Horse racing: Imagination looks like real thing in Preakness

The second leg of the Triple Crown series is first in the hearts of many people in horse racing, for a list of reasons big enough to wallpaper the Pimlico stakes barn.

For those on hand for the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, the fun starts with the weeklong buzz around that single barn housing every Preakness horse and horseman, and the old grandstand’s ramshackle charm, and the event’s place in the city’s rich sports history, and the crab dinners.

For bettors everywhere...