Pimlico Partners With Maryland Affiliate of Susan G. Komen For The Cure®, Suited To Succeed For “The Ultimate Girls Day Out”

13-Race Card Will Feature Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, Pimlico Special, Lady Legends Race & Hall of Fame Jockey Challenge

BALTIMORE, 03-12-14---The Maryland Jockey Club today announced that Counting Crows, The Fray and Annie Bosko will perform live in the public infield, beginning in the late afternoon on Friday, May 16 at Pimlico Race Course.

Counting Crows ­has sold more than 20 million albums worldwide after exploding onto the music scene with their multiplatinum breakout album August and Everything After in 1993. The band is currently finalizing their seventh studio album scheduled to be released in Fall of 2014. This album will be the band’s first new material since 2007. Known for creating unique and innovative concerts and consistently ranked as one of the top live bands performing today, Counting Crows will embark on a world tour beginning in June. Additional information can be found at https://countingcrows.com/.

The Fray released its fourth studio album Helios on February 25 which is receiving early critical acclaim—Billboard named it “one of the most highly anticipated releases of the season.” The band achieved national success with their 2005 debut, featuring the hit singles “Over My Head (Cable Car)” and “How to Save a Life,” which went double-platinum. The band also earned a 2010 Grammy nomination for its self-titled release. Additional information can be found at https://www.thefray.com/us/.

Bosko is one of Nashville’s “it” girls on the rise. A semi-finalist on season 8 American Idol, shehas performed as opening or backing vocal slots with Darius Rucker, Adele, Josh Groban, Dierks Bentley, Big & Rich and Josh Turner. Her single "Crooked Halo" will be released to Sirius XM radio and terrestrial stations this spring. Additional information can be found at https://anniebosko.com/.

Renowned independent promotion and production company, I.M.P., of 9:30 Club and Merriweather Post Pavilion fame, booked and will produce the concert. Additional information can be found on https://www.930.com/.

Tickets can be purchased by calling the Pimlico sales office (877-206-8042) or by logging onto https://www.blackeyedsusanday.com/. Tickets for the concert will be $40.

A two-day Infield combo ticket for Black-Eyed Susan and Preakness days is available for $90 through April. Lorde will headline the main stage at Preakness InfieldFest on Saturday, May 17. The Preakness day concert features seven acts on two stages from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. leading up to the 139^th running of the Preakness® Stakes, the middle jewel of racing’s Triple Crown. The full line-up will be announced shortly.

Black-Eyed Susan Day, held annually on the third Friday in May, is the second biggest day on the Maryland racing calendar in terms of purses, attendance and handle, trailing only Preakness Day.

First run as the Pimlico Oaks in 1919, the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2), for 3-year-old fillies, is the co-headliner on a 13-race card that also features the historic Pimlico Special (G3). The program includes a jockey challenge between seven active Hall of Fame riders and the fifth annual Lady Legends For the Cure Race™.

“The evolution of Black-Eyed Susan Day is something we are very proud of,” said Maryland Jockey Club president Tom Chuckas. “The weekend is now positioned as one of the most unique entertainment experiences anywhere, combining the highest level of racing and first-class music on both Black-Eyed Susan and Preakness days.”

NBC Sports Network, WBAL-TV and HRTV will have live broadcasts of Black-Eyed Susan Day from Pimlico on May 16.

The Ultimate Girls Day Out

Last December,Pimlico announced a new Black-Eyed Susan branding campaign in support of issues important to women year-round: Empowerment 360°.

"The Maryland Jockey Club is committed to the empowerment of women and supports a platform to honor their strength and spirit,” added Chuckas. “Black-Eyed Susan Day represents that platform by championing causes related to health education, career relationships and family.”

The 2014 beneficiaries will be the Maryland Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and Baltimore-based Suited To Succeed.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the global leader of the breast cancer movement, was founded by Nancy G. Brinker in 1982 after a promise to her dying sister to do everything in her power to end breast cancer.

