Rachel Bilson

Rachel Sarah Bilson (born August 25, 1981) is an American actress. Bilson grew up in a California show business family, and made her television debut in 2003, subsequently becoming well-known for playing Summer Roberts on the prime time drama series The O.C. Bilson made her film debut in the 2006 film The Last Kiss and starred in the 2008 action/science fiction film Jumper.

Early life

Bilson was born in Los Angeles, the daughter of Janice (née Stango), a sex therapist, and Danny Bilson, a writer/director/producer. Bilson's father is Jewish and her mother, a native of Philadelphia, is Italian American. Bilson's father comes from a show business family; her great-grandfather, George Bilson, (born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK) was the head of the trailer department at RKO Pictures, her Brooklyn-born great-grandmother, Hattie Bilson, was a screenwriter, and her grandfather, Bruce Bilson, is a film director. Bilson's parents divorced during her childhood, and in 1997, her father remarried Heather Medway, an actress and the mother of Bilson's half-sisters Hattie and Rosemary.

Bilson has been noted as having a "self-destructive, rebellious period" during her teen years. When she was 14, she and a group of her brother's friends were involved in a car accident, a head-on collision with another car. As a result, Bilson was unconscious for a few days, has a scar above her right eye, and sometimes suffers from migraines and memory loss. She has stated that the experience "changed" her,encouraging her to "stop... getting into trouble" and stopping her from "going down that road". Bilson graduated from Walter Reed Middle School in 1995 and from Notre Dame High School in 1999. During her time at Notre Dame, she appeared in productions of Bye Bye Birdie, Once Upon a Mattress and The Crucible.

Career

Bilson attended Grossmont College in a suburb of San Diego, but dropped out after one year, taking her father's advice to pursue a professional acting career and making several appearances in commercials, including advertisements for Subway restaurants, Raisin Bran and Pepto-Bismol. She made her screen acting debut in early 2003, appearing in episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter. Bilson was subsequently cast in The O.C., which debuted in August 2003. Her character, Summer Roberts, was initially intended to appear in only a few episodes, but became a series regular after a successful run, as Bilson's on-screen romance with Seth Cohen (Adam Brody) became a noted aspect of the series.

As a result of the success of The O.C., Bilson has become well-known among teenage audiences. At the 2005 Teen Choice Awards, Bilson collected three awards: "Choice Hottie Female", "Choice TV Actress (Drama)" and "Best Onscreen TV Chemistry" (jointly won with Adam Brody). In 2005, Maxim magazine named her sixth in their annual "Hot 100 List"; in 2006, the publication awarded her #14. The UK edition of FHM Magazine named her 28th in the 2006 100 Sexiest Women in the World list,while the US Edition Ranked her 77th in 2005. Bilson was also named one of People magazine's "100 Most Beautiful People" in 2006. In January 2008, radio host Howard Stern named her the "hottest chick in Hollywood."

Bilson's first film role was in The Last Kiss, a romantic comedy-drama also starring Zach Braff. In the film, which opened in 2006, she plays a college student who seduces Braff's character. It was reported that she called for a body double during the sex scenes because she was uncomfortable being nude in front of the camera. She does appear in the scene for the final film, wearing a flesh-colored bra. "I was terrified!" she admitted. "But Zach really helped me through it, and we're friends, so he made it very comfortable, and Tony made it very comfortable, and it was actually a really nice setting. And I'm happy I did it, because I can say I did my first sex scene, and I never have to do that again!" One review of the film noted that Bilson played the role with "surprising depth", although another critic described her role as "Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction as an airhead valley girl with a hot bod".

Bilson has stated that she prefers acting in feature films to appearing on television, and that she would like the kind of roles "that Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson are offered". She has specified that though she is "grateful" for the success of The O.C., she feels that the show "is over" and that she is "ready to move on" to film roles. In September 2006, unconfirmed reports surfaced that Bilson was linked to star in a film version of the comic book character Wonder Woman; Bilson has stated that these reports were untrue.

In late 2006, Bilson was cast in the role of Millie in Doug Liman's thriller Jumper, as the replacement for actress Teresa Palmer; the film was released on February 14, 2008. She also appeared in a two-episode arc on The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz's NBC comedy, Chuck, and in the film New York, I Love You, and appeared in the 100th episode of How I Met Your Mother ("Girls Versus Suits") as Ted Mosby's latest love interest. In September 2008, she started shooting the indie romantic film Waiting For Forever, directed by James Keach. In September 2009, Rachel appeared as a celebrity guest judge in the third episode of Project Runway (season 6). In that same episode, she described her height as 5'2.

Personal life

Bilson and Hayden Christensen met on the set of Jumper in 2007 and became engaged in 2008. In June 2010, US Weekly reported that they have split up. In August 2010, her rep confirmed that the couple's engagement was off. Three months later in November 2010, it was reported that Bilson and Christensen have begun dating again. She and Adam Brody, her co-star on The O.C., dated for three years. Their relationship ended in 2006.

Bilson has been recognized by several media sources as being a "fashion junkie". She has described herself as having a "vintage" sense of style, and noted Kate Moss and Diane Keaton as inspirations. Her clothes often have a "boho" feel to them. She approached DKNY Jeans in late 2007 with a view to design a clothing line with the popular fashion brand. Together they created Edie Rose. The collection was launched in September 2008. It consisted of mainly black and white separates with a splash of yellow that could easily work with an existing wardrobe. Her idea was to keep fashionable items accessible to young women by keeping the prices of each piece under $100. An advertising image was released in July 2008 which featured Bilson modelling her Edie Rose collection. Of her line, she said in an interview with Teen Vogue that "I wanted to keep it as separate as possible from Rachel Bilson the actress. I'm hoping people will appreciate it for the clothes, not the person behind them."Much of her fashion collection was lost when her home was burgled in May 2009. Before appearing in Maxim, Bilson had turned down requests to appear seminude in men's magazines, specifying that she feels that her body "is sacred" and "not there for the whole world to see". Bilson's fashions and sense of style made her the unwitting target of the Bling Ring, who burgled her home on several occasions.

Filmography

Film

Year Film Role Notes

2006 The Last Kiss Kim

2008 Jumper Millie Harris

2009 New York, I Love You Molly Snow

2010 Waiting For Forever Emma Twist Post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes

2003 8 Simple Rules Jenny Episode: "Career Choices"

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Colleen Episode: "Dirty Girls"

The O.C. Summer Roberts 2003-2007 (92 episodes)

2004 That '70s Show Christy Episode: "5:15"

2007 Chuck Lou Palone 2 episodes

2010 How I Met Your Mother Cindy 2 episodes: "Girls Versus Suits" and "Big Days"

(source:wikipedia)

Arsenal F.C.

Arsenal Football Club (PLUS Markets: AFC) (pronounced /ˈɑrsənəl, ˈɑrsnəl/) (often simply known as Arsenal or The Arsenal, or by their nickname The Gunners) is an English professional football club based in Holloway, North London. Arsenal play in the Premier League and are one of the most successful clubs in English football, having won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups. They hold the record for the longest uninterrupted period in the English top flight and are the only side to have completed a Premier League season unbeaten.

Arsenal Football Club was founded in 1886 and, in 1893, became the first club from the south of England to join the Football League. They won their first major trophies—five League Championship titles and two FA Cups:—in the 1930s. After a lean period in the post-war years they became the second club of the 20th century to win the League and FA Cup Double, in the 1970–71 season, and in the 1990s and 2000s recorded a series of successes – during this time Arsenal won a Cup Double, two further League and FA Cup Doubles, and became the first London club to reach the UEFA Champions League Final.
The club's colours, traditionally red and white, have evolved over time. Similarly, the club have moved location; founded in Woolwich, south-east London, in 1913 they moved north across the city to Arsenal Stadium, in Highbury. In 2006 they made a shorter move, to the Emirates Stadium in nearby Holloway.
Arsenal have an estimated 27 million fans worldwide, and the fans have long-standing rivalries with several other clubs; the most notable of these is with neighbours Tottenham Hotspur, with whom they regularly contest the North London derby. Arsenal are also the third-richest club in the world as of 2010, valued at $1.2 billion. The club have regularly featured in portrayals of football in British culture. Arsenal Ladies are the most successful English club in women's football and are also affiliated with the club.

History

History of Arsenal F.C. (1886–1966) and History of Arsenal F.C. (1966–present).
Arsenal Football Club started out as Dial Square in 1886 by workers at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, south-east London, and was renamed Royal Arsenal shortly afterwards. The club was renamed again to Woolwich Arsenal after turning professional in 1891. The club joined the Football League in 1893, starting out in the Second Division, and won promotion to the First Division in 1904. The club's relative geographic isolation resulted in lower attendances than those of other clubs, which led to the club becoming mired in financial problems and effectively bankrupt by 1910, when they were taken over by local businessman Henry Norris. Norris sought to move the club elsewhere, and in 1913, soon after relegation back to the Second Division, Arsenal moved to the new Arsenal Stadium in Highbury, North London; they dropped "Woolwich" from their name the following year. Arsenal only finished in fifth place in 1919, but were nevertheless elected to rejoin the First Division at the expense of local rivals Tottenham Hotspur, by reportedly dubious means.


Arsenal's players and fans celebrate their 2004 League
title win with an open-top bus parade.

