Horses tend not to get in as much trouble here as at Churchill. If they did well in the Derby they go in the Preakness, generally. But some Maryland trainers prefer Pimlico rather than Churchill. And the Preakness has been won by people who have done that. Bill Boniface Jr. won in 1983 with Deputed Testamony, a Maryland horse, born, bred and raced in Maryland, bypassed the Derby and laid in wait for them here, and won it.
Some people find that more appealing.
And you don't get all these horses in the Preakness that don't belong there, generally. This racetrack has historically favored speed. Horses that go out there and get the lead right away have generally done better. It's been a speed track for a long time. Instead of the Run for the Roses, they drape a garland of Black-eyed Susans over the winning horse's withers.