Temperature soars above 90 degrees at the 147th Preakness

(AP) - Standing outside the stakes barn at Pimlico Race Course earlier in the week, trainer Kenny McPeek brushed off concern about the heat and how it might affect Creative Minister in the Preakness.

“He goes out there and never flinches,” McPeek said. “I don’t think the heat will bother him at all, and I don’t worry about what I can’t control but I hope the weatherman’s wrong.”

The weatherman was not wrong.

The 147th Preakness could be run in some of the hottest weather in the history of the Triple Crown race.

The temperature at Pimlico Race Course soared above 90 degrees Fahrenheit just after 1 p.m. The forecast calls for it to be 90 degrees when the horses enter the starting gate just after 7. Post time is scheduled for 7:01.

The record high on Preakness day is 96 set in 1934. Steve Asmussen, the trainer of favorite Epicenter, said he was as concerned as he possibly could be about the heat.

“We know it can be pretty sticky when it gets warm in Baltimore, so I think that all of them are going to have to deal with that,” Asmussen said. “He’s a big horse turning back in 14 days, so just make sure he’s drinking plenty of water and hydrated, just like your kids.”

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