Arsenal players (in yellow shirts, left) line up alongside Barcelona for the 2006 Champions League Final.
Arsenal appointed Herbert Chapman as manager in 1925. Having already won the league twice with Huddersfield Town in 1923–24 and 1924–25 (see Seasons in English football), Chapman brought Arsenal their first period of major success. His revolutionary tactics and training, along with the signings of star players such as Alex James and Cliff Bastin, laid the foundations of the club's domination of English football in the 1930s. Under his guidance Arsenal won their first major trophies – victory in the 1930 FA Cup Final preceded two League Championships, in 1930–31 and 1932–33. In addition, Chapman was behind the 1932 renaming of the local London Underground station from "Gillespie Road" to "Arsenal", making it the only Tube station to be named specifically after a football club.
Chapman died suddenly of pneumonia in early 1934, leaving Joe Shaw and George Allison to carry on his successful work. Under their guidance, Arsenal won three more titles, in 1933–34, 1934–35 and 1937–38, and the 1936 FA Cup. As key players retired, Arsenal had started to fade by the decade's end, and then the intervention of the Second World War meant competitive professional football in England was suspended.
After the war, Arsenal enjoyed a second period of success under Allison's successor Tom Whittaker, winning the league in 1947–48 and 1952–53, and the FA Cup in 1950. Their fortunes waned thereafter; unable to attract players of the same calibre as they had in the 1930s, the club spent most of the 1950s and 1960s in trophyless mediocrity. Even former England captain Billy Wright could not bring the club any success as manager, in a stint between 1962 and 1966.
Arsenal began winning silverware again with the surprise appointment of club physiotherapist Bertie Mee as manager in 1966. After losing two League Cup finals, they won their first European trophy, the 1969–70 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. This was followed by an even greater triumph: their first League and FA Cup double in 1970–71. This marked a premature high point of the decade; the Double-winning side was soon broken up and the following decade was characterised by a series of near misses. Arsenal finished as First Division runners-up in 1972–73, lost three FA Cup finals, in 1972, 1978 and 1980, and lost the 1980 Cup Winners' Cup final on penalties. The club's only success during this time was a last-minute 3–2 victory over Manchester United in the 1979 FA Cup Final, widely regarded as a classic.
The return of former player George Graham as manager in 1986 brought a third period of glory. Arsenal won the League Cup in 1986–87, Graham's first season in charge. This was followed by a League title win in 1988–89, won with a last-minute goal in the final game of the season against fellow title challengers Liverpool. Graham's Arsenal won another title in 1990–91, losing only one match, won the FA Cup and League Cup double in 1993, and a second European trophy, the Cup Winners' Cup, in 1994. Graham's reputation was tarnished when he was found to have taken kickbacks from agent Rune Hauge for signing certain players, and he was dismissed in 1995. His replacement, Bruce Rioch, lasted for only one season, leaving the club after a dispute with the board of directors.
The club's success in the late 1990s and 2000s owed a great deal to the 1996 appointment of Arsène Wenger as manager. Wenger brought new tactics, a new training regime and several foreign players who complemented the existing English talent. Arsenal won a second League and Cup double in 1997–98 and a third in 2001–02. In addition, the club reached the final of the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup (losing on penalties to Galatasaray), were victorious in the 2003 and 2005 FA Cups, and won the Premier League in 2003–04 without losing a single match, an achievement which earned the side the nickname "The Invincibles"; in all, the club went 49 league matches unbeaten, a national record.
Arsenal finished in either first or second place in the league in eight of Wenger's first eleven seasons at the club, although on no occasion were they able to retain the title. As of 2009, they were one of only four teams, the others being Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers and Chelsea, to have won the Premier League since its formation in 1992. Arsenal had never progressed beyond the quarter-finals of the Champions League until 2005–06; in that season they became the first club from London in the competition's fifty-year history to reach the final, in which they were beaten 2–1 by Barcelona. In July 2006, they moved into the Emirates Stadium, after 93 years at Highbury.





Crest

Arsenal's first crest from 1888

A version of the Arsenal crest used
 from 1949 to 2002

Unveiled in 1888, Royal Arsenal's first crest featured three cannons viewed from above, pointing northwards, similar to the coat of arms of the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich. These can sometimes be mistaken for chimneys, but the presence of a carved lion's head and a cascabel on each are clear indicators that they are cannons. This was dropped after the move to Highbury in 1913, only to be reinstated in 1922, when the club adopted a crest featuring a single cannon, pointing eastwards, with the club's nickname, The Gunners, inscribed alongside it; this crest only lasted until 1925, when the cannon was reversed to point westward and its barrel slimmed down. In 1949, the club unveiled a modernised crest featuring the same style of cannon below the club's name, set in blackletter, and above the coat of arms of the Metropolitan Borough of Islington and a scroll inscribed with the club's newly-adopted Latin motto, Victoria Concordia Crescit "victory comes from harmony", coined by the club's programme editor Harry Homer. For the first time, the crest was rendered in colour, which varied slightly over the crest's lifespan, finally becoming red, gold and green.
Because of the numerous revisions of the crest, Arsenal were unable to copyright it. Although the club had managed to register the crest as a trademark, and had fought (and eventually won) a long legal battle with a local street trader who sold "unofficial" Arsenal merchandise, Arsenal eventually sought a more comprehensive legal protection. Therefore, in 2002 they introduced a new crest featuring more modern curved lines and a simplified style, which was copyrightable. The cannon once again faces east and the club's name is written in a sans-serif typeface above the cannon. Green was replaced by dark blue. The new crest was criticised by some supporters; the Arsenal Independent Supporters' Association claimed that the club had ignored much of Arsenal's history and tredition with such a radical modern design, and that fans had not been properly consulted on the issue.
Until the 1960s, a badge was worn on the playing shirt only for high-profile matches such as FA Cup finals, usually in the form of a monogram of the club's initials in red on a white background. The monogram theme was developed into an Art Deco-style badge on which the letters A and C framed a football rather than the letter F, the whole set within a hexagonal border. This early example of a corporate logo, introduced as part of Herbert Chapman's rebranding of the club in the 1930s, was used not only on Cup Final shirts but as a design feature throughout Highbury Stadium, including above the main entrance and inlaid in the floors.From 1967, a white cannon was regularly worn on the shirts, until replaced by the club crest, sometimes with the addition of the nickname "The Gunners", in the 1990s.




Colours

For more details on this topic, see Arsenal F.C. strip.
For much of Arsenal's history, their home colours have been bright red shirts with white sleeves and white shorts, though this has not always been the case. The choice of red is in recognition of a charitable donation from Nottingham Forest, soon after Arsenal's foundation in 1886. Two of Dial Square's founding members, Fred Beardsley and Morris Bates, were former Forest players who had moved to Woolwich for work. As they put together the first team in the area, no kit could be found, so Beardsley and Bates wrote home for help and received a set of kit and a ball. The shirt was redcurrant, a dark shade of red, and was worn with white shorts and blue socks.

Arsenal's original home colours. The team wore a similar kit (but with redcurrant socks) during the 2005–06 season.
In 1933 Herbert Chapman, wanting his players to be more distinctly dressed, updated the kit, adding white sleeves and changing the shade to a brighter pillar box red. Two possibilities have been suggested for the origin of the white sleeves. One story reports that Chapman noticed a supporter in the stands wearing a red sleeveless sweater over a white shirt; another was that he was inspired by a similar outfit worn by the cartoonist Tom Webster, with whom Chapman played golf.


Theo Walcott in Arsenal's traditional red
shirt with white sleeves

Regardless of which story is true, the red and white shirts have come to define Arsenal and the team have worn the combination ever since, aside from two seasons. The first was 1966–67, when Arsenal wore all-red shirts; this proved unpopular and the white sleeves returned the following season. The second was 2005–06, the last season that Arsenal played at Highbury, when the team wore commemorative redcurrant shirts similar to those worn in 1913, their first season in the stadium; the club reverted to their normal colours at the start of the next season. In the 2008–09 season, Arsenal replaced the traditional all-white sleeves with red sleeves with a broad white stripe.
Arsenal's home colours have been the inspiration for at least three other clubs. In 1909, Sparta Prague adopted a dark red kit like the one Arsenal wore at the time; in 1938, Hibernian adopted the design of the Arsenal shirt sleeves in their own green and white strip. In 1920, Sporting Clube de Braga's coach returned from a game at Highbury and changed his team's green kit to a duplicate of Arsenal's red with white sleeves and shorts, giving rise to the team's nickname of Os Arsenalistas. These teams still wear these designs to this day.
For many years Arsenal's away colours were white shirts and either black or white shorts. Since the 1969–70 season, they have worn yellow and blue, but there have been exceptions. They wore a green and navy away kit in 1982–83, and since the early 1990s and the advent of the lucrative replica kit market, the away colours have been changed regularly. During this period the designs have been either two-tone blue designs, or variations on the traditional yellow and blue, such as the metallic gold and navy strip used in the 2001–02 season, and the yellow and dark grey used from 2005 to 2007.As of 2009, the away kit is changed every season, and the outgoing away kit becomes the third-choice kit if a new home kit is being introduced in the same year.
Arsenal's shirts have been made by manufacturers including Bukta (from the 1930s until the early 1970s), Umbro (from the 1970s until 1986), Adidas (1986–1994), and Nike (since 1994). Like those of most other major football clubs, Arsenal's shirts have featured sponsors' logos since the 1980s; sponsors include JVC (1982–1999), Sega (1999–2002), O2 (2002–2006), and Emirates (from 2006).




