Beer still king in friendlier Preakness infield
May 19, 2012BALTIMORE (AP) - The Preakness infield used to be a beer-doused festival of mayhem.
Before Pimilico Race Course stopped allowing fans to bring in their own beer, the infield was a danger zone where 12-ounce cans were tossed like hand grenades, drunken youths sprinted over the portable toilets and there were more fights than races.
Now it's a place where a family can bring their kids, where music fills the air and where a stroll doesn't include being hit in the head by a flying object.
There's still plenty of beer, but it's being consumed in a far friendlier environment.
Such was the case Saturday, when thousands assembled under a gorgeous, blue sky to enjoy a party that happened to coincide with the running of the second jewel of the Triple Crown.