Kegasus trots before media to promote Preakness
With a horse named Animal Kingdom winning the first leg of this year's Triple Crown, it only seems natural that a half-man, half-centaur wild thing named Kegasus will be riling up the Pimlico infield Saturday for the running of the 136th Preakness Stakes.
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The Preakness mascot jumped out of the gates Monday with a media appearance to promote the Triple Crown's middle race, CBS News station WJZ-TV in Baltimore reports.
(Watch a report from WJZ-TV at left)
"The people of Baltimore have welcomed me without exception with open arms, recognizing me on the street, hailing Kegasus, to which I say, 'All hail to you, Baltimore,'" Kegasus told reporters.
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Ticket sales indicate that the Maryland Jockey Club made a smart bet by tapping Kegasus as the race's mascot. Compared to the same point in 2010, 2011's sales are 17 percent higher. (At least 32,000 fans ended up on the infield last year.)
"All indications are that he is popular with the folks that go to the bars and those are the people we want on the infield," club spokesman Mike Gathagan told WJZ-TV.
Bar patrons are the people usually associated with the infield, especially after partiers competed in the so-called Running of the Urinals in 2007.
(Watch a YouTube video from then below)
In 2009, infield attendees were banned from bringing alcohol, and ticket sales dropped 31 percent to hit the lowest infield attendance in 25 years. Last year, organizers sold beer mugs with unlimited refills for a flat $20 fee to bring the partiers back.