Stadiums

The North Bank Stand, Arsenal Stadium, Highbury

The Emirates Stadium filling up on the day of Dennis Bergkamp's testimonial
For most of their time in south-east London, Arsenal played at the Manor Ground in Plumstead, apart from a three-year period at the nearby Invicta Ground between 1890 and 1893. The Manor Ground was initially just a field, until the club installed stands and terracing for their first Football League match in September 1893. They played their home games there for the next twenty years (with two exceptions in the 1894–95 season), until the move to north London in 1913.
Widely referred to as Highbury, Arsenal Stadium was the club's home from September 1913 until May 2006. The original stadium was designed by the renowned football architect Archibald Leitch, and had a design common to many football grounds in the UK at the time, with a single covered stand and three open-air banks of terracing. The entire stadium was given a massive overhaul in the 1930s: new Art Deco West and East stands were constructed, opening in 1932 and 1936 respectively, and a roof was added to the North Bank terrace, which was bombed during the Second World War and not restored until 1954.
Highbury could hold over 60,000 spectators at its peak, and had a capacity of 57,000 until the early 1990s. The Taylor Report and Premier League regulations obliged Arsenal to convert Highbury to an all-seater stadium in time for the 1993–94 season, thus reducing the capacity to 38,419 seated spectators. This capacity had to be reduced further during Champions League matches to accommodate additional advertising hoardings, so much so that for two seasons, from 1998 to 2000, Arsenal played Champions League home matches at Wembley, which could house more than 70,000 spectators.
Expansion of Highbury was restricted because the East Stand had been designated as a Grade II listed building and the other three stands were close to residential properties.These limitations prevented the club from maximising matchday revenue during the 1990s and early 2000s, putting them in danger of being left behind in the football boom of that time. After considering various options, in 2000 Arsenal proposed building a new 60,355-capacity stadium at Ashburton Grove, since renamed the Emirates Stadium, about 500 metres south-west of Highbury. The project was initially delayed by red tape and rising costs, and construction was completed in July 2006, in time for the start of the 2006–07 season. The stadium was named after its sponsors, the airline company Emirates, with whom the club signed the largest sponsorship deal in English football history, worth around £100 million; some fans referred to the ground as Ashburton Grove, or the Grove, as they did not agree with corporate sponsorship of stadium names. The stadium will be officially known as Emirates Stadium until at least 2012, and the airline will be the club's shirt sponsor until the end of the 2013–14 season.
Arsenal's players train at the Shenley Training Centre in Hertfordshire, a purpose-built facility which opened in 1999. Before that the club used facilities on a nearby site owned by the University College of London Students' Union. Until 1961 they had trained at Highbury. Arsenal's Academy under-18 teams play their home matches at Shenley, while the reserves play their games at Underhill, home of Barnet F.C.




Supporters

Arsenal fans often refer to themselves as "Gooners", the name derived from the team's nickname, "The Gunners". The fanbase is large and generally loyal, and virtually all home matches sell out; in 2007–08 Arsenal had the second-highest average League attendance for an English club (60,070, which was 99.5% of available capacity), and as of 2006, the fourth-highest all-time average attendance. The club's location, adjoining wealthy areas such as Canonbury and Barnsbury, mixed areas such as Islington, Holloway, Highbury, and the adjacent London Borough of Camden, and largely working-class areas such as Finsbury Park and Stoke Newington, has meant that Arsenal's supporters have come from across the usual class divides. In addition, Arsenal have the highest proportion (7.7%) of non-white attending supporters of any club in English football, according to a 2002 report.
Like all major English football clubs, Arsenal have a number of domestic supporters' clubs, including the Arsenal Football Supporters Club, which works closely with the club, and the Arsenal Independent Supporters' Association, which maintains a more independent line. The Arsenal Supporters' Trust promotes greater participation in ownership of the club by fans. The club's supporters also publish fanzines such as The Gooner, Highbury High, Gunflash and the less cerebral Up The Arse!. In addition to the usual English football chants, supporters sing "One-Nil to the Arsenal" (to the tune of "Go West") and "Boring, Boring Arsenal", which used to be a common taunt from opposition fans but is now sung ironically by Arsenal supporters when the team is playing well.
There have always been Arsenal supporters outside of London, and since the advent of satellite television, a supporter's attachment to a football club has become less dependent on geography. Consequently, Arsenal have a significant number of fans from beyond London and all over the world; in 2007, 24 UK, 37 Irish and 49 other overseas supporters clubs were affiliated with the club. A 2005 report by Granada Ventures, which at the time owned a 9.9% stake in the club, estimated Arsenal's global fanbase at 27 million.
Arsenal's longest-running and deepest rivalry is with their nearest major neighbours, Tottenham Hotspur; matches between the two are referred to as North London derbies. Other rivalries within London include those with Chelsea, Fulham and West Ham United. In addition, Arsenal and Manchester United developed a strong on-pitch rivalry in the late 1980s, which intensified in recent years when both clubs were competing for the Premier League title – so much so that a 2003 online poll by the Football Fans Census listed Manchester United as Arsenal's biggest rivals, followed by Tottenham and Chelsea. A 2008 poll listed the Tottenham rivalry as more important.




Ownership and finances

For more details on this topic, see Ownership of Arsenal F.C..
Arsenal's parent company, Arsenal Holdings plc, operates as a non-quoted public limited company, whose ownership is considerably different from that of other football clubs. Only 62,217 shares in Arsenal have been issued,and they are not traded on a public exchange such as the FTSE or AIM; instead, they are traded relatively infrequently on PLUS, a specialist market. At 4 November 2009, a single share in Arsenal had a mid price of £9,250, which set the club's market capitalisation value at approximately £575.5m. The club made a pre-tax operating profit (excluding player transfers) of £62.7m in the year ending 31 May 2009, from a turnover of £313.3m.
In April 2010, business magazine Forbes ranked Arsenal as the third most valuable football team in the world, after Manchester United and Real Madrid, valuing the club at $1.181bn (£768m), excluding debt.
In total, Arsenal F.C.'s board of directors currently hold 45.2% of the club's shares; the largest shareholder on the board is American sports tycoon Stan Kroenke, who launched a bid for the club in 2007, and in November 2009 increased his holding to 18,594 shares (29.9%). Other directors with significant holdings are diamond dealer Danny Fiszman, who holds 10,025 shares (16.1%), and club chairman Peter Hill-Wood, who owns 400 (0.64%); the other directors each hold nominal amounts. Former director Nina Bracewell-Smith (wife of the grandson of former chairman Sir Bracewell Smith) holds 9,893 shares (15.9%).
A rival bid to Kroenke's came from Red & White Securities, which is co-owned by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov and London-based financier Farhad Moshiri. Red & White launched its bid in August 2007, buying the stake held by former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein, and as at February 2009 owned 15,555 shares (25.0%) in the club.[67] This led to press speculation of a bidding war between Kroenke and Usmanov. However, Kroenke agreed not to purchase more than 29.9% of the club until at least September 2009,[68] while the rest of the board have first option on each others' shares until October 2012.



In popular culture

Arsenal have appeared in a number of media "firsts". On 22 January 1927, their match at Highbury against Sheffield United was the first English League match to be broadcast live on radio.[70] A decade later, on 16 September 1937, an exhibition match between Arsenal's first team and the reserves was the first football match to be televised live. Arsenal also featured in the first edition of the BBC's Match of the Day, which screened highlights of their match against Liverpool at Anfield on 22 August 1964. BSkyB's coverage of Arsenal's January 2010 match against Manchester United was the first live public broadcast of a sports event on 3D television.
As one of the most successful teams in the country, Arsenal have often featured when football is depicted in the arts in Britain. They formed the backdrop to one of the earliest football-related films, The Arsenal Stadium Mystery (1939). The film centres on a friendly match between Arsenal and an amateur side, one of whose players is poisoned while playing. Many Arsenal players appeared as themselves and manager George Allison was given a speaking part. More recently, the book Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby was an autobiographical account of Hornby's life and relationship with football and Arsenal in particular. Published in 1992, it formed part of the revival and rehabilitation of football in British society during the 1990s. The book was twice adapted for the cinema – the 1997 British film focuses on Arsenal's 1988–89 title win, and a 2005 American version features a fan of baseball's Boston Red Sox.
Arsenal have often been stereotyped as a defensive and "boring" side, especially during the 1970s and 1980s; many comedians, such as Eric Morecambe, made jokes about this at the team's expense. The theme was repeated in the 1997 film The Full Monty, in a scene where the lead actors move in a line and raise their hands, deliberately mimicking the Arsenal defence's offside trap, in an attempt to co-ordinate their striptease routine. Another film reference to the club's defence comes in the film Plunkett & Macleane, in which two characters are named Dixon and Winterburn after Arsenal's long-serving full backs – the right-sided Lee Dixon and the left-sided Nigel Winterburn.




Arsenal Ladies
..
Arsenal Ladies is the women's football club affiliated to Arsenal. Founded in 1987, they turned semi-professional in 2002 and are managed by Tony Gervaise. Arsenal Ladies are the most successful team in English women's football. In the 2008–09 season, they won all three major English trophies – the FA Women's Premier League, FA Women's Cup and FA Women's Premier League Cup,[80] and, as of 2009, were the only English side to have won the UEFA Women's Cup, having done so in the 2006–07 season as part of a unique quadruple. The men's and women's clubs are formally separate entities but have quite close ties; Arsenal Ladies are entitled to play once a season at the Emirates Stadium, though they usually play their home matches at Boreham Wood.




