Where did the term "Preakness" in horse racing come from and what does it mean?

Question

Where did the term "Preakness" in horse racing come from and what does it mean?

Answer 1

The Preakness was founded by then-Maryland governor Oden Bowie.  At an 1868 Saratoga party hosted by a Milton Sanford, Bowie guaranteed that Maryland would have a track available for a race that was later dubbed the Dinner Party Stakes and had been instantly promoted by Bowie at the party when he offered $15,000 as a purse--no small sum at the time.

The Maryland Jockey Club negotiated for the land that became known as Pimlico later that year; the new course opened as promised on October 25, 1870. Sanford, who had gained his wealth by selling blankets during the Civil war, went after the $15,000 with a colt of his own named Preakness, who won over all the horses of the race, including one owned by the governor which came in last. Nevertheless, it was Bowie who named the eventual second jewel of the Triple Crown.  (The Dinner Party Stakes is still run at Pimlico, and is the 8th-oldest continually run Stakes in the US.)

The word "Preakness"  comes from the Minisi, a northern New Jersey tribe of Native Americans. They called their area Pra-qua-les, meaning quail woods. After a series of spellings the name eventually evolved into Preakness.

(One of its variations was Preckiness, used by General George Washington to describe the area where his troops were quartered in the winter of 1776-77.)

The correct pronunciation of the word is actually Prayk-ness, but that's long ago lost the battle with the common pronunciation "Preek-ness."

Answer 2

Former Maryland Governor Oden Bowie named the then mile and one-half (2.41 km) race in honor of the colt Preakness from Milton Holbrook Sanford's Preakness Stables in Preakness, Wayne Township, New Jersey who won the Dinner Party Stakes on the day Pimlico Race Course opened on October 25, 1870.

Answer 3

it is annual race fr 3 yr olds

Answer 4

Preakness became the name of Pimlico's leg of the Triple Crown because...  it was named after a horse who won on the first day of racing at Pimlico.  Preakness was the name of the horse.  So Pimlico named the race after him.  And now no one remembers the horse Preakness, but we honor him every May!