Preakness Weathervane 100th Anniversary

May 12, 5:04 PMBaltimore Weather ExaminerJustin Berk

Previous

3 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Baltimore Weather Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

133rd Preakness Wiinner Big Brown. Jamie Squire/Getty

One of the unique aspects of Baltimore's Preakness Stakes, it's The Weather Vane that gets painted immediately following the race.  This has been tradition since 1909, thus marking the 100th anniversary this year!

According to Preakness tradition:

As soon as the Preakness winner has been declared official, a painter climbs a ladder to the top of a replica of the Old Clubhouse cupola. He applies the colors of the victorious owner's silks on the jockey and horse which are part of the weather vane atop the infield structure.

History of The Weather Vane

1870 - The old Members' Clubhouse was built at Pimlico, Baltimore.  The original weather vane was a classic arrow shape.

1909 - Lightning struck down the weather vane.  The Maryland Jockey Club commissioned an ornamental iron worker to construct a new weather vane for Preakness inthe shape of a horse and rider.

1918 - When the Preakness was run in two divisions, Jack Hare Jr. winning one end and War Cloud the other, the winning colors were changed after the first six months to give the victors equal time in the year on the weather vane.

1966 - Fire destroyed the Members' Clubhousein June.  A replica of the old building's cupola (a small structure on top of a roof or building) was built to stand in the Preakness winner's circle in the infield.  

The only thing saved from the ruins after the fire was the iron weather vane. It is currently on display at Pimlico's museum
exhibit, "Hoofbeats Through History."

Current painter, Lawrence Jones, lives in the Pimlico neighborhood.