(Baltimore, Md) —In addition to crowning a Preakness champion at Old Hilltop this year, 1/ST today announced it will celebrate the life and legacy of George E. Mitchell with the introduction of “The George E. Mitchell Black- Eyed Susan Stakes (GII). A tireless community advocate for Park Heights, Mr. Mitchell’s contributions will be recognized this year and for years to come during the Preakness celebration.
Mr. Mitchell’s three children as well as other family members will be in attendance to present the trophy to the winner of the first-ever “George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (GII)”.
Post time for the race is 4:41 p.m., and will be part of NBC’s national broadcast coverage from 4:30-6:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 3.
George E. Mitchell was a longtime leader and champion for the Park Heights community. Born in Florence, South Carolina, Mr. Mitchell moved to Baltimore shortly after his first birthday. He graduated from Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School in 1972 and Morgan State University in 1976. He then served in the U.S. Army and earned a master’s degree at Saint Leo University.
Mr. Mitchell was one of the first Black partners of a Golden Corral franchise. He was also a licensed real estate agent. From 2017 until his passing in July 2020 at the age of 65, Mr. Mitchell oversaw operations of the Langston Hughes Community, Business and Resource Center, which houses a food pantry, library and computer lab as well as youth and adult programs and services including those for literacy, education and workforce development.
He also served as president of Neighborhoods United, an organization made up of several community associations organized to help bring positive change to Northwest Baltimore.
Mr. Mitchell was a passionate advocate for keeping the Preakness in Baltimore and was an important contributor to the passage of the Racing and Community Development Act 2020.