Sunshine, blue skies with a few white clouds, and crisp spring temperatures greeted fans trickling in early for a 14-race Black-Eyed Susan day card May 15 at Laurel Park.
With the crowd limited to about 5,000 for Friday's card as well as Saturday's Preakness day card, early arriving autos trickled into the well-staffed track lots. Inside the indoor facility, workers moved food and drink to prepare for an expected busy day scheduled to begin with the first race at 11:30 a.m. ET.
The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) and Preakness Stakes (G1) are being conducted at Laurel Park this year as their traditional home, Pimlico Race Course, is rebuilt.
The forecast calls for temperatures of 61 degrees for the first race, with a high of 70 at 5 p.m. No rain is in the forecast although some more clouds are supposed to move into the area around 6 p.m.
As of 9:27 a.m., scratches for Friday's stakes races include:
- Race 8, Miss Preakness Stakes (G3), No. 6. Late Night Text and No. 7 Victory Music
- Race 9, Hilltop Stakes, No. 7, I Love Giraffes
- Race 10: Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes, No. 7 Waveless and No. 8, Ourdaydreaminggirl
- Race 11: The Very One Stakes, No. 4, Julee's Legacy
- Race 12: Pimlico Special Stakes (G3), clear
- Race 13: George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2), No. 6, Haute Diva
