakness this weekend.

Is there any feature worthy of nostalgia at the version of Pimlico Race Course that’s about to host the Preakness Stakes for the final time before the broken-down Baltimore landmark is razed and replaced?

The Black Eyed Susan is the Maryland state flower because it blooms in black and gold, the state’s official colors. But the Black Eyed Susan blooms only in June. This race is held in May. So, management goes out and buys daisies and colors their centers with black shoe polish.

To spread out the three Triple Crown races? Switch the order of them? Let horses run on a two-week turnaround?

It might be the homeliest venue anywhere hosting a major sporting event. But there's much to love about Pimlico.