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In 2009, with the alcohol ban, race attendance dropped to 77,850 after topping 100,000 for eight consecutive years. In 2010, in an attempt to boost attendance, the
Preakness launched a controversial ad campaign, "Get Your Preak On" and instituted the "Mug Club", which included an infield ticket and
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President Tom
Chukkas noted that "Kegasus speaks directly to our infield fest demographic with his no-nonsense personality and total embodiment of a good time." Chukkas defended the campaign, stating that his organization has "never hidden the fact that we want people to come to the infield and
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Kegasus was introduced March 29, 2011, as the star of the marketing campaign to attract people to the infield party. The centaur was described as a "party manimal", with a nipple ring, body hair and beer gut. The mascot urged racegoers to be "legendary", a term used in place of references to
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and is run each May. In addition to the racing, Preakness Stakes day has long been known to boast a party in the infield within the racetrack. By 2008, the party had become known for such events as the "Run of the
Urinals", in which young men would run along the tops of the rows of
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accounts, as well as a backstory. According to the created tale, Kegasus is the "son of
Preaknesius — God of Thoroughbred Racing — and Shelly McDougal, a waitress from
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as other racegoers threw beer cans, sometimes full, at the participants. Beginning in 2009, racetrack management no longer allowed racegoers to bring in their own
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an unlimited-refill beer mug. The track also hired more popular bands than usual to play to the waiting crowds, and ticket sales recovered to 95,760.
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media professor Jason
Loviglio, "If the goal is to let them know they will be able to drink to excess, it does communicate that." According to
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The March 2011 announcement of
Kegasus as a mascot for the party provoked controversy, with some complaining that the Preakness was glorifying
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indicated his disgust with the campaign, stating his view that the mascot is infantile and creates a negative image. According to
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costume. Dubbed "Lord of the
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