MJC expects this year’s Preakness InfieldFest to be more Legendary than ever

Baltimore, MD (Monday, March 26, 2012) —The Maryland Jockey Club today announced the return of Kegasus as Lord of the Preakness InfieldFest and centerpiece of its’ 2012 advertising campaign. Serving once again as the voice and personality for all InfieldFest advertisements, Kegasus will be found in all of the campaign’s components to include television, radio, out-of-home and web.

“We are excited that Kegasus is back and look forward to his character evolving in 2012,” Tom Chuckas, Maryland Jockey Club president said. “We experienced one of the most successful InfieldFests in history last year and are certain that Kegasus brought the spirit of fun and energy tailored towards a younger demographic.”

The 137th running of the $1 million Preakness®Stakes (G1), the middle jewel of the Triple Crown, is May 19 at Pimlico Race Course.

Kegasus will again come to life outside of traditional media. He will be making more appearances at various grassroots events around Baltimore and now Washington, DC leading up to the Preakness and will again be available for radio and TV interviews.

His next appearance is set for opening day of the Pimlico spring meeting on Friday, March 30 followed by the Orioles Opening Day on Friday, April 6. He will continue to post videos to his YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/allhailkegasus), and tweeting @AllHailKegasus.

Apparently every great Centaur needs a sidekick, and this year Kegasus has equipped himself with UniCarl. UniCarl is part human, part unicorn, part personal assistant and part personal trainer. UniCarl and Kegasus met at the Genius Bar in the Towson Town Center’s Mac Store in May 2011 and have been traveling the world together ever since. He will be seen both in the television advertisements and promoting InfieldFest during the grassroots events. Catch him on Twitter, too @UniCarl.

In February, it was announced that Grammy Award Winning artist Maroon 5 and American Music Award’s Best New Artist Wiz Khalifa were to headline the 2012 InfieldFest concert. The Darkness, Little Big Town and local favorite Mr. Greengenes will also be playing full sets on the Jägermeister stage. The popular MUG Club returns, offering fans a bottomless mug all day long for one all-inclusive price. As in all prior years, the Maryland Jockey will continue to work closely with its beverage partners to ensure that responsible drinking policies and protocol are in place for all Preakness fans.

“The Preakness Stakes is a unique and special day – and the InfieldFest is just one of the many components that makes it as magical as it is,” Chuckas added. “All of us at the Maryland Jockey Club are proud to steward such a dynamic and incredible event.”

Once again, MJC tapped DC-based Elevation, Ltd. to create and execute its InfieldFest advertising campaigns.

“We are honored to work hand-in-hand with the Maryland Jockey Club to evolve last year’s campaign, bringing a fresh look to what’s become a fun and engaging icon,” Jim Learned, President of Elevation said. “We have again created a campaign that will galvanize that younger demographic. It speaks their language. We are all looking forward to yet another legendary InfieldFest.”

About the Maryland Jockey Club
The Maryland Jockey Club was founded in 1743, and thus today is the oldest sporting association in the North America. After 269 years it remains the corporate name of Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, which opened in 1870, and is home to the Preakness^® Stakes, the middle jewel in horse racing's famed Triple Crown. Preakness InfieldFest is a multi-entertainment festival that includes live music, a beer garden, bikini contest and pro beach volleyball. For more information visit www.theinfieldfest.com and make sure to follow Kegasus at www.twitter.com/allhailkegasus

About Elevation, Ltd.

Formed in 2001, Elevation, Ltd. has steadily earned its way to becoming an internationally recognized multi-cultural advertising agency serving a unique balance of private and public sector partners, including; NBC/Universal, Canon, Toyota, Bloomberg, DHS, ALA, HHS, Dell, the Va. Lottery and more.  Driven by a strategic and creative belief that “good communications is global”, the agency currently oversees campaigns throughout the Western Hemisphere in multiple languages. Elevation maintains its home office in Washington, DC with satellite offices in New York City.