Certain individuals are instantly recalled when discussing these renowned races: Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. and Colonel Matt Winn, both inextricably linked with the Kentucky Derby, and August Belmont, Sr. and Jr., whose names are affixed to the Belmont Stakes and its track, Belmont Park.
Regarding the second leg of the Triple Crown, Oden Bowie and Chick Lang undeniably made significant contributions to the venerable Preakness Stakes; however, the race’s recognition as a classic is primarily due to William Pickersgill Riggs.
Due to Riggs’s influential guidance, thoroughbred racing recommenced at Pimlico following a prolonged interruption, thereby elevating the renowned venue back to the pinnacle of the sport as he revitalized the Preakness Stakes and propelled this Maryland highlight to nationwide recognition.
Pimlico’s Restoration
This forward-thinking figure in sports was born on August 11, 1864, to Lawrason and Laura Bright Riggs in Newport, Rhode Island. His family, which included his six siblings, relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, the subsequent year, and Riggs established his permanent residence there after completing his studies at Princeton University in 1885. Remaining unmarried throughout his life, Riggs engaged in numerous pursuits during his time in Baltimore. Within the city’s social circles, he served as a prominent figure in the Baltimore Horse Show Association and was among the founders of the Maryland Steeplechase Association in 1898. In pursuit of a suitable venue for races, Riggs and his associates secured a lease for Pimlico from its proprietors to conduct brief, three-day events encompassing both flat and steeplechase competitions.
Pimlico, inaugurated in 1870, had not hosted a season approved by The Jockey Club since 1889, the year the initial Maryland Jockey Club relinquished its operating permit there. The MJC, under the direction of former governor Oden Bowie, had initially experienced success at Pimlico, with events such as the Dinner Party Stakes and subsequently the Preakness Stakes drawing top thoroughbreds from across the East Coast. Increased competition from a rising number of regional racetracks diminished the pool of available horses, compelling the MJC to cease operations. Over the subsequent fifteen years, harness racing and unauthorized “outlaw” events took place at the venue, but Riggs and his fellow enthusiasts aimed to reinstate the track to the favor of The Jockey Club, led by August Belmont II. By 1904, their efforts proved fruitful.
Riggs and his associates subsequently reached an accord with the remaining members of the Maryland Jockey Club to combine the two entities. In that same year, the Maryland State Agriculture and Mechanical Association acquired Pimlico for a sum of $70,000, subsequently leasing it to the Maryland Jockey Club. William P. Riggs assumed the role of secretary and championed the initiative to cultivate Pimlico into the premier racing location it had previously been. After the racetrack achieved a stable foundation, he reinstated one of the state’s prior marquee events, the Preakness Stakes, in 1909.
Establishing a Premier Event
Following the Maryland Jockey Club’s cessation of racing activities at Pimlico in 1889, the Preakness ceased to be included on any of the state’s official stakes calendars. By 1890, an event bearing the name Preakness Stakes emerged on the Morris Park stakes roster, subsequently relocating to Gravesend in 1894, where it was run until 1908. These iterations conducted in New York did not share a direct lineage with the earlier version of the Preakness, which took place at Pimlico from 1873 to 1889, until recognition occurred in the 1940s. Although the race reappeared on Pimlico’s schedule, a number of years passed before its specific criteria and course length solidified into their current form.
By 1897, America boasted 314 racetracks; however, by 1908, this figure had drastically decreased to merely 25, a decline attributable to both an excessive proliferation of tracks and the burgeoning anti-gambling sentiment prevalent in the early 20th century. In response to state-imposed anti-gambling legislation, New York’s racetracks ceased operations in 1911 and remained closed until 1913; throughout this period, the sport of racing managed to survive in the United States largely due to venues in both Kentucky and Maryland, among them Pimlico.
William P. Riggs recognized the critical role the state played in the racing industry and dedicated efforts to elevate the prominence of Pimlico’s hallmark event, the Preakness. In 1918, he declared an increase in the race’s prize money, raising it from $5,000 to $15,000. Such a large number of entries were received that, uniquely in the race’s entire existence, the Preakness was contested in two separate divisions.
The subsequent year, the prize fund advanced to $25,000, prompting Colonel Matt Winn to declare a corresponding increase for the Kentucky Derby’s prize money, also to $25,000. When Sir Barton triumphed in both the Kentucky Derby and then the Preakness in 1919, his earnings amounted to $50,000, firmly establishing the significance of achieving this dual victory. The augmented prize money coupled with Sir Barton’s success drew enhanced public interest to the Preakness, to such an extent that Riggs readily arranged for the Maryland event to compete directly with its Kentucky counterpart in 1922. Typically held on the concluding day of Pimlico’s spring meet, the Preakness was slated for May 13; likewise, the Kentucky Derby, customarily held on the opening day of Churchill Downs’ meet, was also scheduled for May 13. Despite entreaties from horse owners and trainers, neither racetrack opted to adjust its date.
Rather, Riggs elevated the Preakness’s prize money, and Winn responded in kind, with each administrator endeavoring to entice Morvich, recognized as the premier two-year-old of 1921. Once the competitive flurry subsided, both events had boosted their prize pools to $50,000, and neither had changed its scheduled date. Morvich ultimately secured victory in the Kentucky Derby, whereas Pillory claimed the Preakness, with these two races occurring approximately 10 minutes apart and separated by 600 miles. For the 1923 running, owners and trainers successfully persuaded both Riggs and Winn to revise the timings of their respective races, thereby allowing horses to compete in both. This adjustment resulted in the Preakness being run first from 1923 until 1931, when the Kentucky Derby moved to the initial Saturday in May. By the arrival of Gallant Fox in 1930, the Derby, Preakness, and Belmont had all attained sufficient prominence to be collectively recognized as the pinnacle of achievement now known as the Triple Crown. Owing to Riggs’s diligent efforts and unwavering support, the Preakness Stakes and Pimlico developed into an indispensable fixture in American horse racing.
William P. Riggs unfortunately passed away before witnessing Gallant Fox’s Triple Crown triumph; his death, attributed to pneumonia, occurred in early 1926. In commemoration of his significant impact on Maryland racing, Pimlico established the Riggs Handicap that same year, a 1 ½-mile challenge for thoroughbreds aged three years and above, contested on the dirt. Conducted on dirt surfaces until 1949 and subsequently reinstated on turf from 1956 until 2000, the roster of champions features esteemed Hall of Famers such as Seabiscuit, Stymie, and Crusader; these iconic winners serve as a deserving homage to the race’s namesake, a forward-thinking individual instrumental in transforming both Pimlico and the Preakness Stakes into the classic events they represent today.