The mission of Suited to Succeed is to empower Baltimore area women in their efforts to transition from training programs and unemployment to self-sufficiency by providing free professional clothing and workshops.

Pimlico will launch initiatives supporting both charities with a series of events leading up to and including Black-Eyed Susan Day.

Black-Eyed Susan Day welcomes two new highlights to a day already packed with energy and excitement:

•  Women in Business Networking Gala and Luncheon co-hosted with the Baltimore Washington Corridor Chamber Of Commerce (BWCC) and welcoming best-selling author and Academy Award nominated actress Mariel Hemingway as the keynote speaker. She will sign her book Running With Nature. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.blackeyedsusanday.com/.

•  Pimlico will attempt to break The Guinness Book of World Records for largest Zumba® class, currently at 6,671 participants set in India on September 15, 2012. The event is part of a festival in the infield that will include 100 women-owned businesses/vendors displaying goods promoting health, fitness, wellness, education, career, relationships and family.

Additional endeavors/fundraising efforts include:

•  Happy Hours with food and beverage specials at Mount Washington Tavern (April 6, April 27, May 8 from 6-9 p.m.)

•  Canter for the Cure where horse enthusiasts will get a chance to ride their own horses around Pimlico’s famous oval (May 10)

•  Preakness Concert Series Kickoff Concert at Rams Head Live (May 10)

•  Pink Tutu Project (https://www.thetutuproject.com/) offering unique on-site photo opportunities, available for purchase on Black-Eyed Susan Day (May 16)

•  Celebrity jockey autograph session before the races (May 16)

•  Gator raffle drawing donated by John Deere and NTRA (May 16)

Hall Of Fame Jockey Challenge

The $50,000 Jockey's Challenge, presented by Xpress Bet, will feature active Hall of Fame riders. The seven jockeys have combined to win more than 44,000 races with earnings of $1.6 billion through March 11.

Gary Stevens (1997 Hall of Fame inductee), Russell Baze (1999), Mike Smith (2003), Kent Desormeaux (2004), Edgar Prado (2008), John Velazquez (2012) and Calvin Borel (2013) will compete in four races with points award­ed based upon their finish.

“Throughout the years we have had many formats for the Jockey Challenge and getting the active Hall of Famers is a coup,” Chuckas said. “As an added bonus, Russell Baze, who has more than 50,000 career mounts, has never ridden at Pimlico. That will be fun.”

The jockey with the most points at the end of a four-race competition will be crowned champion. Riding assignments are determined by a drawing Sunday, May 11, and jockeys receive points for finishing first (12 points), second (6), third (4) and fourth (3) in each race.The champion jockey will earn $20,000. Other prize money: $12,000 (second), $8,000 (third), $6,000 (fourth), $2,000 (fifth) and $1,000 (sixth and seventh).

The Lady Legends For the Cure Race

Now in its fifth year, the Lady Legends For the Cure Race™ was the first ever pari-mutuel race showcasing retired female riders.

Mary Russ-Tortora will not be back to defend her title but four of the original riders return: Patti Cooksey, Jennifer Rowland-Small, Barbara Jo Rubinand Cheryl White.Abby Fuller, Andrea Seefeldt-Knight and Stacie Clark-Rogers are also veterans of the event.

Tami Purcell-Burkland is the new shooter. The Texas native is the only female jockey to win the All American Futurity (G1) Quarter Horse race.

About Pimlico Race Course

Historic Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness® Stakes, the middle jewel in horse racing's famed Triple Crown, first opened its doors on October 25, 1870, and is the second oldest racetrack in the United States. Pimlico has played host to racing icons and Baltimoreans have seen the likes of legendary horses such as Man o’ War, Seabiscuit, Secretariat, Affirmed and Cigar thunder down the stretch in thrilling and memorable competition. For more information on Pimlico, visit www.pimlico.com.

Pimlico Race Course is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida and is one of North America's top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world's largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is also a major producer of televised horse racing programming through its HRTV cable and satellite network and is North America's premier supplier of virtual online horse racing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.