York Road Giant Making Black-Eyed Susan, Preakness Prize Blankets

Each year, the winners of the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and the Preakness Stakes are presented with floral blankets in addition to their prize purses. For the 23rd year, the blankets will be made at Giant before they are draped over the shoulders of the winning horses.

Less than 5 miles from Pimlico Race Course, the floral experts will be putting together the festive creations at the Giant Food store in York Road Plaza.

It takes about eight hours for them to complete each one.

Five staffers at the Towson area supermarket will use about 4,000 flowers, since it takes nearly 2,000 flowers to make one blanket.

The black-eyed Susan is the state flower of Maryland, and the blanket is made to look as though it is fashioned out of the yellow-petaled plants with the distinctive dark centers.

However, these bloom from June to September, so the blankets have been made of look-alike flowers that act as a substitute. In 2012, Towson Patch watched the process of the florists making the black-eyed Susan blanket out of Viking mums, which were specially grown for the occasion.

The floral blankets will be under construction at Giant Food in York Road Plaza at 6340 York Road from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 16, and Friday, May 17.

Thursday's creation will be presented to the winner of the 95th running of the Black-Eyed Susan. Post time for the Black-Eyed Susan is 4:48 p.m. on Friday, May 17.

The floral blanket made on Friday at Giant will be given to the winner of the Preakness, which is the second race of the Triple Crown and one of Pimlico’s oldest races. The 144th running of the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes takes place on Saturday, May 18. Post time is 6:48 p.m.