Longtime gaming reporter Bill Ordine recently chatted with PressBox about why Black-Eyed Susan Day at Pimlico Race Course is worth attending, how beginners should approach Preakness Day and more.
PressBox: Why should horse racing fans consider attending Black-Eyed Susan Day at Pimlico Race Course the day before the Preakness Stakes?
Bill Ordine: The crowd is far less. You’ve got lots of room to roam around. You can get up on the rail if you’d like. It’s less expensive. The parking is easier. The betting window lines are shorter. Everything is more convenient. The quality of the horses is quite good. You’re going to have stakes races on Black-Eyed Susan Day just like you have during Preakness Day. Granted, you won’t necessarily have horses that just ran in the Kentucky Derby. I realize that. But you’re going to have a really good field of horses. You’re going to have a fair number of stakes races. You’re going to have plenty of room to roam and sit down and enjoy yourself and enjoy a Black-Eyed Susan cocktail, if you’d like, on Black-Eyed Susan Day and be right at the finish line if you want to be. I think that Black-Eyed Susan Day carries lots of the excitement and lots of the quality in terms of horse racing that Preakness Day does, and you get to do it in what will feel like a much more intimate circumstance.
PB: What’s the easiest way to place a wager at Pimlico during Black-Eyed Susan Day or Preakness Day?
BO: I’m a throwback kind of guy, so I like to do all my betting at the betting windows and not at the kiosks. That’s my personal preference. I will scale the bets so if I think a horse is going to be in contention and I bet Win and Place and also then Show, I will scale the bets up so that if I am right, if my opinion is worth anything, that the horse will come in the top three and at least Show, I will at least, if not make money, I will not lose as much money by just betting Win. There are lots of folks, and I respect this, that like to play the exotics. They want to play trifectas and that sort of thing. I respect that, but you do need to understand that that is pushing a big rock up a steep hill. I stay away from the exotics, although I will occasionally be inclined to bet some quinellas [betting on the top two finishers in any order].
PB: What’s the best way for a beginner to go about placing a wager?
BO: Although I’ve done this quite a bit, I think my opinions as a handicapper are no better than most other people. I would suggest that folks who are beginners certainly get themselves a program, take a look at what these horses have been doing. Look for trends — in other words, if the horse is trending up, that the horse is getting better. Take a look at the distance that the horse that you like has been running and make sure that particular race is a distance that this horse is comfortable with. Look to see if the jockey that is riding that horse is a jockey that has consistently been riding this horse so that the jockey is familiar with the horse.
And then the actual wagering itself I would suggest beginners do exactly this: If you like a horse, put your $2 down on him or her to Win, maybe $4 to Place and scale it up to maybe $6 to Show. You won’t be making a lot of money. A lot of horse players will say, “Gosh, that’s silly, there’s no way you can make a lot of money doing that.” Here’s the thing: If you’re a beginner, you should be there to enjoy yourself and not count on making a lot of money. What you want to do is mitigate your losses and also have the thrill of being able to root for your horse down the stretch.
If you are playing Win, Place and Show, and assuming that your judgment is anywhere near OK in terms of selecting a horse, you should be able to be in a position to be rooting for your horse down the stretch. … Your horse should be in contention. Your money should be in contention. But it’s not any type of money that if in fact your horse just decides not to show up that day, you’re not out a whole lot of money.
PB: What’s the best way to see the races unfold on Preakness Day?
BO: For years I bought tickets for family members to attend the Preakness. They were always tickets in the stands. I just wouldn’t suggest folks who are really interested in watching the races to go to the infield. If that’s what someone wants to do and they are there for the party, I guess it would be in the infield. But there really is no good place to watch the races in the infield. If you can get yourself situated where you can see a TV screen, that’s probably the way to watch the races if you’re in the infield. The infield really puts you at a disadvantage as a spectator for the race itself. If folks are going there for the infield, it is a different experience than if you are in the stands in any way, shape or form. So my personal advice is get yourself a ticket that puts you somewhere in the stands. If you’re going to do the infield, understand what it is you’re paying for and what your experience is going to be.
PB: What one piece of advice would you give to someone going to Preakness Day for the first time?
BO: My advice would be to get there early. It’s going to be a long day, but get there early so you can begin to get a feel of what this is going to be like as the crowd ramps up. If you get there early enough, you will have some breathing room like on Black-Eyed Susan Day. You’ll be able to get a feel for, “Where are the betting windows? Where’s the concession stand? Where’s the best vantage point to be able to watch the race?” Secondly, dress appropriately. Watch whatever the weather is going to be. If it’s going to be real warm, dress appropriately. If there’s a chance of showers, make sure you’ve got an inexpensive rain parka with you. I would also suggest, if you can manage it, to make sure your seating is under cover. Try to select seats in advance that are going to be under cover.
Photo Credit: Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
Originally published April 17, 2024