2016 Preakness forecast: Horses to race on sloppy track with rainy weather on tap

By Kevin Byrne, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer

May 19,2016; 10:04PM,EDT

Wet and cool conditions are forecast for the 141st Preakness Stakes Saturday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.
Spectators planning to spend the day at Pimlico will want to bring rain gear as a storm system will move through the mid-Atlantic on Saturday, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Carl Erickson.
"Plenty of clouds and occasional rain are expected through the day. Some of the rain may be heavy at times," Erickson said.

Post time for the second leg of the Triple Crown is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. EDT.
The heaviest rain will fall during the morning and mid-afternoon hours. But by time of the race, it may just be damp and drizzly with no more than a light rain falling, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek.
"It's going to be a nasty day," Dombek said.
Due to the clouds and precipitation, Saturday will be cooler, with temperatures remaining in the 50s F. A normal high temperature for May 21 in Baltimore is 75 F.
The news isn't all bad for racegoers. Sunshine will eventually give way to clouds on Friday for the 92nd running of the Black-Eyed Susan, one off the oldest races held at Pimlico. Highs are forecast to peak in the low 70s.
However, Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, along with 10 other horses in the field, will likely have to compete on a muddy racetrack for the Preakness even if the rain ends in time for the race. This will be a change from the dry and sunny weather that provided a fast race track in Louisville two weeks ago.
Light rain fell during practice sessions on Tuesday and that forced Nyquist's trainer Doug O'Neill to move the training time to later in the morning so the horse could run on a dry track, according to David Grening of Daily Racing Form.
American Pharoah, ridden by Victor Espinoza, wins the 140th Preakness Stakes horse race at Pimlico Race Course, Saturday, May 16,2015, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
O'Neill said he did not think track conditions would negatively impact Nyquist's ability to race on Saturday.
"Rain or shine, as long as he's doing well, we've got a real good chance," O'Neill told Grening.
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This will be the second consecutive year that rain is expected during the Preakness. The 2015 race saw American Pharoah cruise past the competition despite the muddy track en route to becoming the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.
According to the Baltimore Sun, last year's race was the first run on sloppy track conditions since 1983.