| Surface: | Dirt |
| 121st Preakness Stakes | |
| Horse Race: | The Preakness Stakes |
| Location: | Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, Maryland, United States |
| Date: | May 18, 1996 |
| Winning Horse: | Louis Quatorze |
| Winning Jockey: | Pat Day |
| Winning Trainer: | Nick Zito |
| Conditions: | Fast |
| Previous: | 1995 |
| Next: | 1997 |
The 1996 Preakness Stakes was the 121st running of the Preakness Stakes thoroughbred horse race. The race took place on May 18, 1996, and was televised in the United States on the ABC television network. Louis Quatorze, who was jockeyed by Pat Day, won the race by lengths over runner-up Skip Away. Approximate post time was 5:33 p.m. Eastern Time. The race was run over a fast track in a final time of 1:53-
2/5.[1] The Maryland Jockey Club reported total attendance of 97,751, this is recorded as second highest on the list of American thoroughbred racing top attended events for North America in 1996.[2]The race did not include Kentucky Derby winner Grindstone, as he was retired five days after his victory, when a bone chip was discovered in his knee.[3] He was the first horse since Bubbling Over in 1926 to be retired immediately following a win in the Kentucky Derby.
The 121st Preakness Stakes Payout Schedule
| Program Number | Horse Name | Win | Place | Show | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Louis Quatorze | US$19.00 | $7.80 | $5.20 | |
| 11 | Skip Away | - | $5.60 | $4.60 | |
| 10 | Editor's Note | – | – | $5.00 |
$2 Exacta: (6–11) paid $104.60
$2 Trifecta: (6–11–10) paid $613.40
$1 Superfecta: (6–11–10–2) paid $876.40
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| Finish Position | Margin (lengths) | Post Position | Horse name | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Post Time Odds | Purse Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 0 | 6 | Louis Quatorze | Pat Day | Nick Zito | Candren, Cornacchia & Hofmann | 8.50-1 | $650,000 |
| 2nd | 3-1/4 | 11 | Skip Away | Shane Sellers | Hubert Hine | Carolyn H. Hine | 3.30-1 | $200,000 |
| 3rd | 6-1/4 | 10 | Editor's Note | Gary Stevens | D. Wayne Lukas | Overbrook Farm | 6.50-1 | $100,000 |
| 4th | 2 | Cavonnier | Chris McCarron | Bob Baffert | Walter Family Trust | 1.70-1 favorite | $50,000 | |
| 5th | 9 | 3 | Victory Speech | René Douglas | D. Wayne Lukas | Susan Magnier | 40.60-1 | |
| 6th | 11 | 4 | In Contention | Alex Solis | Cynthia G. Reese | Noreen Carpenito | 19.00-1 | |
| 7th | 18 | 9 | Prince of Thieves | Jerry Bailey | D. Wayne Lukas | Charles Grimm | 4.00-1 | |
| 8th | 1 | Allied Forces | Kiaran McLaughlin | Al Tayer Ahmad | 20.10-1 | |||
| 9th | 24 | 5 | Secreto de Estado | Cornelio Velásquez | Alfredo Callejas | Robert Perez | 103.10-1 | |
| 10th | 24-1/4 | 12 | Tour's Big Red | Enrique Alonso | William Penn | 48.40-1 | ||
| 11th | 25 | 8 | Mixed Count | Ronald L. Benshoff | Leonard Pearlstein | 99.30-1 | ||
| 12th | 33 | 7 | Feather Box | Jorge Velásquez | Ángel Cordero Jr. | Buckland Farm | 49.60-1 | |