At last year’s Preakness, with the help of Paulick Report contributor John Scheinman, we managed to hunt down Kegasus, the half-man/half-beast Lord of the InfieldFest, for a semi-exclusive on-camera interview.

To see that unforgettable, historic exchange between two legends of the Mid-Atlantic region, click here.

Well, Kegasus is back for the 137^th Preakness, and the infield action promises to be bigger and better than ever. We were lucky enough to get a few minutes of his time and some scraps of wisdom about the big day just ahead.

I was a little concerned about your physical condition for your debut at the 2011 Preakness – specifically your body-fat percentage seemed a little on the low side. What have you been doing over the past 12 months to get in shape for this year?

After last year’s race, I took some much needed R&R at a remote Tibetan monastery where I did an incredible Acacia Berry cleanse. It was on that same trip that I met UniCarl and among other things, he is my personal trainer. The guy is a drill sergeant. You slack off on a set and you get a sharp horn in the nether regions. Talk about motivation.

Your appearance caused some controversy among local politicians, one of whom called you “a disgrace to the iconic image of the Preakness” and said taxpayer’s money should not be used to “subsidize stupidity.” You think it’s just jealousy?
Those guys will do anything for a sound bite. I’ll put my approval rating up against ANY politician. It’s like my mom used to always tell me, “If you don’t have anything nice to say,  don’t say it.” We have an open door policy and I invite any and all politicians to come down and experience for themselves the amazing InfieldFest firsthand. You’d think they would support all things surrounding the Preakness Stakes since the eyes of the world will be on Baltimore that weekend.

A horse with the name “I’ll Have Another” must be a gift from heaven for a creature like you. Is he your pick to win the Preakness as the Lord of the InfieldFest?
It is quite fitting because his name can be taken so many ways. “I’ll Have Another” … multi-platinum artist performing, or another mouthwatering crab cake, or another professional beach volleyball game, or another world-class Triple Crown race or even another cold pop from the beer garden. That’s what is so great about InfieldFest and The Preakness, there’s something for everyone.

We centaurs are blessed with the gift of time travel so I already know the outcome of the race but I’m contractually bound not to discuss that. I’m sure I’ll Have Another’s Cinderella-story makes him the crowd favorite because everyone wants to see a Triple Crown contender. 

I’m looking to make some money in exactas or trifectas for the Preakness. Do you have any advice?
Sure. Five minutes after the race build yourself a time machine and travel back and place your bets. Other than that my advice is to pay particular attention to good oral hygiene. Horses with the pearliest smiles seem to always fare well. 

So you’ve got your own personal assistant this year, something named Unicarl. Have you become so popular you need someone to screen the fillies for you?
The fillies I need no help with. However, as the Lord of the InfieldFest I am in constant demand as you know from trying to schedule this interview. Keeping my schedule, making sure I eat right, brushing me down before interviews so my coat looks radiant, and managing my legions of social network friends can get overwhelming so that’s why I needed a sidekick. Unicorns are ridiculously organized creatures. Plus they are amazing cooks. You should try UniCarl’s Coq Au Vin recipe sometime. To die for.

I’m bringing my 87-year-old mother to InfieldFest, but I’m not sure she’s going to hang in there for the entire afternoon. Do you think she’d prefer Maroon 5 or Wiz Khalifa?
According to my own market research, the “grandma” demographic prefers Adam Levine’s tight-fitting skinny jeans 2-to-1 over Wiz’s tats. But why pick just one? I’m sure she’d love watching the two perform their new hit “Payphone” live on the main stage. 

 
What are some other can’t-miss activities at this year’s InfieldFest?
There’s so much to do I don’t even know where to begin. The musical line-up is stellar with Maroon 5, Wiz Khalifa, Little Big Town, The Darkness and Mr. Greenegenes. Gold Medal Olympians host the NVL Pro Beach East Volleyball tournament, there’s the Cornhole Park where the competition will be fierce, the bikini contest on the Jagermeister Second Stage, Flavors of Maryland food vendors, the Budweiser Clydesdales, the 82^nd Airborne Division’s All American Freefall Team will be performing and a B2 Stealth Bomber will be doing a flyover. Oh and I almost forgot, a 7600 square foot graffiti wall. I need to sit down.

How will you define whether this Saturday afternoon is a success?
It already is. Ticket sales are through the roof so we’re expecting record attendance. We know the Thoroughbred racing will be intense with such an incredible field. As for InfieldFest, it really is “The People’s Race, the People’s Party.” Each year the party gets bigger and better and there’s such a positive vibe in the Infield these past few years. Everyone wants to have fun but it’s that mutual respect for one another that makes this party so legendary and makes Baltimore so proud to host this one-of-a-kind event.