The change in the beer policy received mixed reaction from Preakness infield regulars.
Dave Kowalewski Jr., 34, has partied on the Preakness infield for the past 13 years and has even chartered buses for the daylong event. But Kowalewski, a city employee who lives in Overlea, won't be back this year; neither will his friends or family, he said.
"I'm a little upset right now," Kowalewski said. "This is our Mardi Gras. Sometimes it gets out of hand, but it's ours. ... I really think they're going to have a remarkable drop-off of fans."
The infield has regularly been the scene of heavy drinking and hard partying, but wilder moments have drawn notoriety in recent years, especially the so-called "Running of the Urinals" in 2007 and 2008. Videos of men dashing across the tops of portable toilets while others hurled what appeared to be full cans of beer at them were widely viewed on YouTube.
While some were disappointed by the change in the Preakness policy, others applauded it.
Clint Anuszewski, 30, a loan officer who lives in Pasadena, thought the raucous infield was a powder keg.
"It was getting dangerous," he said. "By 1 p.m., you had people that decided it's fun to throw these beer cans wherever - throw caution to the wind. ... With $3.50 beers, I think you'll have a lot less people throwing them."
Anuszewski thinks attendance will drop off in the next two to three years but could grow in the long run. He has been an infield regular for 16 years and will be there again this summer, he said.
"You have a lot of people that don't go because of the crowd that's there now," he said. "It will take a couple years for the word of mouth to get out and say, 'Look, man, it's not as bad as it used to be.' I think you'll start getting more people coming back."
Concert promoter Seth Hurwitz, who is responsible for putting together the infield music lineup, said the new Pimlico policy is in accord with the practice at major concerts.
"The rest of the world doesn't let you cart in coolers of beer," Hurwitz said. "I don't think this is something people aren't used to."
The new Pimlico rules follow similar guidelines at the other two Triple Crown races, the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. The Derby also has an infield area, but Churchill Downs has long prohibited all beverages in cans and bottles, coolers and even backpacks. Belmont Park does not have an infield, but it does have a public party area behind the grandstand called "The Backyard," where patrons are permitted to bring soft drinks but not alcohol.
