Alibi Breakfast

Dr. Dionne Benson and Cricket Goodall will each be honored with the Special Award of Merit on Thursday, May 14 at the Alibi Breakfast at Laurel Park. The Special Award of Merit is given to those who have made a positive impact on the racing industry. Previous recipients have included Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, Jim McKay, Ellen Charles, Beyond the Wire, D. Wayne Lukas and Jerry Bailey. The Alibi Breakfast, which began in the 1930s on the porch of the historic Pimlico Race Course, features a gathering of owners, trainers, jockeys,...

Childs Walker, who has covered Thoroughbred racing in Maryland and nationally for nearly 20 years, has been named recipient of the Old Hilltop Award for covering the sport with excellence and distinction, the Stronach Group announced Tuesday. Walker will be presented with the Old Hilltop Award Thursday, May 14 at the Alibi Breakfast at Laurel Park. The Alibi Breakfast, which began in the 1930s on the porch of the historic Pimlico Race Course, features a gathering of owners, trainers, jockeys, media and fans to celebrate the Preakness and gain interesting...

Michael Behrens and MyRacehorse, owners of last year's GI Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Grey (Arrogate), will be celebrated at Thursday's Alibi Breakfast with the role of Honorary Postmaster for Preakness 150. Previous Honorary Postmasters have included Hall of Fame trainers D. Wayne Lukas, Nick Zito, and Bob Baffert; Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado; and Horse of the Year recipients Cigar and Knicks Go. Behrens is the Founder and CEO of MyRacehorse, the platform that brought fractional racehorse ownership to the masses. Under his leadership, MyRacehorse has opened the...

Dave Rodman, announcer at Maryland's racetracks since 1991, has been named recipient of a Special Award of Merit for his contributions and positive impact on the racing industry. Rodman will be presented with the award at the May 15 Alibi Breakfast at Pimlico Race Course. A native of New Orleans, Rodman worked as a deejay at various radio stations before calling his first race at Jefferson Downs in 1981. He moved to Louisiana Downs in 1985 before becoming the track announcer for the Maryland Jockey Club, calling races at Pimlico,...

Tom Law, a two-time Eclipse Award-winning turf writer and managing editor of ST Publishing--which produces The Saratoga Special and Thisishorseracing.com--will receive the 'Old Hilltop Award' for covering Thoroughbred racing with excellence and distinction during the annual Alibi Breakfast at Pimlico Race Course on Thursday, May 15. A native and current resident of Saratoga Springs, New York, Law began covering racing at The Saratogian in 1994 and is a past president of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB). He has also been recognized with the Red Smith Kentucky Derby Writing...

Entries are now open for the David F. Woods Memorial Award, presented for the best Preakness story print, television and multimedia from 2024, and the Jerry Frutkoff Photography Award, presented to the photographer of the best Preakness image from 2024. Recipients of the David F. Woods and Jerry Frutkoff Award will be honored at the Alibi Breakfast Thursday, May 15 at Pimlico Race Course. The Alibi Breakfast, which started in the late 1930s, features a gathering of media, owners, trainers, breeders, jockeys, and celebrities to celebrate the Preakness and solicit...

Baltimore, MD--The stage may have changed but the show remains the same. Two weeks ago, the Triple Crown train ran through Louisville, where all were treated to a sensory assault that can only be understood when experienced first-hand. With the tour moving on to Pimlico this week, there is an undeniable adjustment. It's something like comparing Taylor Swift to Courtney Love. No further explanation required. However, despite all of its shortcomings (and no, the elevator is still not working), Pimlico and the GI Preakness S. offer a charm that many...

The Alibi Breakfast, held Thursday at Pimlico Race Course, will honor WBAL-Radio and photographer John Voorhees for their coverage of the 2023 GI Preakness S. WBAL-Radio will receive the David F. Woods Award while Voorhees, working on behalf of Eclipse Sportswire, will be recognized for his photo of last year's Preakness winner National Treasure (Quality Road) and jockey John Velazquez. Tickets for the Alibi Breakfast can be purchased here.

Longtime horsewoman and lifetime philanthropist Ellen Charles, who has bred or owned some of Maryland's most popular and successful horses of recent years, will be recognized with the Special Award of Merit May 16 during the Alibi Breakfast at historic Pimlico Race Course, 1/ST Racing said in a Wednesday release. The Special Award of Merit is given to those who have made a positive impact on the racing industry. Past recipients have included Jim McKay, Hall of Fame trainers D. Wayne Lukas and King Leatherbury and the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance....

Beverly Strauss, co-founder and Executive Director of the Chesapeake City, M.D.-based Mid-Atlantic Horse Rescue, has been named as the Honorary Postmaster for Preakness 149, the Maryland Jockey Club announced Monday. Strauss will be recognized during the Alibi Breakfast Thursday, May 16 at Pimlico Race Course. A graduate of the U.S. Pony Club, Strauss helped launch MAHR in 2002 with the goal of helping to find and transition former racehorses to new homes. A federal 501(c)3 non-profit organization, MAHR buys ex-racehorses and, after quarantine and careful evaluation, adopts them into good...

Daily Racing Form (DRF) writer Dan Illman has been named recipient of the 2024 Old Hilltop Award for covering Thoroughbred racing with excellence and distinction and will be honored May 16 at Pimlico's Alibi Breakfast in the buildup to the GI Preakness S. "I am very honored to receive the Old Hilltop Award from the Maryland Jockey Club," said Illman, who also serves as executive producer for DRF's video productions. "I fell in love with racing the first time I went to Belmont Park as a child, snuck the Daily...

Michael Algeo, who was appointed to the Maryland Racing Commission in 2016 and currently serves as Chairman, will receive the Special Award of Merit at Pimlico's Alibi Breakfast. The Special Award of Merit, which recognizes those who have made a positive impact on the racing industry, has previously recognized industry stalwarts like Jim McKay, D. Wayne Lukas, Chick Lang, King Leatherbury, and Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. "When I received the call from [Maryland Jockey Club Acting President] Mike Rogers, I was both humbled and grateful," Algeo said. "When one looks at...