BALTIMORE — The day looked much the same. There were wastebaskets catching rainwater seeping through the ceiling, cardboard and wood chips and carpets meant to soak up days worth of dampness at Pimlico Race Course. The track resembled peanut butter, not dirt, and the fog rolled in as if on cue, producing a thick white curtain as the horses loaded the gate, leaving the race caller to rely on television monitors, rather than what he saw with his own eyes.
The fans, in rain boots and parkas, were not deterred by the dreadful conditions: They wanted to witness the second act of what they hoped would soon become horse racing lore.