“On the mud today, [he] was the best horse definitely,” said a disheartened Umberto Rispoli after he finished the Kentucky Derby behind Junior Alvarado and Sovereignty. With that, the veteran jockey also noted that under better conditions, things could have been entirely different for him and Journalism. However, as Rispoli waits to clear his name at the Preakness Stakes, it looks like the jockey can’t catch a break.

On Saturday (May 17), all eyes of the horse racing community will hover above the iconic Pimlico Race Course, as the second leg of the Triple Crown returns to the ground for the 150th edition of the Preakness Stakes. But while Journalism would have loved to run the 1 3/16 mile race in pristine conditions, it seems like the weather gods have other plans!

In a post by Daily Racing Form‘s David Grening on X from May 16, the drab conditions at the upcoming Preakness Stakes would make the fans feel the blues. Captioned “Hi-Ho,” the social media update shows a shroud of fog has taken over Pimlico as rain batters the grounds. While such conditions could make for an exciting race, ultimately, we’d wager that many fans would have loved to see drier and sunnier conditions for the weekend extravaganza.

Moreover, this year’s Kentucky Derby was also held after lashing rains, which turned the Churchill Downs into a slushy mess of mud and muck. Naturally, the community was hoping for a better showdown among the participants at the Preakness Stakes. But if today’s weather is anything to go by, all the optimism is certainly off the table.

The Preakness Stakes race will take place late afternoon on Saturday. However, the National Weather Service reported that both Friday evening and Saturday morning could see showers and thunderstorms. What’s even worse is that the bad weather may extend all the way through Saturday afternoon. Whether the track gets enough time to dry will depend on the exact location and timing of the showers.

Precipitation has also been high in the region throughout the entire week, with the Baltimore-Washington International Airport reporting 2.28 inches of rain on Tuesday. However, as of Friday, the main track and turf of the Preakness Stakes were rated “fast” and “good“, respectively. Last year, too, the weather conditions at the iconic racecourse were pretty bad, forcing the racers to navigate muddy conditions. However, much like Sovereignty in this year’s Kentucky Derby, Seize the Grey took advantage of the muddy course, just as trainer D. Wayne Lukas predicted, and ended Mystik Dan‘s hopes of winning the Triple Crown. Now, while Sovereignty will not be seen at Pimlico on Saturday, there’s no reason to think that the race won’t be an exciting one.

A scintillating thriller awaits at the Preakness Stakes

Along with the possible rain and thunderstorms, Rispoli will also need to battle a stacked lineup to win Saturday’s race. From the legendary Bob Baffert entering the race with Goal Oriented to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah’s son Clever Again looking to etch its name among horse racing greats, there will be a lot for the Italian jockey and Journalism to overcome in order to win the 150th Preakness Stakes.

If that wasn’t all, Journalism will be starting the race from Gate 2, right next to Goal Oriented (Gate 1). That, in itself, will be a challenge as the inside posts pose significant problems to horses and jockeys by putting them in the thick of things. However, it’s safe to say that Rispoli’s biggest hurdle to win the Preakness Stakes will still be Baffert. The veteran trainer has an astounding eight victories at the Maryland race course, and his horse, Goal Oriented, has gone two for two, including a victory in an allowance optional claiming race on May 3 at Churchill Downs. Moreover, D. Wayne Lukas will be entering Pimlico with 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify‘s son, American Promise, who is the most experienced in the field with ten career starts but had a disappointing showing at the Kentucky Derby with a 16th place finish.

But with great challenges come great bounty. Last year’s Preakness Stakes winner received $1.2 million from the $2 million prize pool, and Journalism could make a pretty penny by winning the race this year as well. But can Rispoli guide the thoroughbred to victory? We’ll have to wait just a few more hours to see!

While we await, do let us know your pick to win at the Pimlico Race Course in a comment below!