It started with a cup of coffee. In the late 1930s on the porch of the historical Pimlico Clubhouse, a group of trainers, owners and greater and lesser dignitaries would gather in the mornings to expound upon the merits of their horses.

The group would meet at the first training period starting at 6:00AM and disperse when training ended at 10:00AM Notable trainers such as Yancey Christmas and
Horatio Luro would swap information with other gentlemen in the morning, offering no alibis, but telling some of the best racing stories to ever reach print. The
veracity of some of these tales, however, was questionable.

Conflicting information as to the condition of the horse, jockey, track and even trainer were combined into tales of half-truth and half-fiction.

Today's Alibi Breakfast is a descendant of the original gathering at the Old Clubhouse. Named in the 1940s by publicity director David Woods, today's Alibi
Breakfast features a gathering of media, owners, trainers, jockeys and horsemen to celebrate Preakness, and solicit interesting race predictions.

The Alibi Breakfast has also become an opportunity for the Maryland Jockey Club to recognize those who have made significant contributions to the racing industry.



DAVID F. WOODS MEMORIAL AWARD

1982 to honor the memory of Dave Woods, long-time racetrack publicist Sun columnist, the award is presented annually by Pimlico Race Course to the best
Preakness story for the previous year.

1982 - Billy Reed, Louisville Courier-Journal
1983 - John Schulian, Chicago Sun-Times
1984 - Jack Murray, Cincinnati Enquirer
1985 - George Vecsey, New York Times
1986 - Dave Kindred, Atlanta Constitution-Journal
1987 - Billy Reed, Lexington Herald Leader
1988 - Bob Roberts, Cleveland Plain Dealer
             Don Clippinger, Thoroughbred Record
1989 - Larry Bortstein, Orange County Register
1990 - Bill Christine, Los Angeles Times
1991 - Bill Christine, Los Angeles Times
1992 - Jay Hovdey, Blood-Horse
1993 - Bill Mooney, Blood-Horse
1994 - Jay Posner, San Diego Union Tribune
1995 - Bill Finley, New York Daily News
1996 - Steve Haskin, Daily Racing Form
1997 - Jay Hovdey, Daily Racing Form
1998 - Jay Hovdey, Daily Racing Form
1999 - Bill Mooney, Backstretch Magazine
2000 - Rick Snider, Washington Times
2001 - Tom LaMarra, Blood-Horse
2002 - Jay Privman, Daily Racing Form
2003 - Bill Finley, New York Times
2004 - Sean Clancy, Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred


OLD HILLTOP AWARD

Since 1976, Pimlico has paid tribute to selected members of the sports media who have covered Thoroughbred racing with excellence and distinction. In
recognition, they have been voted the Old Hilltop Award, in honor of Pimlico's historic nickname.

