The Preakness is tomorrow (5/15/21) in Baltimore. I went to several of them in the 1970s and 1980s. Thanks to alcohol, I don’t remember too much. I only know which ones I saw if I have tangible proof like a glass or program. I know I saw the last Triple Crown Preakness for over three decades in 1978 because I have the program.
The infield got a lot more crowded and busier in recent years (until the pandemic). They had bands in the infield. There used to be potty races where people ran on top of the portable toilets. Attendance recently was about 50% higher than when I went. Attendance will be limited to 10,000. In 2019, the attendance was 131,256. By comparison, in 1978 it was 81,261.
I have also seen the race from the grandstand which is a lot more adult than watching it from the infield.
Sad! 