Preakness Stakes Celebrates with Music and Celebrities
This past weekend marked the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, which featured lively performances from Wyclef Jean and T-Pain. This event is set to be the last at this location for quite some time.
“You’ve all dressed up for this,” T-Pain, casually in shorts, remarked to the elegantly dressed crowd of equestrian enthusiasts and socialites. He added jokingly, “Do I need to wear pants?”
The rapper performed popular tracks like “Buy U a Drank” and “Bartender,” following a thrilling race won by Umberto Rispoli.
Wyclef Jean took the stage earlier, entertaining an audience that included local politicians, such as Mayor Brandon Scott and Governor Wes Moore, alongside athletes from the Ravens and Commanders.
Jean, known for songs like “Hips Don’t Lie,” cheerfully acknowledged 1/ST CEO Belinda Stronach multiple times during his performance.
Also present was “Summer House” star Jesse Solomon, who was seen enjoying the concert with friends including “The Bachelor” alumni Jason Taltic and influencer John Buffard.
In the VIP area, former NFL star Cam Newton, ex-Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia, Hall of Famer Ray Lewis, and NBA player Carmelo Anthony mingled alongside celebrity chef Bobby Flay.
Flay mentioned, “I’ve been following racing since I was a teenager,” while sharing that he has a stake in Winstar Farm’s breeding operations. He owns several racehorses, such as Real, Pizza Bianca, and the 2015 Grade 1 winner Dame Dorothy, along with connections to the 2016 Belmont Stakes victors.
Speaking about his horse’s success, Flay shared that one of his entries won at the Allerre du Pont Dissaf stake over the weekend.
On the topic of betting, he advised novices to “pick your favorite name or color for silk” if they felt overwhelmed by the statistics.
On the eve of the main race, known as the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes featuring a female horse, a witness noted being surprised by the scripted nature of “The Real Housewives of Potomac” filming in the VIP section, stating, “When the camera isn’t rolling, they don’t talk to each other.”
After an exciting day cheering for the horses, Racing Insider headed to an afterparty organized by Stronach, who oversees the Preakness and the Pegasus World Cup in Jupiter, Florida.
