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Beer Pitchman, Hip-Hop Duo Headline Preakness InfieldFest

The annual running of the Preakness Stakes is the largest event held in North Baltimore.

For an event often associated with imbibing, it makes a certain amount of sense to name the pitchman for a popular beer the headliner of Preakness InfieldFest.

Pitbull, a recording artist who appears in Bud Light commercials, as well as hip-hop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, will headline this year’s Preakness InfieldFest set for May 18.

The Maryland Jockey Club announced the performers for the InfieldFest, a party held in the infield of Pimlico Race Course during Preakness, in a news release on Monday.

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"InfieldFest at the Preakness enters its fifth year positioned as the region’s biggest, best and most unique party," Maryland Jockey Club President Tom Chuckas said in a news release. "There is no other event where fans can revel so completely in a multiple entertainment festival experience that features a legendary American horse race and first-class music with national headliners delivering non-stop action throughout the day. The Preakness Infield has long been a rite of passage for generations and 2013 promises to continue that tradition."

Ticket prices for the InfieldFest will drop to $40, with a $60 "Mug Club" package, through 10 a.m. Tuesday. Tickets are normally $50, $70 for the Mug Club package, and will jump to $60 and $80 for the Mug Club the week of the race, according to the news release.

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The InfieldFest debuted in 2009 as an attempt to boost ticket sales after they took a dive the previous year because outside alcohol was banned due to increasingly dangerous behavior at the track on the day of the big race.

Last year rapper Wiz Khalifa and the band Maroon 5 headlined the InfieldFest. Bruno Mars; Train; Zac Brown; ZZ Top; Buckcherry; and O.A.R. have also previously performed at the event.

No word yet if the much maligned InfieldFest mascot Kegasus, a beer-swilling centaur, will return.  


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