Preakness

As a self-proclaimed "horse fanatic," nothing infuriates me more than the harassment and degradation suffered at the hands of all the police and security teams that blanketed Pimlico last Saturday at the Preakness. Having traveled to phenomenal racing facilities around the country, from Keeneland to Monmouth Park, I've always been treated with respect and given the opportunity to enjoy a great day of racing without feeling like a criminal. The trend that has developed at Preakness the past two years has been exactly the opposite.

The Preakness is the second race of the Triple Crown and it does not deserve to have another rowdy, drunken brawl that does nothing to contribute to the race or to the horse industry ("Trendy or tasteless?" March 30). Instead of attracting a group of people who have no interest in horses or racing, may I suggest several possibilities that will promote horses, the large and varied horse industry and the large and positive impact it has on the Maryland economy: Pony clubs; fox hunts; driving clubs; rescue farms; show jumping; handicap programs; Western; mounted police; draft horses; parade of breeds.

Tim Lare of Hampstead came to his first Preakness in 1973, the same year Secretariat won the middle leg of the Triple Crown.  "I think he paid $2,80," Lare recalled Saturday.  Lare kept going to Pimlico for its big race every year until 2000, and stopped because of the rowdiness in the infield. He had tried the grandstand once, but didn't like it because "it was too crowded. " Carl Kemp, a friend of Lare's from Carroll County, had given up going in 1999, tired of what he called "ignorant" people who ruined the day with the drunken behavior.

Jerry Bossert-New York Daily News Bodemeister. He's the main speed in a shorter distance, which I think will play to his favor. Daddy Nose Best Creative Cause Jennie Rees-Louisville Courier-Journal I'll Have Another. He's versatile as well as good. Bodemeister Cozzetti Tim Wilkin-Albany Times-Union I'll Have Another- Derby winner will run down Bodemeister at the end again. Creative Cause Bodemeister Tim Layden-Sports Illustrated Bodemeister.

The finale of the Preakness Celebration is the horse race tomorrow, but many events lead up to it.Preakness Eve highlights:Preakness Crab Derby, noon. Lexington Market. Free.Phillips Preakness Crab Picking Contest, noon. Harborplace Amphitheatre. Local notables will compete. Free.Preakness Eve party, 5: 30 p.m.-12 a.m. Water Street -- 2 blocks north of Inner Harbor. This party features the bands Hush and Plugged. The event costs $3 with or without a Preakness Pin from the Bud Light Nights Concert Series.

Length of victory for Big Brown: 5 1/4 lengths Winning payoff: $2.40 Big Brown's earnings yesterday: $600,000 Big Brown's stud rights: $50 million Horses that won first two legs of Triple Crown and lost Belmont: 18 Triple Crown winners: 11 Preakness attendance: 112,222 Preakness handle: $73,457,510

Today's Preakness-related events:Phillips Preakness Trayfecta (noon): An outdoor cafe setting at the Harborplace Amphitheatre is the place for a battle of Baltimore restaurant servers. Call 800-HARBOR-1. Free.Preakness Pub (5p.m.-8p.m.): Jockeys such as Preakness veteran Alberto Delgado, Mario Pino, Larry Reynolds and Mark Johnston will tend bar at the Sheraton Inner Harbor's Orioles Bar for area charities, including the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the March of Dimes and the Disabled Jockeys' Fund.

Triple Crown Ball, Hyatt Regency, Inner Harbor.The social highlight of the Preakness season features the Four Tops and benefits the Ronald McDonald House.McDonald's is the host of the black-tie gala, which begins at 7 p.m.0$ Admission is by invitation only.

For many folks headed to Preakness, the focus of the afternoon isn't the race. It's the fashion — and we don't just mean hats. If you're in the grandstands, the Jockey Club area or Corporate Village, you'll want to dress the part. Betsy Dugan, owner of Bettina Collections in Cross Keys and former co-owner of Octavia in Pikesville, has been dressing women for Preakness for years. "This is the time ... to dress up," she said. If there's one rule of thumb, it's that ladies and gentlemen at Preakness should look like ...well, ladies and gentlemen.