Fastest Preakness Stakes Times

 

LOUIS QUATORZE (1996) :23, :46-1/5, 1:09-4/5,
1:34-2/5, 1:53-2/5.
By quarters :23, :23-1/5, :23-3/5, :24-3/5, :19.
Louis Quatorze quickly gained the lead and set all the fractions, over a drying out track termed fast.

 

TANK'S PROSPECT (1985) :22-2/5, :45-1/5,
1:09-2/5, 1:34-1/5, 1:53-2/5.
By quarters :22-2/5, :22-4/5, :24-1/5, :24-4/5, :19-1/5.
Tank's Prospect took the lead during the final strides.
Chief's Crown held the lead through the stretch.
All fractional times up to three-quarter pole set by
Eternal Prince. Tank's Prospect established a track
record.

GATE DANCER (1984) :22-2/5, :45-1/5, 1:09-1/5,
1:34-2/5, 1:53-3/5.
By quarters :22-2/5, :22-4/5, :24, :25-1/5, :19-1/5.
Gate Dancer gained lead entering stretch. All fractional
times up to three-quarter pole set by Fight Over.

SUMMER SQUALL (1990) :23-1/5, :47, 1:10-4/5,
1:35-3/5, 1:53-3/5.
By quarters :23-1/5, :23-4/5, :23-4/5, :24-4/5, :18.
Summer Squall, never worse than fourth after a
quarter, moved swiftly on the inside nearing the
stretch and ran the last three sixteenths in 18 seconds,
a Preakness record.

SUNDAY SILENCE (1989) :23-2/5, :46-2/5, :1:09-3/5, 1:34-1/5, 1:53-4/5.
By quarters :23-2/5, :23, :23-1/5, :24-3/5, :19-3/5.
Sunday Silence raced in third position down the backstretch.
He was passed by Easy Goer near the end
of the backstretch but rallied to gain a brief advantage
at the top of the stretch. Easy Goer and Sunday
Silence fought nose to nose through the final eighth
with Sunday Silence winning by a nose in the final
stride.

CANONERO II (1971) :23-2/5, :47, 1:10-2/5, 1:35, 1:54.
By quarters :23-2/5, :23-3/5, :23-2/5, :24-3/5, :19.
Canonero II gained lead entering stretch. All fractional
times up to three-quarter pole set by Eastern Fleet.

HANSEL (1991) :23-1/5, :46-1/5, 1:10-1/5, 1:35, 1:54.
By quarters :23-1/5, :23, :24, :24-4/5, :19.
Hansel, never far back while in hand, began to rally from the outside after entering the backstretch, took the lead after six-furlongs and remained wide while drawing off under pressure.

TIMBER COUNTRY (1995) :23, :47, 1:10, 1:35, 1:54
By quarters :23, :24, :23, :25, 19.
Mystery Storm set pace to top of the stretch. Star
Standard gained lead but at eighth pole was challenged
by Talkin Man, Timber Country, Thunder
Gulch and Oliver's Twist. Timber Country gained
lead in final strides.

SPECTACULAR BID (1979) :23-2/5, :46-4/5,
1:10-3/5, 1:35, 1:54-3/5.
By quarters :232/5, :232/5, :234/5, :242/5, :19.
Spectacular Bid gained lead by 1/2 mile pole.
Quarter fractions set by Flying Paster, 1/2 mile by General Assembly.

CODEX (1980) :23-2/5, :47-4/5, 1:11-1/5, 1:36, 1:54-1/5.
By quarters :23-3/5, :24-1/5, :23-2/5, :24-4/5, :18-1/5.
Codex took lead at 3/4 pole. Early fractions are by
Knight Landing.

 

SECRETARIAT (1973) :24-2/5, :48-1/5, 1:11-2/5,
1:35-3/5, 1:54-2/5.
By quarters :24-2/5, :23-4/5, :23-1/5, :24-1/5, :18-4/5.
Secretariat took the lead at 1/2 mile pole, and was
hand-ridden rest of way. Quarter mile time set by
Ecole Etage. Due to a malfunction of the timer,
Secretariat's time was later adjusted to 1.54 2/5
after an initial posting of 1:55. Daily Racing Form
clockers timed Secretariat in 1:53 2/5, a time which
equals the record shared by Tank's Prospect and
Louis Quatorze.

SEATTLE SLEW (1977) :22-3/5, :45-3/5, 1:09-4/5,
1:34-4/5, 1:54-2/5.
By quarters :22-3/5, :23, :24-1/5, :25, :19-3/5.
Seattle Slew and Cormorant battled heads apart for
lead for six furlongs. Record time for one mile was
set by Seattle Slew.

AFFIRMED (1978) :23-3/5, :47-3/5, 1:11-4/5, 1:36-1/5,
1:54-2/5.
By quarters :23-3/5, :24, :24-1/5, :24-2/5, :18-1/5.
Affirmed gained lead on first turn, and held it
throughout

NASHUA (1955) :23-3/5, :57-1/5, 1:11, 1:35-3/5, 1:54-3/5.
By quarters :23-3/5, :23-3/5, :23-4/5, :19.
Nashua gained lead entering the stretch. All fractional
times up to and including the mile set by
Saratoga.

LITTLE CURRENT (1974) :23, :47, 1:10-3/5,
1:36-2/5, 1:54-3/5.
By quarters :23, :24, :23-3/5, :25-4/5, and :18-1/5.
Little Current took the lead inside eighth pole, and
won going away. Earlier fractions set by Destroyer,
Silver Florin, and Jolly Johu.

 

Fastest first quarter-:22 2/5 by Flag Raiser, 1965; Fight Over, 1984;
Eternal Prince, 1985, Vicar, 1999.
Fastest second quarter-:22 2/5 by Bold Forbes, 1976.
Fastest first half-mile-:45 by Bold Forbes, 1976.
Fastest first three-quarters-1:09 by Bold Forbes, 1976.
Fastest first mile-1:34 1/5 by Chief's Crown, 1985 and Sunday Silence, 1989.
Fastest final 3/16ths-:18 by Summer Squall, 1990.
Note: Tank's Prospect's time of 1:53 2/5 (1985) is a Preakness record tied by Louis Quatorze in 1996. The Pimlico track record for 1 3/16 miles is held by Farma Way, who ran the distance in 1:52 1/5 in winning the Pimlico Special in 1991.