Of all the events I’ve ever covered, and there have been many, the Preakness is one I don’t really care to cover again.

The track itself is old and in a tough neighborhood and the press box is too small, too cramped and needs a serious overhaul, starting with electrical outlets.

It can be a maze of extension cords.

Once when I was there to leave my tiny assigned work space I had to duck, step over, step over, duck and step over extension cords and that was within the first six feet.

Another time I got assigned a tiny corner in the back of the room, and it was at the end of the L shaped area.

It was so hot back there _ the last air conditioning vent was in another room _ guys stripped down to their boxers. Not me. Too shy.

The first time I went was to cover Sunny’s Halo, who won the 1983 Arkansas and Kentucky Derbies.

It rained and some local horse was the only one wearing mud caulks and he won.

The next time was 2004 when Smarty Jones, also winner of the Arkansas and Kentucky Derbies, won and headed to Belmont in hopes of winning the Triple Crown. He came up just short.

That said about the Preakness, if the weather is pretty today, it will be overflowing.

It is a beast of a party in the infield for everyone who lives within six hours of Baltimore.

For a few hours no one will notice that those townhouses the cameras catch when the horses are running down the back stretch are actually low income houses in dire need of repair.

The Preakness Party will start early and end late, and I won’t miss it again this year.

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