Preakness (1867–1881) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was sired by the famed leading sire Lexington out of a mare named Bay Leaf. Preakness was from Milton Holbrook Sanford's Preakness Stud in Preakness, Wayne Township, New Jersey.^[2]

Preakness upset the heavily favored colt, Foster, to win the inaugural running of the Dixie Stakes (then known as the Dinner Party Stakes) on October 25, 1870, the opening day of Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. He continued his racing career until age 9 with a record of 18-12-2 in 39 starts.

After his retirement from racing, Preakness was sold to stand at stud in England. He later became temperamental, as did his new owner, the Duke of Hamilton. After an altercation where Preakness refused to obey the Duke during a breeding session, he retrieved a gun and killed the colt, leading to a public outcry. As a result, there was a reform in the laws regarding the treatment of animals.^[3] Mr Sanford, the previous owner of Preakness, donated his trophy from the Dinner Party Stakes to the new race named in honour of the horse.^[4]

In honor of winning the first Dixie Stakes, a new stakes race was named in honor of Preakness: The Preakness Stakes.^[5]

In 2018, Preakness was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.^[6]

* Preakness is inbred 4S x 4D to the stallion Emilius, meaning that he appears fourth generation on the sire side of his pedigree and fourth generation on the dam side of his pedigree.