I guess you could say the Kegasus gimmick was a success. The numbers are out, and the 2011 Preakness Stakes was the sixth-most attended in event history. A crowd of 107,398 people packed Pimlico Race Course to watch Shackleford hold off Animal Kingdom to win the event.
It's also the first time the crowd has exceeded 100,000 since 2008, the last year that patrons were allowed to bring in their own alcohol to consume on the infield. Many questioned the integrity of Kegasus, a centaur that hailed itself as the "Lord of the Infieldfest" and seemingly encouraged drinking, but clearly, it was good for the Preakness' bottom line. That's important because the Maryland Racing Commission doesn't make any money at all in its other events.
Also, over $76 million dollars was wagered throughout the course of the day, the seventh-most in Preakness history.
For more on the 2011 Preakness Stakes, check out our 2011 Preakness Stakes section. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.
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