FIRST LADY O’MALLEY PRESENTS TROPHY TO WINNER OF 87th RUNNING OF THE BLACK-EYED SUSAN STAKES

“It is such an honor to present this year’s Black-Eyed Susan Stakes trophy,” said First Lady O’Malley. “These are exciting times to be a Maryland horse enthusiast and I am pleased to see such strong support for our treasured horse industry. I congratulate Royal Delta for winning the signature Preakness eve race. ”

Today marks the 87^th running of the Black-Eyed Susan, the headline event of the Preakness eve card. Some of the nation's top 3-year-old fillies compete in the $250,000 race.  The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes was first run in 1919 as the Pimlico Oaks, in 1952 the name was changed to its present style to compliment the Preakness Stakes and to acknowledge the Maryland State flower.

Black-Eyed Susan Day is also dedicated to celebrating women who have made strides within and outside of the horse racing industry. First Lady O’Malley joined Susan G. Komen and the Maryland Jockey Club at the “People’s Pink Party” to celebrate and acknowledge all Maryland women, from breast cancer survivors to the Lady Legends jockeys. The First Lady was also accompanied by Ms. Preakness Pink Warrior, who serves as the official Preakness ambassador and was picked in partnership with the Maryland Jockey Club and the Maryland affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Fifty percent of the monies raised at this event will go to the Komen Maryland Affiliate to use for community outreach programs in Maryland and 50 percent will be used for life-saving breast cancer research.  

During the trophy presentation, the First Lady reminded all attendees of the importance of today’s events and events throughout the week. She continued,  “This entire week is a really great opportunity for all of us to celebrate Maryland’s horse industry – an industry that creates jobs, preserves open space and saves part of the heritage of our Great State: the Preakness.”

Maryland has a rich tradition of horse racing and horse breeding, and these industries generate thousands of jobs and millions of dollars for the local economy. The O’Malley-Brown Administration has worked to protect horse-related open space, agriculture and jobs in the State of Maryland. Governor Martin O’Malley introduced and signed emergency legislation in 2009 to give the State greater authority to keep the Preakness Stakes in Maryland and yesterday, the Governor added his signature to legislation he sponsored which redistributes existing slots revenues to assist in the operations of Maryland’s racetracks, salvaging the racing season for next year and likely for 2013 as well, and preserving thousands of jobs associated with Maryland’s horse industry. 

The equine industry is a critical component of Maryland’s economy, with assets totaling more than $5.6 billion. It holds approximately 10 percent of Maryland’s land (587,000 acres), has twice as many horses per square mile as Virginia, Texas, California, or Kentucky, and employs more than 28,000 people. There are more than 79,000 horses in Maryland valued at $714 million.

BALTIMORE, MD (May 20, 2011) – First Lady Katie O’Malley today celebrated Maryland’s horse racing industry as a vibrant part of the State’s economy by presenting the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes trophy to Royal Delta, and trainer William Mott at Pimlico Race Course. Royal Delta is owned by Palides Investments N.V., Inc.