Going from the Kentucky Derby to the Preakness Stakes was depressing. At first, anyway. (See our video of the scene.) Baltimore, Maryland's Pimlico Race Track is a ratty, dog-eared venue, down-at-the-heels with the threadbare atmosphere of a gritty OTB. It's always been a no-frills track for the common man. In contrast, Louisville, Kentucky's Churchill Downs is more like a comfortable, prim and proper country club -- an equine Mecca steeped in majestic style. The Downs trumps Pimlico in style, celebrity buzz, and old-boy southern traditions with a generally well-heeled, fairly behaved crowd (except for the infield's Bud Light-and-vomit cache). Pimlico corners the market on permissive weirdness and casual debauchery with a shrugging acceptance of advanced age. After spending an hour in Pimlico's jockey room and prep paddocks (normally off-limits to media) meeting friendly track staff veterans, it was decided: Churchill Downs has an attractive starchy gloss, but Pimlico has soul.

Last Saturday, we attended the 133rd Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore, Maryland. Along with writer John Clarke Jr. (see full report here), we observed, reported, mixed, mingled and sampled Black-Eyed Susans. It was hard not to feel we had entered an alternate universe (think The Wire meets National Velvet). The differences between the two worlds of a Triple Crown horse race and the surrounding circus were staggering. Hit the jump for our video trip through the "Freakness," including local wisdom, impromptu interpretive dance, jockey underwear issues, and shopping cart races.