Ah, spring.  Time for tulips, cherry blossoms, budding trees (even if we did see all of those on the way early side this year) and, in Maryland, horse racing. When you find yourself standing in a green field watching the ponies jump and run, you know that summer’s not far behind. Having just attended this year’s Grand National and Hunt Cup steeplechase races, I’m now primed for the Preakness Stakes. I’ll let you in on a little secret: What do I actually love even more than the Preakness? Answer: The Black-Eyed Susan races, held at Pimlico each year on the day before.

If you’ve never played hooky from the office on the Friday afternoon before the Preakness, I can’t begin to tell you what you’re missing. The racetrack is full of people (but not too overflowing, as it is for the Preakness), there are parties going on all over and there’s a feeling of celebration and anticipation in the air. Have some cocktails, sample some food in the clubhouse and bet some races. Black-Eyed Susan Day has been a favorite of mine for a long time, and last year, senior editor Laura Wexler attended for the first time and brought back the idea for the story that appears in this issue on female jockeys and women in the local horse racing industry. See page 66 for a telling look into these personalities and details on the running of this year’s Lady Legends race.
 
Of course, this is also our annual Style spring ‘Home & Garden’ issue, so we’ve got some knockout gardens, sumptuous interiors and clever outdoor living spaces to show you, as well as a fun story on dollhouses and all things miniature. (If you’re not familiar with the macabre ‘Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death’ miniature dioramas housed downtown in a little-known space in the Medical Examiner’s Office, you’re in for a real treat.)
 
So, join me in celebrating spring— and I’ll look for you in the stands on Black-Eyed Susan Day, May 18 at Pimlico.

Brian Michael Lawrence
Editor-in-Chief
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http://www.baltimorestyle.com