1976 - Red Smith, New York Times
1976 - Raoul Carlisle, Arkansas Times Herald
1977 - Charles Lamb, News American
1977 - William Boniface, Baltimore Sun
1977 - Barney Nagler, Daily Racing Form
1978 - Win Elliott, CBS
1978 - Joe Hirsch, Daily Racing Form
1978 - Bob Maisel, Baltimore Sun
1979 - Whitney Tower, Sports Illustrated
1979 - Joe Kelly, Washington Star
1979 - Williams C. Phillips, Daily Racing Form
1980 - Edwin Pope, Miami Herald
1980 - Snowden Carter, Maryland Horse
1981 - William Leggett, Sports Illustrated
1981 - Jack Mann, Baltimore Evening Sun
1982 - Russ Harris, New York Daily News
1982 - Kent Hollingsworth, Blood-Horse
1983 - Jack Whitaker, ABC Sports
1983 - Dale Austin, Baltimore Sun
1984 - Jim McKay, ABC Sports
1984 - Billy Reed, Louisville Courier-Journal
1985 - Howard Cosell, ABC Sports
1985 - Sam McCracken, Boston Globe
1986 - Shirley Povich, Washington Post
1986 - Vince Bagli, WBAL-TV
1987 - Jack Dawson, WMAR-TV
1987 - Dave Feldman, Chicago Sun Times
1988 - Bill Nack, Sports Illustrated
1988 - Ed Bowen, Blood-Horse
1989 - John Steadman, Baltimore Evening Sun
1989 - Bill Christine, Los Angeles Times
1990 - Shelby Whitfield, ABC Radio
1990 - Bill Tanton, Baltimore Evening Sun
1991 - Demmie Stathopolos, Sports Illustrated
1991 - Sam Lacy, Baltimore Afro-American
1992 - Maryjean Wall, Lexington Herald Leader
1992 - Dave Johnson, ABC Sports
1993 - John Buren, WJZ-TV
1993 - Jim Bolus, freelance journalist
1994 - Jim West, WBAL Radio
1994 - Ed Schuyler, Jr., Associated Press
1995 - Charlsie Canty, ABC Sports
1995 - Neil Milbert, Chicago Tribune
1996 - Dan Farley, Racing Post
1996 - George Michael, WRC-TV
1997 - Reid Cherner, USA Today
1997 - Chris Lincoln, ESPN
1998 - Vinnie Perrone, Maryland Turf Writers
1998 - Ed Kiernan, WBAL Radio
1999 - Pohla Smith, National Turf Writers
1999 - Harry Kakel, WMAR-TV
2000 - Joe Kelly, racing historian
2000 - Marty Bass, WJZ-TV
2001 - Keith Mills, WMAR-TV
2001 - Jennie Rees, Louisville Courier-Journal
2002 - Stan Charles, Baltimore radio personality
2002 -Michele MacDonald, Thoroughbred Times
2003 - Steve Haskin, Blood-Horse
2003 -John Patti, WBAL Radio
2004 -Gary West, Dallas Morning News
2004 -Bruce Cunningham, WBFF-TV


SPECIAL AWARD OF MERIT

The Special Award of Merit is given to those who have made a positive impact on the racing industry.

1989 - Fred Grossman, Daily Racing Form
1990 - Dennis Swanson, ABC Sports
1991 - Jim McKay, ABC Sports
1992 - Joe Hirsch, Daily Racing Form
1993 - "Racing Across America", ESPN
1994 - Thomas V. Mike Miller, State Senator
1995 - John H. Mosner, former Chairman of Maryland Racing Commission
1996 - D. Wayne Lukas, Trainer
1997 - Steve Gigliotti, WMAR-TV
1998 - Carl F. Pascarella, VISA, USA
1999 - Steven Crist, Daily Racing Form
2000 - Chick Lang, WBAL Radio
2001 - award not presented
2002 - John Heisler, Retired Maryland Racing Steward
2003 - NBC Sports
2004 - King Leatherbury, Trainer
 

JERRY FRUTKOFF PREAKNESS PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD, SPONSORED BY NIKON

Initiated in 2002, to honor the memory of its long-time photographer, the Jerry Frutkoff Preakness Photography Award sponsored by Nikon is presented to the
photographer of the best Preakness picture from the previous year.

2002- Molly Riley, Reuters
2003-Skip Dickstein, Bloood-Horse
2004-Jeff Snyder, Blood-Horse
 

HONORARY POSTMASTER

Since 1996, the United States Postal Service has opened a temporary Preakness postal station the week of the middle jewel of the Visa Triple Crown.

1996 - Cigar, Maryland-bred who was 1995 Horse Of The Year
1997 - Nick Zito, Trainer
1998 - Bob Baffert, Trainer
1999 - Marty Bass, WJZ-TV
2000 - D. Wayne Lukas, Trainer
2001 - J. William Boniface, Trainer
2002 - John Buren, Baltimore sportscaster
2003 - Nancy Alberts, Trainer
2004 - Bud Delp, Trainer