As somebody who has experienced the Preakness in every capacity possible- from being Miss Preakness to ponying horses in the post parade to having my picture taken in the winner’s circle- the Preakness infield is by far the most fun and the most out of control. When you walk through the tunnel that takes you from the normal world of the parking lot, a transformation occurs as you pass under the historic Pimlico Race Course and emerge into a world utter pandemonium.

The infield is like a couple hundred house parties thrown into an open field, where the only definition of space is with yellow caution tape or the loose arrangement of lawn chairs and baby pools filled with beer (not to mention other inebriating aids). You see people that you have not seen for years and make friends with people from entirely different states.

The fans that attend the Preakness infield are generally completely unaware that they are in the middle of a track where one of the most prestigious races in horse racing is run. When asked which horse they like in the Preakness, they typically respond “What horses?” They really don’t care about the racing as long as they have beers in their hands and smiles on their faces.

Unfortunately, in the past few years the infield has gone from being out of control in a fun way to being totally unsafe. I ventured out to the middle of the Pimlico turf course two years ago and thought that I was entering a war zone instead of a party, where the weapons were full cans of beer being launched into the air. People were throwing loaded cans with total disregard to where they might land or who they might knock out. I’ve heard stories from people that passed out from too much fun in the sun only to be awakened by a punch to the face by a total stranger. It seems as though our ever increasingly violent society has crept into the once fun loving Preakness infield.

This year the Maryland Jockey Club has revamped the infield, coining it InfieldFEST at Preakness. In hopes of calming down the crowd, Pimlico has enforced a new policy banning all outside alcohol from being brought into the infield.

As a student at Towson University (which makes up a large percentage of the infield) I have gotten a lot of negative feedback from my classmates about the new Preakness infield. People are telling me that they are not going to attend because of the new policy. But I am quick to counter their arguments, not just because I am huge horse racing fan and a Maryland racing supporter, but because they are really getting so much more for their $50 ticket this year than ever before. For the same price people are getting a concert featuring rock n’ roll legends ZZ Top, as well as Buckcherry and locals Charm City Devils, a women’s beach volleyball tournament (who doesn’t want to watch sexy, toned women roll around in the sand?), a virtual reality tent, oxygen bars and a second stage featuring a wide variety of other entertainment.

Former Towson student and current actress Stacy Keibler will be the official host of InfieldFest. We couldn’t ask for a better host. She is a native Baltimorean, former Ravens cheerleader, she can wrestle and dance, plus she’s absolutely gorgeous!

So after I get done telling my fellow college students about all the extra and awesome things they are getting at this year’s Preakness, they still say, “Who cares, we can’t bring in any beer”. Let’s not forget that this is a sporting event- a sporting event that brings the world of sports to Baltimore every year. The Ravens and the Orioles charge eight dollars plus for a 12 ounce cup of beer and Pimlico is only charging $3.50 for a 16 ounce plastic cup of beer. I don’t see those teams winning a Super Bowl or a World Series every year while the Preakness annually brings attention to Baltimore.

I know many people feel as though this new InfieldFEST is abandoning the tradition of the Preakness infield. But what they don’t realize is that the infield has been evolving over the 134 years of the Preakness Stakes. For many years, fans were not even allowed in the infield. Then in the 1970’s when they started opening it up to the public it was a family atmosphere with picnics and a lacrosse game. So what I am trying to say is that the infield is only part of the Preakness and we cannot forget the real reason why thousands of people descend upon historic Pimlico every third Saturday in May- to watch the most talented horses in America compete for the second jewel of the Triple Crown.