An "estimated" 100,311 attended Saturday's running of
the 124th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in MD,
marking the largest crowd in the race's history, according
to Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore SUN. Also, the MD Jockey
Club handled $8.8M in in-state wagering, and the total
handle, including out-of-state simulcast revenue, was
"nearly" $46M (Baltimore SUN, 5/16). Also in Baltimore,
Baker & Keyser reported that the total handle was up 31%
from '97 because of a "huge increase" in out-of-state
wagering. Betting figures were compared to '97 because
'98's were "skewed" because of a blackout, which temporarily
disabled bet-taking capabilities (Baltimore SUN, 5/16).
EARLY TV NUMBERS: ABC's coverage earned a 3.8
preliminary overnight Nielsen rating, down 7% from last
year's 4.1 overnight. In Atlanta, Prentis Rogers writes
that after a "faulty performance in covering" the Kentucky
Derby, ABC "bounced back with a Preakness telecast that was
upper shelf" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 5/17). In Baltimore,
Milton Kent wrote that "perhaps because of the doubts
surrounding" Charismatic, who went on to win the Preakness,
"or for the absence of a dominant story line, the race, and
thus the telecast, lacked a certain spark. Still, the ABC
team did well with what was offered, save for a few
noticeable audio glitches" (Baltimore SUN, 5/16).
