By AFRO Staff

For more than a century, Black spectators, numbers men, stable hands and jockeys have left a lasting mark on the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico and the equestrian industry at large. Bringing their elegant fashions and countless behind-the-scenes contributions, the archived moments shown here tell a fuller story of Black presence at Maryland’s iconic horse race. Take a walk down memory lane with this photo collection, straight from the AFRO Archives.

  • 1941 Miss Betty Vann, of New York City seems very pleased as Whirl-away romped to victory in the 1941 Preakness at Pimlico in Maryland.
  • 1946 In May 1946 Dorothy Smith (left) enjoyed the Preakness Stakes with William Dobbins, both of Baltimore, and Mrs. Romaine Franklin, of Cumberland, Md.
  • 1946 Joseph H.B. Evans, of Washington, D.C., looks on as Mr. and Mrs. Woodley Lawrence, of Baltimore, decide their bets at the 1946 Preakness Stakes. Ultimately, a horse named “Assault” would become the Triple Crown winner, earning a total of $424,195 in 1946 alone.
  • 1946 Mrs. Lillian Williams (left) arrives at the Preakness Stakes with Dr. Maybelle Weaver, both of Baltimore, and Dr. S.D. Callaway of Richmond, Va. The three were among thousands who donned their finest threads to watch the famous Maryland classic in May 1946.
  • 1946
  • 1951 Dr. George Edward Blackman and his wife, Bettye Amanda McDaniel Blackman, enjoy the Preakness Stakes in May 1951. Attendance only reached 26,599 people due to overcast skies.
  • 1954 A crowd lines the Pimlico Race Course at the Preakness Stakes in 1954.
  • 1956 James Cameron, a groom, shown here with “Dinner Music.”
  • 1956 James Fletcher Smith, a native of Atlanta, works as a “numbers man” at Pimlico in 1956. Smith worked horse racing tracks all across the country. By May 1956 he had 12 years under his belt as the man who made sure all the horses and jockeys were properly numbered. In the May 19, 1956 edition of the AFRO he spoke of the “exciting life” he had, traveling with the horses from track to track. With his children all grown, Smith said he preferred “this nomadic way of life” because it kept him “busy and interested” after the death of his wife.
  • 1973 A Preakness crowd photo by famed AFRO photographer I. Henry Phillips.