PHOTO: Looking down the inner lanes of the Pimlico turf course, which are being reserved for tomorrow. The lanes that will be used Friday are to the left.

For an addition turf course photo click here.

For a photo of the main track, click here.

Pimlico turf update after a brief course walk

Track management at Pimlico is hoping to keep races 4, 10, 12, and 14 on the turf today, according to Georganne Hale, the director of racing for the Maryland Jockey Club.

Races 2, 6, and 8 have been moved to the main track, which is listed as sloppy.

Hale said management will continue to monitor the weather today and tonight before making any decisions regarding the six turf races scheduled for Preakness Day.

There has been a lot of rain here this week but the turf course was in better than expected condition at 10 a.m. Friday morning when I walked the course in the vicinity of the finish line.

The inside lanes, which are being saved for Preakness Day, didn’t have very much give to them. I would call the turf “good.”

The lanes closest to the temporary inner rail, where Friday’s race will be held, were noticeably more spongy and wet. I would term it “yielding,” maybe even “soft.” The farther you walk out in the course, the firmer the ground got. Six or seven lanes out, I would call it good to firm.

Pimlico has labeled the course as “soft.”

This could all change during the day, if the rains come as forecast. According to AccuWeather, the amount of rain expected has been reduced. On Thursday, they were calling for two inches of rain. Now, they are predicting .68 inches today, and an additional .61 inches tonight.