In the community

In 1985, Arsenal founded a community scheme, "Arsenal in the Community", which offered sporting, social inclusion, educational and charitable projects. The club support a number of charitable causes directly and in 1992 established The Arsenal Charitable Trust, which by 2006 had raised more than £2 million for local causes. An ex-professional and celebrity football team associated with the club also raised money by playing charity matches.


Statistics and records

For more details on this topic, see Arsenal F.C. records.
David O'Leary holds the record for Arsenal appearances, having played 722 first-team matches between 1975 and 1993. Fellow centre half and former captain Tony Adams comes second, having played 669 times. The record for a goalkeeper is held by David Seaman, with 564 appearances.
Thierry Henry is the club's top goalscorer with 226 goals in all competitions between 1999 and 2007, having surpassed Ian Wright's total of 185 in October 2005. Wright's record had stood since September 1997, when he overtook the longstanding total of 178 goals set by winger Cliff Bastin in 1939. Henry also holds the club record for goals scored in the League, with 174, a record that had been held by Bastin until February 2006.
Arsenal's record home attendance is 73,707, for a UEFA Champions League match against RC Lens on 25 November 1998 at Wembley Stadium, where the club formerly played home European matches because of the limits on Highbury's capacity. The record attendance for an Arsenal match at Highbury is 73,295, for a 0–0 draw against Sunderland on 9 March 1935, while that at Emirates Stadium is 60,161, for a 2–2 draw with Manchester United on 3 November 2007.
Arsenal have also set records in English football, including the most consecutive seasons spent in the top flight (83 as of 2009–10) and the longest run of unbeaten League matches (49 between May 2003 and October 2004). This included all 38 matches of their title-winning 2003–04 season, when Arsenal became only the second club to finish a top-flight campaign unbeaten, after Preston North End (who played only 22 matches) in 1888–89.
Arsenal also set a Champions League record during the 2005–06 season by going ten matches without conceding a goal, beating the previous best of seven set by A.C. Milan. They went a record total stretch of 995 minutes without letting an opponent score; the streak ended in the final, when Samuel Eto'o scored a 76th-minute equaliser for Barcelona.




Players

First-team squad
As of 21 May 2010.
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
No. Position Player
1 GK Manuel Almunia
2 MF Abou Diaby
3 DF Bacary Sagna
4 MF Cesc Fàbregas (captain)
5 DF Thomas Vermaelen
6 DF Philippe Senderos
7 MF Tomáš Rosický
8 MF Samir Nasri
9 FW Eduardo
10 DF William Gallas
11 FW Robin van Persie
12 FW Carlos Vela
14 FW Theo Walcott
15 MF Denílson
16 MF Aaron Ramsey
17 MF Alex Song
No. Position Player
18 DF Mikaël Silvestre
19 MF Jack Wilshere
20 DF Johan Djourou
21 GK Łukasz Fabiański
22 DF Gaël Clichy
23 MF Andrei Arshavin
24 GK Vito Mannone
27 MF Emmanuel Eboué
28 DF Kieran Gibbs
29 FW Marouane Chamakh
30 DF Armand Traoré
31 DF Sol Campbell
32 MF Fran Mérida
52 FW Nicklas Bendtner
53 GK Wojciech Szczęsny
For recent transfers, see Arsenal F.C. 2009–10 transfers.
Reserve squad
See Arsenal F.C. Reserves and Arsenal F.C. Academy.
As of 9 May 2010.
than one non-FIFA nationality.
No. Position Player
33 MF Nacer Barazite
34 DF Kyle Bartley
35 MF Francis Coquelin
36 DF Thomas Cruise
37 DF Craig Eastmond
38 MF Jay Emmanuel-Thomas
39 DF Cedric Evina
40 FW Luke Freeman
41 MF Emmanuel Frimpong
42 DF Kerrea Gilbert
No. Position Player
43 MF Conor Henderson
44 DF Gavin Hoyte
45 MF Henri Lansbury
46 DF Luke Ayling
47 FW Rhys Murphy
48 MF Mark Randall
49 GK James Shea
50 FW Jay Simpson
51 FW Gilles Sunu
54 MF Sanchez Watt


Notable players
For a list of every Arsenal player with 100 or more appearances, see List of Arsenal F.C. players
For record appearance and goalscorer statistics, see Arsenal F.C. records#Player records



Current coaching staff

As of 23 October 2009.
Position Name
Manager Arsène Wenger
Assistant manager Pat Rice
First team coach Boro Primorac
Reserve team coach Neil Banfield
Youth team coach Steve Bould
Goalkeeping coach Gerry Peyton
Fitness coach Tony Colbert
Physiotherapist Colin Lewin
Club doctor Gary O'Driscoll
Kit manager Vic Akers
Chief scout Steve Rowley
Head of youth development Liam Brady



Managers

Arsène Wenger, 2009 manager of Arsenal
There have been eighteen permanent and five caretaker managers of Arsenal since the appointment of the club's first professional manager, Thomas Mitchell in 1897.[96] The club's longest-serving manager as of 2009, in terms of both length of tenure and number of games overseen, is Arsène Wenger, who was appointed in 1996. Wenger is also Arsenal's only manager from outside Great Britain and Ireland. Two Arsenal managers have died in the job – Herbert Chapman and Tom Whittaker.


Honours

For more details on this topic, see Arsenal F.C. seasons.
Arsenal F.C. Reserves#Honours and Arsenal F.C. Academy#Honours
Domestic
First Division (until 1992) and Premier League
Winners (13): 1930–31, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1937–38, 1947–48, 1952–53, 1970–71, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04
Runners-up (8): 1925–26, 1931–32, 1972–73, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05
Second Division
Runners-up (1): 1903–04
FA Cup
Winners (10): 1930, 1936, 1950, 1971, 1979, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005
Runners-up (7): 1927, 1932, 1952, 1972, 1978, 1980, 2001
League Cup[12]
Winners (2): 1987, 1993
Runners-up (4): 1968, 1969, 1988, 2007
FA Community Shield (FA Charity Shield before 2002)
Winners (12): 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1938, 1948, 1953, 1991 (shared), 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004
Runners-up (7): 1935, 1936, 1979, 1989, 1993, 2003, 2005
European
UEFA Champions League
Runners-up (1): 2006
European Cup Winners' Cup
Winners (1): 1994
Runners-up (2): 1980, 1995
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
Winners (1): 1970
UEFA Cup
Runners-up (1): 2000
UEFA Super Cup
Runners-up (1): 1994
Arsenal's tally of thirteen League Championships is the third highest in English football, after Liverpool and Manchester United, while the total of ten FA Cups is the second highest, after Manchester United.Arsenal have achieved three League and FA Cup "Doubles" (in 1971, 1998 and 2002), a record shared with Manchester United, and in 1993 were the first side in English football to complete the FA Cup and League Cup double. They were also the first London club to reach the final of the UEFA Champions League, in 2006.
Arsenal have one of the best top-flight records in history, having finished below fourteenth only seven times. Arsenal also have the highest average league finishing position for the period 1900–1999, with an average league placing of 8.5. In addition, they are one of only six clubs to have won the FA Cup twice in succession, in 2002 and 2003.
Source:wikipedia

Leona Lewis

Leona Louise Lewis, (born 3 April 1985) is a British pop and R&B singer–songwriter. Lewis rose to fame in 2006 as the winner of the third series of the British television series The X Factor.
Lewis has become a multi-platinum selling artist and three time Grammy Award nominee. She was proclaimed 'Top New Artist' by Billboard magazine in 2008. Lewis has released two albums to date, Spirit and Echo, in 2007 and 2009 respectively. Spirit became the fastest-selling debut album and the biggest seller of 2007 in both the United Kingdom and Ireland, and made Lewis the first British solo artist to top the Billboard 200 with a debut album. It has sold over 6.5 million copies worldwide.
Lewis's debut single "A Moment Like This" became the fastest selling UK single after being downloaded over 50,000 times within thirty minutes of its release. Her second single, "Bleeding Love", reached number one positions in over thirty singles charts around the world. In November 2008 she set a record in the UK for the fastest selling download-only release with her cover version of the Snow Patrol song "Run" which sold 69,244 copies in two days. In November 2009, the first set of dates for her 2010 debut world tour were announced.


Early life

Lewis was born in the London Borough of Islington, to Aural Josiah "Joe" Lewis of Afro-Guyanese descent and Maria Lewis of Welsh descent. Her parents enrolled her at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, and from there she attended the Italia Conti Academy and the BRIT School, where she learned to play instruments such as the guitar and piano, and began to write her own songs in the hope of becoming a singer-songwriter,writing her first full-length song at the age of 12. She initially trained in opera, but went on to singing jazz and blues, eventually leading to popular music, citing Minnie Riperton, Eva Cassidy and Stevie Wonder as her main influences. After leaving the BRIT School at 17,she took a number of jobs to fund studio time, recording a demo album called Twilight. The album, comprised almost exclusively of her own compositions, was recorded under Spiral Music, a production company based in Fulham. "I tried to secure a record deal by doing things my own way. I worked very hard but I never managed to land a contract", said Lewis. Other demos were recorded under licence from UEG Entertainment, later included on an album called Best Kept Secret. However, none of Lewis's demos were released and she considered taking a hiatus from her music career to attend university until her boyfriend persuaded her to enter The X Factor which subsequently severed her connections with UEG.




