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Kegasus (fictional character)
Preakness parties gallop across state lines
Preakness parties gallop across state lines

The Preakness is, let's face it, the dark horse on the nation's party planning circuit. After all, the second leg of the Triple Crown is squeezed between its more challenging and prestigious cousins, the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. And, it's held in proudly fashion-averse Baltimore. Nonetheless, there are a few pioneering socialites and trailblazing doyennes living in states such as Kentucky and Pennsylvania and New Jersey. For them, the Preakness' underdog status practically demands a celebration — and the more fancy hats and black-eyed Susan centerpieces the better. "The Preakness is sort of the forgotten race," said Cristie Ritz-King, a...