Preakness Draws Record, Peaceful Crowd
More than 121,000 fans flocked to Pimlico Race Course for the 137th running of the Preakness Stakes.
Attendance at the Preakness Stakes set a record high and there was only one arrest.
According to a Maryland Jockey Club spokesman, the attendance at Pimlico Race Course for the 137th running of the race was a record 121,304.
But problems with fan behavior that has marred previous events was kept to a minimum.
Baltimore police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said that as of about 7:30 p.m., there had been no arrests and only six or seven ejections from the track. One person was arrested for disorderly behavior.
"It was a very, very pleasant and classy experience," Guglielmi said.
Prior to a 2009 ban on outside alcohol being brought into the infield, the race had been gaining a reputation for drunken debauchery that was getting out of hand.
With the addition of national music acts including Maroon 5 and Wiz Khalifa to the Infield Fest, organizers were hoping to draw crowds that rivaled the 2008 Preakness, which yielded about 112,000 attendees.