Music career

2006: The X Factor
The X Factor (UK series 3)


Lewis at the London premiere for Flushed Away, November 2006.
Lewis auditioned for the third series of The X Factor in 2006, singing "Over the Rainbow". She was mentored by Simon Cowell and was announced the winner on 16 December 2006, winning a £1 million recording contract.
Her debut single, a cover of Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This", was released on CD on 20 December 2006, and was available as a digital download from midnight on 17 December. It broke a world record after it was downloaded 50,000 times in thirty minutes. On 24 December, "A Moment Like This" was crowned the 2006 UK Christmas number-one single, having sold 571,253 copies, outselling the rest of the Top 40's sales combined.The single became the most downloaded song in 2006; it stayed at number one for four weeks and stayed at the top spot in the Irish Singles Chart for six weeks.



2007–2009: Spirit and international breakthrough
Spirit (Leona Lewis album)
Wikinews has related news: British pop star Leona Lewis breaks US Billboard records
In February 2007, Lewis signed a £5 million ($9.7 million) five-album contract in the United States with Clive Davis's record label, J Records, and showcased for several American music executives. A press release was sent out revealing that Cowell and Davis would work together in a first-of-its-kind partnership on both the song and producer selection for Lewis's debut album, entitled Spirit.Lewis recorded tracks for the album in London, Miami, Los Angeles, New York City, and Atlanta, where she worked with several songwriters and record producers including Dallas Austin, Walter Afanasieff, Salaam Remi, Steve Mac, Stargateand Ne-Yo. It was released in November 2007 and entered both the Irish Albums Chart and the UK Albums Chart at number one, becoming the fastest-selling debut album in both countries, and the United Kingdom's fourth fastest selling album of all time. It was released in several other nations in January 2008, and went to number one in New Zealand, Australia, Austria, Germany, South Africa and Switzerland.Two further tracks were recorded in 2008 for the US release of the album: "Forgive Me", produced by Akon, and "Misses Glass", produced by Madd Scientist. It was released in the United States in April 2008 and entered the Billboard 200 at number one, making Lewis the first British artist to reach number one with a debut album. A special edition of Spirit was re-released in November 2008 in Europe, including the songs "Forgive Me", "Misses Glass" and a cover of the Snow Patrol song "Run". The album again went to number one in the UK Albums Chart. To date the album has sold over 6.5 million copies worldwide and has a 9× platinum certification in the UK.
Lewis's second single, "Bleeding Love", produced by Ryan Tedder and written by Tedder and Jesse McCartney, was released in October 2007 in the UK, where it sold 218,805 copies in its first week, giving it the biggest first-week sales of 2007 to date. It entered the UK Singles Chart at number one, where it stayed for seven weeks, and in the Irish Singles Chart it remained at number one for eight weeks. It reached number one in the singles charts of New Zealand, Australia, France, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Belgium, The Netherlands, Austria, Canada and the United States. "Bleeding Love" won The Record of the Year in December 2007. In February 2008, "Bleeding Love" entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 85 and then went on to peak at number one for four non-consecutive weeks. The song became the first track by a UK female to reach number one since Kim Wilde's "You Keep Me Hangin' On" in 1987. Lewis's third single, a double A-side featuring "Better in Time" and "Footprints in the Sand", was released in the United Kingdom in March 2008, in aid of Sport Relief, and she visited South Africa for the charity. The single reached a peak of number two in the UK singles chart selling over 40,000 copies in its first week of physical release. "Better in Time" was released as Lewis's second single in the US, where it peaked at number 11 in the Billboard Hot 100. "Forgive Me" was released as Lewis's fifth single in November 2008; it reached number five in the UK. "Run" was released as a download-only single in the UK, reaching number one, and becoming the UK's fastest-selling download-only single with 69,244 copies sold in two days. Lewis's last single from Spirit, "I Will Be", was released in January 2009, only in North America; it peaked at number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In August 2008, she performed "Whole Lotta Love" with guitarist Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin at the 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony in Beijing, representing the handover to London as the host of the 2012 Summer Olympics. In September 2008, she joined several female singers to perform a single for the anti-cancer campaign Stand Up to Cancer. The single, titled "Just Stand Up!", was performed live during the one-hour telethon that aired on all major US television networks. Lewis received three nominations for the 51st Grammy Awards in December 2008. "Bleeding Love" was nominated for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Spirit was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album. She was nominated for four BRIT Awards, in the categories British Female Solo Artist, British Breakthrough Act, British Album for Spirit, and British Single for "Bleeding Love", but despite being the favourite to win the most awards, she received none. She won two awards at the 2008 MOBO Awards: Best Album for Spirit and Best Video for "Bleeding Love". In December 2008 Lewis was named 'Top New Artist' by Billboard magazine.





2009–present: Echo and world tour
Echo (Leona Lewis album) and The Labyrinth (tour)

Leona Lewis performing in 2009.
Lewis's second album, Echo, was given a worldwide release in November 2009. Production took place throughout 2009, including work with Ryan Tedder, Justin Timberlake,[52] Max Martin, Arnthor Birgisson, Kevin Rudolf, and John Shanks.It was recorded in Los Angeles and took nine months to produce. Lewis described the album as "more guitar-driven" compared to Spirit.One of the albums's songs, "My Hands", appears as the theme song to Final Fantasy XIII's North American and European release. Lewis performed her first full UK show at the Hackney Empire in London on 2 November 2009, performing songs from Spirit and Echo. Echo reached number one in the UK Albums Chart and the top ten of Austria, Ireland and Switzerland.
Despite previous attempts from Lewis's lawyers to ban the release of Best Kept Secret by UEG Music, claiming that the singer had not given her consent, the album was released in January 2009 when the label insisted it owned the rights to the music and Lewis would receive a 50% share of the album's profits. However, a television advert for the album was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority, who said in a statement: "We considered that the claim 'Leona Lewis's new album' misleadingly implied it was the singer's latest recording rather than a new CD of tracks recorded some years ago." The album was released to iTunes in standard and deluxe editions, and two EPs, "Private Party" and "Dip Down"/"Joy", were released in September 2009.
The first single released from Echo was "Happy", which was written by Lewis, Tedder and Evan Bogart and produced by Tedder  The single was released on 15 September 2009, peaking at number two in the UK, and reaching the top ten in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Japan and Switzerland.Lewis also recorded the theme song for the 2009 science fiction film Avatar, directed by James Cameron. The song, "I See You (Theme from Avatar)", was written by James Horner and Simon Franglen. It was nominated for Best Original Song at the 67th Golden Globe Awards. In January 2010, Lewis provided vocals on a cover of "Everybody Hurts", released to help raise money for victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. The second single from Echo, "I Got You", was released in February 2010. In April 2010, she featured on a duet with Italian singer Biagio Antonacci, called "Inaspettata (Unexpected)", from his album Inaspettata.
Lewis plans to start her first world tour, titled The Labyrinth supporting Spirit and Echo in May 2010, which is reported to be lasting 14 months. It is said that Lewis has hired choreographer Travis Payne for the tour, which is reported to have a Labyrinth theme. Her label have apparently said that money is no object. Lewis will tour North America from July to August 2010 supporting Christina Aguilera on her Bionic Tour. In an interview named "Under the skin of Leona Lewis" with 4music, Lewis stated that she will be working on her third album after the tour.
Other activities

In October 2008, The Times reported that Lewis had turned down a $1 million deal with Mohamed Al Fayed to open a Harrods sale. Lewis commented in the press that she turned down the deal on the grounds that Harrods is the only UK department store which continues to stock clothing made from animal fur. She told The Big Issue, "I got a lot of flak for that. There were people who said I should have done it and given the money to charity, but that would have been such a contradiction." She announced in October 2008 that she was in the "bargaining period" of launching her own ethical line of accessories through Topshop,] and that she is in the late stages of releasing her own perfume for Europe.
Lewis signed a book deal in January 2009 to release an illustrated autobiography in October 2009. The book, entitled Dreams, contains mostly pictures taken by photographer Dean Freeman.
In 2010 she joined Cotton's Fabric of Our Lives campaign, recording a song and appearing in a television advert.




Personal life

Lewis lives in Hackney with her boyfriend Lou Al-Chamaa, an electrician, whom she has known since she was approximately ten years old. She has a tattoo of Hebrew letters on her left wrist, symbolising her relationship with Al-Chamaa. A vegetarian since she was 12, Lewis won PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian along with Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis in 2008, and again in 2009 with actor Scott Maslen. She also was named PETA's Person Of The Year for 2008. Lewis is a supporter of the World Society for the Protection of Animals.
Wikinews has related news:
Leona Lewis assaulted at book signing in London, England
Man charged with assaulting British singer Leona Lewis
At a book signing for Dreams on 14 October 2009 at the Piccadilly branch of Waterstone's book store in central London, Lewis received a punch to the head from Peter Kowalczyk, a 29-year-old man from south London. Eyewitnesses say Lewis ran out with her hand covering her face, whilst security wrestled the attacker, who was reportedly laughing, to the floor. The police were called immediately to the scene and Kowalczyk was arrested. Lewis suffered bruising and was taken to a private doctor as a precaution. She cancelled a scheduled appearance on the BBC's The One Show and a two-day promotional trip to Germany. She later released a statement, saying "Thank you so much for your support, it is truly overwhelming. Yesterday was a horrible shock and left me extremely hurt and upset. I'm very sorry to those I wasn't able to meet at the signing. Thank you again for all of the lovely messages. Love you all."Kowalczyk was subsequently sectioned under the Mental Health Act. He was charged with common assault, for which he was due to appear before City of Westminster magistrates on 26 October 2009. The case was adjourned as Kowalczyk was "not fit to attend court". It was reported that he had a history of mental health problems and may have attacked Lewis due to jealousy, as he had attempted to enter The X Factor but was rejected by producers.[96] On 14 December 2009, Kowalczyk admitted common assault and was ordered to remain in hospital for an indeterminate period.
Discography

Leona Lewis discography
Studio albums
Spirit (2007)
Echo (2009)
Tours

2010: The Labyrinth
Source:wikipedia

Preakness Stakes

Preakness Stakes,

The Preakness Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race 1-3/16 mile (1.91 km) thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses, held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds (57 kg); fillies 121 lb (55 kg). The Preakness Stakes has been termed "The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans" because a blanket of Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta, the state flower of Maryland) is traditionally placed around the winner's neck. The attendance at the Preakness Stakes ranks second in North America and usually surpasses the attendance of all other stakes races including the Belmont Stakes, the Breeders' Cup and the Kentucky Oaks. The attendance of the Preakness Stakes typically only trails the Kentucky Derby, for more information see American Thoroughbred Racing top Attended Events.

