BALTIMORE, 04-02-13---The Maryland Jockey Club today announced Phil Vassar will headline a “Get Your Preak On” kickoff concert at Pier Six Pavilion in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor on Saturday, May 11. The 138^th running of the Preakness Stakes (G1), the middle jewel of racing’s Triple Crown, will be held at historic Pimlico Race Course the following Saturday.

Tickets will go on-sale Friday, April 5 at https://www.piersixpavilion.com/. Ticket prices range from $25 to $60.

Old Dominion, a Nashville-based country act, will open for Vassar, who performed at the 2011 Preakness InfieldFest at Pimlico.

“The Preakness is quickly approaching so we decided to kick off the week with a party at the Pier,” said Maryland Jockey Club president Tom Chuckas. “Phil Vassar was one of the most popular acts to perform at Preakness InfieldFest and we are happy to work with him again.”

Vassar has hit Billboard Country’s top 5 seven times with songs like “Carlene,” “Last Day of My Life” and “American Child” and topped the charts with “In A Real Love” and the perennial favorite “Just Another Day in Paradise.” Known as one of Nashville’s top song writers, the 48-year-old has two ASCAP Songwriter of the Year trophies and was named Billboard Country Songwriter of the Year in 1999. His songs have been taken to #1 by Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson and Jo Dee Messina.

The Get Your Preak On concert is one of three musical events during an eight-day stretch surrounding the Preakness experience. Preakness InfieldFest (May 18) will include performances by Pitbull and by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis on the main stage in the public Infield at Pimlico, while Chevelle, Florida Georgia Line and Kristen and the Noise will perform on the Jägermeister stage. Additional information can be found on www.preakness.com.

Grammy-nominated Goo Goo Dolls will headline a concert at Pimlico on Black-Eyed Susan day Friday, May 17. Additional information can be found at www.blackeyedsusanday.com.
 

GRASSROOTS EVENT TEAM CIRCLES MARKET TO PROMOTE PREAKNESS

The Preakness grassroots team will be making numerous appearances in the Baltimore metropolitan area to promote the middle jewel of the Triple Crown, including the Baltimore Orioles home opener on April 5, Tigerfest in Towson on April 19, Federal Hill Spring Festival in downtown Baltimore on April 28 as well as three events at the Mt. Washington Tavern near Pimlico (April 7, April 25 & May 9) and one at Padonia Station in Timonium on May 3.

The events include the chance to win daily passes to Pimlico Race Course valid during the spring meet, Black-Eyed Susan concert tickets and vintage Preakness items.
 

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.