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Preakness Stakes 2015: List of past winners

By Connor Muldowney

May 12, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; A thoroughbred works out on the track at Pimlico Race Course, site of the 140th Preakness Stakes. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
May 12, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; A thoroughbred works out on the track at Pimlico Race Course, site of the 140th Preakness Stakes. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Preakness Stakes comes as the second leg of the Triple Crown. Let’s take a look at the past winners of the illustrious race and see if there could be a Triple Crown contender.

The Preakness Stakes is the second leg of the annual chase for a Triple Crown and this year the horse that will be looking to win the illustrious award is American Pharoah.

American Pharoah is the Kentucky Derby winner this year and his odds for winning the race at Pimlico are very good. Everyone is expected Pharoah to win and so is jockey Victor Espinoza — who also won the Kentucky Derby last year with California Chrome.

While it seems like Espinoza has the upper hand, winning two straight Kentucky Derby titles, that is, in fact, true. He’s won two straight titles with different horses and he also took California Chrome to victory at the Preakness last year, heading into the Belmont Stakes with a serious chance to win the first Triple Crown since 1978.

Just like in baseball, the Triple Crown is extremely rare and hard to come by. Only 11 horses have ever accomplished the feat and not one has happened for nearly 40 years — the longest such drought since the first horse accomplished the feat in 1919.

It’s very possible, and also very likely, that American Pharoah wins today with Espinoza’s second shot at a Triple Crown in early June at the Belmont Stakes.

Everyone wants to see a Triple Crown winner, so there will be a lot of people rooting for the favorite — unless, of course, you’re trying to make serious money and betting on the underdog.

Let’s take a look at the list of past winners:

2014 – California Chrome

2013 – Oxbow

2012 – I’ll Have Another

2011 – Shackleford

2010 – Lookin At Lucky

2009 – Rachel Alexandra

2008 – Big Brown

2007 – Curlin

2006 – Bernardini

2005 – Afleet Alex

2004 – Smarty Jones

2003 – Funny Cide

2002 – War Emblem

2001 – Point Given

2000 – Red Bullet

1999 – Charismatic

1998 – Real Quiet

1997 – Silver Charm

1996 – Louis Quatorze

1995 – Timber Country

1994 – Tabasco Cat

1993 – Prairie Bayou

1992 – Pine Bluff

1991 – Hansel

1990 – Summer Squall

1989 – Sunday Silence

1988 – Risen Star

1987 – Alysheba

1986 – Snow Chief

1985 – Tank’s Prospect

1984 – Gate Dancer

1983 – Deputed Testamony

1982 – Aloma’s Ruler

1981 – Pleasant Colony

1980 – Codex

1979 – Spectacular Bid

1978 – Affirmed

1977 – Seattle Slew

1976 – Elocutionist

1975 – Master Derby

1974 – Little Current

​1973 – Secretariat

1972 – Bee Bee Bee

1971 – Canonero II

1970 – Personality

For the complete list of winners since the race began in 1873, click here.

Keep an eye out for American Pharoah today as well as the second and third place finishers at the Kentucky Derby, Firing Line and Dortmund. According to NBC Sports, it’s the 13th time in 35 years that the top three Derby finishers also race the Preakness.

American Pharoah has a tough field of eight to take care of in order to join this list of winners.

(h/t SI.com)

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