History

Two years before the Kentucky Derby was run for the first time, Pimlico introduced its new stakes race for three-year-olds, the Preakness, during its first-ever spring race meet in 1873. Former Maryland Governor Oden Bowie named the then mile and one-half (2.41 km) race in honor of the colt Preakness from Milton Holbrook Sanford's Preakness Stables in Preakness, Wayne Township, New Jersey, who won the Dinner Party Stakes on the day Pimlico opened (October 25, 1870). The New Jersey name was said to have come from the Native American name Pra-qua-les ("Quail Woods") for the area.

The first Preakness, held on May 27, 1873, drew seven starters. John Chamberlain's three-year-old, My Sheba, collected the $2,050 winning purse by galloping home easily by 10 lengths. This was the largest margin of victory until 2004, when Smarty Jones won by 11 lengths.

In 1889, George "Spider" Anderson became the first African-American jockey to win the Preakness. In 1890 Morris Park Racecourse in the Bronx, New York hosted the Preakness Stakes after which there was no race run for three years. For the 15 years from 1894 through 1908, the race was held at Gravesend Race Track on Coney Island, New York. In 1909 it returned to Pimlico.

In March 2009 Magna Entertainment Corp., which owns Pimlico, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy thus throwing open the possibility the Stakes could move again. On April 13, 2009, the Maryland Legislature approved a plan to buy the Stakes and the Pimlico course if Magna Entertainment cannot find a buyer.

[edit]Evolution of the Triple Crown series

The Preakness is the second leg in American thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown series and almost always attracts the Kentucky Derby winner, some of the other horses that ran in the Derby, and often a few horses that did not start in the Derby. The Preakness is 1 3/16 miles, or 9 1/2 furlongs, compared to the Kentucky Derby, which is 1 1/4 miles. It is followed by the third leg, the Belmont Stakes, which is 1 1/2 miles.

Since 1931, the order of Triple Crown races has the Kentucky Derby first, followed by the Preakness Stakes and then the Belmont Stakes. Prior to 1931, the Preakness was run before the Derby eleven times. On May 12, 1917 and again on May 13, 1922, the Preakness and the Derby were run on the same day.

Running the race

Just after the horses for the Preakness are called to the post, the audience is invited to sing "Maryland, My Maryland," the official state song of Maryland. Traditionally, the United States Naval Academy Glee Club assembles in the Pimlico infield to lead the song.

Sir Barton, winner in 1919

As soon as the Preakness winner has been declared official, a painter climbs a ladder to the top of a replica of the Old Clubhouse cupola. The colors of the victorious owner's silks are applied on the jockey and horse that are part of the weather vane atop the infield structure. The practice began in 1909 when a horse and rider weather vane sat atop the old Members' Clubhouse, which was constructed when Pimlico opened in 1870. The Victorian building was destroyed by fire in June 1966. A replica of the old building's cupola was built to stand in the Preakness winner's circle in the infield.

A blanket of yellow flowers daubed with black lacquer to recreate the appearance of a black-eyed Susan (see below) is placed around the winning horse's neck at this time, and a replica of the Woodlawn Vase is given to the winning horse's owner. Should that horse have also won the Kentucky Derby, speculation and excitement immediately begin to mount as to whether that horse will go on to win the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing at the Belmont Stakes in June.

Winning the race

In 1917, the first Woodlawn Vase was awarded to the Preakness winner, who was not allowed to keep it. Eventually a half-size reproduction of the trophy was given to winners to keep permanently. The original trophy is kept at the Maryland Historical Society and brought to the Preakness race each year for the winner's presentation ceremony.

In 1940, it was proposed to drape the winning horse in a garland of black-eyed Susans, the state flower of Maryland. This posed a problem, as the race is run nearly two months before the flowers come into bloom in late June or July. At first, yellow daisies were painted to resemble black-eyed Susans; workers switched to chrysanthemums later. Although the Preakness is sometimes referred to as "the race for the black-eyed Susans", no black-eyed Susan is ever used.

In 1918, 26 horses entered the race, and it was run in two divisions, providing for two winners that year. Currently, the race is limited to 14 horses.

In 1948, the Preakness was televised for the first time by CBS.

The Preakness has been run at seven different distances:

1-1/2 miles (2.41 km) : 1873-1888, 1890

1-1/4 miles (2.01 km) : 1889

1-1/16 miles (1.71 km) : 1894-1900, 1908

1 mile 70 yards (1.67 km) : 1901-1907

1 mile (1.61 km) : 1909, 1910

1-1/8 miles (1.81 km) : 1911-1924

1-3/16 miles (1.91 km) : 1925-present

Records

Speed record:

Set by Tank's Prospect in 1985 and equaled by Louis Quatorze in 1996 and Curlin in 2007, the time record for the current 1-3/16 miles (1.91 km) Preakness is 1:53 2/5 seconds. (Secretariat, the 1973 winner, was also credited with running 1:53 2/5 by the Daily Racing Form. However, the timer malfunctioned during that race, and Pimlico Race Course does not recognize that time, instead assigning Secretariat a time of 1:54 2/5.) The record victory margin is 11½ lengths, by Smarty Jones in 2004.

Most wins by a jockey:

6 - Eddie Arcaro (1941, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1955, 1957)

5 - Pat Day (1985, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996)

3 - George Barbee (1873, 1876, 1883)

3 - Bill Hartack (1956, 1964, 1969)

3 - Lloyd Hughes (1875, 1879, 1880)

Most wins by a trainer:

7 - R. Wyndham Walden (1875, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1888)

5 - Thomas J. Healey (1901, 1922, 1923, 1926, 1929)

5 - D. Wayne Lukas (1980, 1985, 1994, 1995, 1999)

4 - Jim Fitzsimmons (1930, 1935, 1955, 1957)

4 - Jimmy Jones (1947, 1948, 1956, 1958)

4 - Bob Baffert (1997, 1998, 2001, 2002)

3 - John Whalen (1907, 1911, 1913)

Most wins by an owner:

7 - Calumet Farm (1941, 1944, 1947, 1948, 1956, 1958, 1968) (also the leading breeder with 7)

5 - George L. Lorillard (1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882)

4 - Harry P. Whitney (1908, 1921, 1927, 1928)

Fillies in the Preakness

Five fillies have won the Preakness in 134 races:

1903 - Flocarline

1906 - Whimsical

1915 - Rhine Maiden

1924 - Nellie Morse

2009 - Rachel Alexandra, who was also the only horse, male or female, to ever win from the farthest outside position: 13th post.

(Three fillies have won the Kentucky Derby in 134 races, and three fillies have won the Belmont stakes in 139 races. On average, fillies have won between 2% and 3% of the Triple Crown races, with similar numbers for geldings; while about 95% of these high-stakes races have been won by uncastrated male horses, colts or stallions.)

Winners of the Preakness Stakes

Year

Winner

Age

Jockey

Trainer

Owner

Distance

(Miles)

Time

Purse

Grade

2010 Lookin At Lucky 3 Martin Garcia Bob Baffert Michael E. Pegram 1-3/16 1:55.47 $1,100,000 I

2009 Rachel Alexandra ‡ 3 Calvin Borel Steve Asmussen Stonestreet/H. T. McCormick 1-3/16 1:55.08 $1,100,000 I

2008 Big Brown 3 Kent Desormeaux Richard E. Dutrow, Jr. IEAH Stables & P. Pompa, Jr. 1-3/16 1:54.86 $1,000,000 I

2007 Curlin 3 Robby Albarado Steve Asmussen Stonestreet Stables et al. 1-3/16 1:53.46 $1,000,000 I

2006 Bernardini 3 Javier Castellano Tom Albertrani Darley Stables 1-3/16 1:54.65 $1,000,000 I

2005 Afleet Alex 3 Jeremy Rose Timothy F. Ritchey Cash is King Stable 1-3/16 1:55.04 $1,000,000 I

2004 Smarty Jones 3 Stewart Elliott John Servis Someday Farm 1-3/16 1:55.59 $1,000,000 I

2003 Funny Cide 3 Jose Santos Barclay Tagg Sackatoga Stable 1-3/16 1:55.61 $1,000,000 I

2002 War Emblem 3 Victor Espinoza Bob Baffert The Thoroughbred Corp. 1-3/16 1:56.40 $1,000,000 I

2001 Point Given 3 Gary Stevens Bob Baffert The Thoroughbred Corp. 1-3/16 1:55.40 $1,000,000 I

2000 Red Bullet 3 Jerry Bailey Joe Orseno Stronach Stables 1-3/16 1:56.00 $1,000,000 I

1999 Charismatic 3 Chris Antley D. Wayne Lukas Bob & Beverly Lewis 1-3/16 1:55.20 $1,000,000 I

1998 Real Quiet 3 Kent Desormeaux Bob Baffert Michael E. Pegram 1-3/16 1:54.80 $1,000,000 I

1997 Silver Charm 3 Gary Stevens Bob Baffert Bob & Beverly Lewis 1-3/16 1:54.40 $1,000,000 I

1996 Louis Quatorze 3 Pat Day Nick Zito Condren/Cornacchia/Hoffman 1-3/16 1:53.40 $800,000 I

1995 Timber Country 3 Pat Day D. Wayne Lukas† Overbrook/Gainesway/Lewis 1-3/16 1:54.40 $750,000 I

1994 Tabasco Cat 3 Pat Day D. Wayne Lukas D. P. Reynolds & Overbrook 1-3/16 1:56.40 $750,000 I

1993 Prairie Bayou 3 Mike E. Smith Tom Bohannan Loblolly Stable 1-3/16 1:56.60 $750,000 I

1992 Pine Bluff 3 Chris McCarron Tom Bohannan Loblolly Stable 1-3/16 1:55.60 $750,000 I

1991 Hansel 3 Jerry Bailey Frank L. Brothers Lazy Lane Farms 1-3/16 1:54.00 $750,000 I

1990 Summer Squall 3 Pat Day Neil J. Howard Dogwood Stable 1-3/16 1:53.60 $750,000 I

1989 Sunday Silence 3 Pat Valenzuela Charlie Whittingham H-G-W Partners 1-3/16 1:53.80 $750,000 I

1988 Risen Star 3 Ed Delahoussaye Louie Roussel III Roussel & R. Lamarque 1-3/16 1:56.20 $700,000 I

1987 Alysheba 3 Chris McCarron Jack Van Berg D. & P. Scharbauer 1-3/16 1:55.80 $700,000 I

1986 Snow Chief 3 Alex Solis Melvin F. Stute Grinstead & Rochelle 1-3/16 1:54.80 $700,000 I

1985 Tank's Prospect 3 Pat Day D. Wayne Lukas Eugene V. Klein 1-3/16 1:53.40 $700,000 I

1984 Gate Dancer 3 Angel Cordero, Jr. Jack Van Berg Kenneth Opstein 1-3/16 1:53.60 $400,000 I

1983 Deputed Testamony 3 Donald Miller, Jr. J. William Boniface Bonita Farm 1-3/16 1:55.40 $400,000 I

1982 Aloma's Ruler 3 Jack Kaenel John J. Lenzini, Jr. Nathan Scherr 1-3/16 1:55.40 $350,000 I

1981 Pleasant Colony 3 Jorge Velasquez John P. Campo Buckland Farm 1-3/16 1:54.60 $350,000 I

1980 Codex 3 Angel Cordero, Jr. D. Wayne Lukas Tartan Stable 1-3/16 1:54.20 $300,000 I

1979 Spectacular Bid 3 Ronnie Franklin Bud Delp Hawksworth Farm 1-3/16 1:54.20 $300,000 I

1978 Affirmed † 3 Steve Cauthen Laz Barrera Harbor View Farm 1-3/16 1:54.40 $250,000 I

1977 Seattle Slew † 3 Jean Cruguet William H. Turner, Jr. Karen L. Taylor 1-3/16 1:54.40 $250,000 I

1976 Elocutionist 3 John Lively Paul T. Adwell Eugene C. Cashman 1-3/16 1:55.00 $250,000 I

1975 Master Derby 3 Darrel McHargue Smiley Adams Golden Chance Farm 1-3/16 1:56.40 $250,000 I

1974 Little Current 3 Miguel A. Rivera Lou Rondinello Darby Dan Farm 1-3/16 1:54.60 $250,000 I

1973 Secretariat † 3 Ron Turcotte Lucien Laurin Meadow Stable 1-3/16 1:54.40 $250,000 I

1972 Bee Bee Bee 3 Eldon Nelson Del W. Carroll William S. Farish III 1-3/16 1:55.60 $250,000

1971 Canonero II 3 Gustavo Avila Juan Arias Edgar Caibett 1-3/16 1:54.00 $250,000

1970 Personality 3 Eddie Belmonte John W. Jacobs Ethel D. Jacobs 1-3/16 1:56.20 $250,000

1969 Majestic Prince 3 Bill Hartack Johnny Longden Frank M. McMahon 1-3/16 1:55.60 $250,000

1968 Forward Pass 3 Ismael Valenzuela Henry Forrest Calumet Farm 1-3/16 1:56.80 $250,000

1967 Damascus 3 Bill Shoemaker Frank Y. Whiteley, Jr. Edith W. Bancroft 1-3/16 1:55.20 $250,000

1966 Kauai King 3 Don Brumfield Henry Forrest Ford Stable 1-3/16 1:55.40 $250,000

1965 Tom Rolfe 3 Ron Turcotte Frank Y. Whiteley, Jr. Powhatan Stable 1-3/16 1:56.20 $250,000

1964 Northern Dancer 3 Bill Hartack Horatio Luro Windfields Farm 1-3/16 1:56.80 $250,000

1963 Candy Spots 3 Bill Shoemaker Mesh Tenney Rex C. Ellsworth 1-3/16 1:56.20 $250,000

1962 Greek Money 3 John L. Rotz Virgil W. Raines Brandywine Stable 1-3/16 1:56.20 $250,000

1961 Carry Back 3 Johnny Sellers Jack A. Price Katherine Price 1-3/16 1:57.60 $250,000

1960 Bally Ache 3 Bobby Ussery Jimmy Pitt Turfland 1-3/16 1:57.60 $250,000

1959 Royal Orbit 3 William Harmatz Reggie Cornell Halina Gregory Braunstein 1-3/16 1:57.00 $250,000

1958 Tim Tam 3 Ismael Valenzuela Horace A. Jones Calumet Farm 1-3/16 1:57.20 $165,000

1957 Bold Ruler 3 Eddie Arcaro Jim Fitzsimmons Wheatley Stable 1-3/16 1:56.20 $110,000

1956 Fabius 3 Bill Hartack Horace A. Jones Calumet Farm 1-3/16 1:58.40 $150,000

1955 Nashua 3 Eddie Arcaro Jim Fitzsimmons Belair Stud 1-3/16 1:54.60 $110,000

1954 Hasty Road 3 John H. Adams Harry Trotsek Hasty House Farm 1-3/16 1:57.40 $150,000

1953 Native Dancer 3 Eric Guerin Bill Winfrey Alfred G. Vanderbilt II 1-3/16 1:57.80 $110,000

1952 Blue Man 3 Conn McCreary Woody Stephens White Oak Stable 1-3/16 1:57.40 $150,000

1951 Bold 3 Eddie Arcaro Preston M. Burch Brookmeade Stable 1-3/16 1:56.40 $150,000

1950 Hill Prince 3 Eddie Arcaro Casey Hayes Christopher Chenery 1-3/16 1:59.20 $100,000

1949 Capot 3 Ted Atkinson John M. Gaver, Sr. Greentree Stable 1-3/16 1:56.00 $150,000

1948 Citation † 3 Eddie Arcaro Horace A. Jones Calumet Farm 1-3/16 2:02.40 $160,000

1947 Faultless 3 Douglas Dodson Horace A. Jones Calumet Farm 1-3/16 1:59.00 $160,000

1946 Assault † 3 Warren Mehrtens Max Hirsch King Ranch 1-3/16 2:01.40 $160,000

1945 Polynesian 3 Wayne D. Wright Morris H. Dixon Gertrude T. Widener 1-3/16 1:58.80 $110,000

1944 Pensive 3 Conn McCreary Ben A. Jones Calumet Farm 1-3/16 1:59.20 $100,000

1943 Count Fleet † 3 Johnny Longden Don Cameron Fannie Hertz 1-3/16 1:57.40 $75,000

1942 Alsab 3 Basil James Sarge Swenke Mrs. Albert Sabath 1-3/16 1:57.00 $100,000

1941 Whirlaway † 3 Eddie Arcaro Ben A. Jones Calumet Farm 1-3/16 1:58.80 $75,000

1940 Bimelech 3 Fred A. Smith William J. Hurley Edward R. Bradley 1-3/16 1:58.60 $75,000

1939 Challedon 3 George Seabo Louis J. Schaefer William L. Brann 1-3/16 1:59.80 $75,000

1938 Dauber 3 Maurice Peters Richard E. Handlen Foxcatcher Farms 1-3/16 1:59.80 $75,000

1937 War Admiral † 3 Charley Kurtsinger George Conway Glen Riddle Farm 1-3/16 1:58.40 $75,000

1936 Bold Venture 3 George Woolf Max Hirsch Morton L. Schwartz 1-3/16 1:59.00 $50,000

1935 Omaha † 3 Willie Saunders Jim Fitzsimmons Belair Stud 1-3/16 1:58.40 $50,000

1934 High Quest 3 Robert Jones Robert A. Smith Brookmeade Stable 1-3/16 1:58.20 $50,000

1933 Head Play 3 Charley Kurtsinger Thomas P. Hayes Mrs. Silas B. Mason 1-3/16 2:02.00 $50,000

1932 Burgoo King 3 Eugene James H. J. Thompson Edward R. Bradley 1-3/16 1:59.80 $90,000

1931 Mate 3 George Ellis James W. Healy Albert C. Bostwick, Jr. 1-3/16 1:59.00 $90,000

1930 Gallant Fox † 3 Earl Sande Jim Fitzsimmons Belair Stud 1-3/16 2:00.60 $90,000

1929 Dr. Freeland 3 Louis Schaefer Thomas J. Healey Walter J. Salmon, Sr. 1-3/16 2:01.60 $90,000

1928 Victorian 3 Raymond Workman James G. Rowe, Jr. Harry P. Whitney 1-3/16 2:00.20 $90,000

1927 Bostonian 3 Whitey Abel Fred Hopkins Harry P. Whitney 1-3/16 2:01.60 $100,000

1926 Display 3 John Maiben Thomas J. Healey Walter J. Salmon, Sr. 1-3/16 1:59.80 $90,000

1925 Coventry 3 Clarence Kummer William B. Duke Gifford A. Cochran 1-3/16 1:59.00 $90,000

1924 Nellie Morse ‡ 3 John Merimee Albert B. Gordon Bud Fisher 1-1/8 1:57.20 $90,000

1923 Vigil 3 Benny Marinelli Thomas J. Healey Walter J. Salmon, Sr. 1-1/8 1:53.60 $90,000

1922 Pillory 3 Louis Morris Thomas J. Healey Richard T. Wilson, Jr. 1-1/8 1:51.60 $90,000

1921 Broomspun 3 Frank Coltiletti James G. Rowe, Sr. Harry P. Whitney 1-1/8 1:54.20 $75,000

1920 Man o' War 3 Clarence Kummer Louis Feustel Glen Riddle Farm 1-1/8 1:51.60 $40,000

1919 Sir Barton † 3 Johnny Loftus H. Guy Bedwell J. K. L. Ross 1-1/8 1:53.00 $40,000

1918 War Cloud 3 Johnny Loftus Walter B. Jennings A. Kingsley Macomber 1-1/8 1:53.60 $20,000

1918 Jack Hare, Jr. 3 Charles Peake Frank D. Weir W. E. Applegate 1-1/8 1:53.40 $20,000

1917 Kalitan 3 Everett Haynes Bill Hurley Edward R. Bradley 1-1/8 1:54.40 $7,500

1916 Damrosch 3 Linus McAtee Albert G. Weston J. K. L. Ross 1-1/8 1:54.80 $2,000

1915 Rhine Maiden ‡ 3 Douglas Hoffman Frank Devers Edward F. Whitney 1-1/8 1:58.00 $2,000

1914 Holiday 3 Andy Schuttinger J. Simon Healy Mrs. A. Barklie 1-1/8 1:53.80 $2,000

1913 Buskin 3 James Butwell John Whalen John Whalen 1-1/8 1:53.40 $3,000

1912 Colonel Holloway 3 Clarence Turner Dave Woodford Beverwyck Stable 1-1/8 1:56.60 $2,500

1911 Watervale 3 Eddie Dugan John Whalen August Belmont, Jr. 1-1/8 1:51.00 $4,500

1910 Layminster 3 Roy Estep J. Simon Healy Edward B. Cassatt 1 mile 1:40.60 $5,500

1909 Effendi 3 Willie Doyle Frank C. Frisbie W. T. Ryan 1 mile 1:39.80 $5,500

1908 Royal Tourist 3 Eddie Dugan A. Jack Joyner Harry P. Whitney 1-1/16 1:46.40 $4,000

1907 Don Enrique 3 George Mountain John Whalen August Belmont, Jr. 1-1/16 1:45.40 $3,800

1906 Whimsical ‡ 3 Walter Miller Tim J. Gaynor Tim J. Gaynor 1-1/16 1:45.00 $3,800

1905 Cairngorm 3 Willie Davis A. Jack Joyner Sydney Paget 1-1/16 1:45.80 $3,600

1904 Bryn Mawr 3 Gene Hildebrand W. Fred Presgrave Goughacres Stable 1-1/16 1:44.20 $3,800

1903 Flocarline ‡ 3 William Gannon H. C. Riddle M. H. Tichenor 1-1/16 1:44.80 $3,000

1902 Old England 3 L. Jackson Green B. Morris Green B. Morris 1-1/16 1:45.80 $3,750

1901 The Parader 3 F. Landry Thomas J. Healey Richard T. Wilson, Jr. 1-1/16 1:47.20 $2,650

1900 Hindus 3 Henry Spencer John H. Morris George J. Long 1-1/16 1:48.40 $3,000

1899 Half Time 3 Richard Clawson Frank McCabe Philip J. Dwyer 1-1/16 1:47.00 $2,500

1898 Sly Fox 3 Willie Simms Hardy Campbell, Jr. Charles F. Dwyer 1-1/16 1:49.75 $2,400

1897 Paul Kauvar 3 T. Thorpe Thomas P. Hayes Thomas P. Hayes 1-1/16 1:51.25 $2,400

1896 Margrave 3 Henry Griffin Byron McClelland August Belmont, Jr. 1-1/16 1:51.00 $2,250

1895 Belmar 3 Fred Taral Edward Feakes Preakness Stables 1-1/16 1:50.50 $2,250

1894 Assignee 3 Fred Taral William Lakeland James & Foxhall Keene 1-1/16 1:49.25 $3,000

1893 No Race - No Race No Race No Race no race 0:00.00 no race

1892 No Race - No Race No Race No Race no race 0:00.00 no race

1891 No Race - No Race No Race No Race no race 0:00.00 no race

1890 Montague 3 Willie Martin Edward Feakes Preakness Stables 1-1/2 2:36.75 $2,000

1889 Buddhist 3 George Anderson John W. Rogers Sam S. Brown 1-1/4 2:17.50 $2,000

1888 Refund 3 Fred Littlefield R. Wyndham Walden R. Wyndham Walden 1-1/2 2:49.00 $2,000

1887 Dunboyne 3 William Donohue William Jennings William Jennings 1-1/2 2:39.50 $2,500

1886 The Bard 3 S. Fisher John Huggins A. J. Cassatt 1-1/2 2:45.00 $3,000

1885 Tecumseh 3 Jim McLaughlin Charles S. Littlefield, Sr. W. Donohue 1-1/2 2:49.00 $3,000

1884 Knight of Ellerslie 3 S. Fisher Thomas W. Doswell Hancock/Doswell 1-1/2 2:39.50 $3,000

1883 Jacobus 3 George Barbee R. Dwyer James E. Kelley 1-1/2 2:42.50 $2,500

1882 Vanguard 3 Tom Costello R. Wyndham Walden George L. Lorillard 1-1/2 2:44.50 $2,000

1881 Saunterer 3 Tom Costello R. Wyndham Walden George L. Lorillard 1-1/2 2:40.50 $3,000

1880 Grenada 3 Lloyd Hughes R. Wyndham Walden George L. Lorillard 1-1/2 2:40.50 $3,000

1879 Harold 3 Lloyd Hughes R. Wyndham Walden George L. Lorillard 1-1/2 2:40.50 $4,000

1878 Duke of Magenta 3 C. Holloway R. Wyndham Walden George L. Lorillard 1-1/2 2:41.75 $3,500

1877 Cloverbrook 3 C. Holloway Jeter Walden E. A. Clabaugh 1-1/2 2:45.50 $2,500

1876 Shirley 3 George Barbee W. Brown Pierre Lorillard IV 1-1/2 2:44.75 $3,000

1875 Tom Ochiltree 3 Lloyd Hughes R. Wyndham Walden John F. Chamberlain 1-1/2 2:43.50 $3,000

1874 Culpepper 3 William Donohue Hugh Gaffney Hugh Gaffney 1-1/2 2:56.50 $3,000

1873 Survivor 3 George Barbee A. Davis Pryor John F. Chamberlain 1-1/2 2:43.00 $3,000

A † designates a Triple Crown Winner.

A ‡ designates a filly.

Note: D. Wayne Lukas swept the 1995 Triple Crown with two different horses.[citation needed]

In 2006, Kentucky Derby Winner Barbaro broke down in the first 100 yards of the Preakness. Bernardini went on to win the prestigious event. Barbaro survived his injuries and was cared for at the New Bolton Center of the University of Pennsylvania but was euthanized January 29, 2007 due to complications from laminitis. This year's ninth race is now called the Barbaro Stakes in his honor.

(source:wikipedia)

Mehr Jesia

Mehr Jesia (born August 11, 1969), known since her marriage as Mehr Rampal, was an international model from India during the early 1990's. She won the Miss India contest in 1986. She is married to Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal and currently runs a model management agency

Early life

Jesia was born into a Parsi family in 1969.
Modeling Career

Mehr was discovered in 1986 when photographer Faroukh Jussawalla suggested that she take part in the Miss India contest. A week later she took the title, and went on to represent her country in the Miss Universe 1986 pageant. As part of a sponsorship deal, Mehr had to work with Bombay Dyeing for a year after the contest at no charge. She has attributed much of her career trajectory since that first year to Mickey Contractor. According to her, "He never let me look the same in any two campaigns."[citation needed]. Her first ad film was for Lakme's winter creme campaign. Her other campaigns include Vimal, Bombay Dyeing, OCM, Nivea, Palmolive, Gleem, Forhans, Philips and Campa Cola.

Film career

Mehr and Arjun Rampal produced the film I See You (released on 29 December 2006) through their production company Chasing Ganesha. The film starred Arjun Rampal, Vipasha Agarwal, Sonali Kulkarni and Boman Irani.
Source:wikipedia