The home of the Triple Crown’s Preakness Stakes would be rebuilt and placed under state control, while another track would close, under a plan to “fundamentally change” thoroughbred horse racing in Maryland.
In a report published Friday, the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority recommended upgrading Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course as a statewide racing hub called Pimlico Plus to preserve the state’s $2 billion-a-year racing industry. The report also recommends ending races at Anne Arundel County’s Laurel Park, which opened in 1911.
The plan, which requires state lawmakers’ approval, would change the model for promoting and operating both the Preakness and Black-Eyed Susan Stakes “to one that mirrors that in use by the New York Racing Association.”
The tracks would be owned by the state and leased to a professional not-for-profit operator. The report states, “This structure will better align operations with the needs of the horse racing industry and the state’s significant financial investments.”
Racing officials devised the plan after realizing the state had not allocated enough money to renovate both tracks.
Under the plan, officials would relocate the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown, to Laurel Park in 2025 and 2026 while workers renovate Pimlico to include a new track and grandstand, stables for 700 horses, hotel and event center, and parking garage. The Preakness would return to the upgraded Pimlico Plus in 2027.
The report proposes a nearby horse training center and identifies eight potential sites, including Laurel, but recommends three: the Shamrock Farm in Woodbine; Mitchell Farm in Aberdeen; and Bowie Race Track.
Laurel was ruled out because of the cost of acquiring land, demolishing and reconstructing the current track facilities, and environmental factors, the authority said.
The proposal is part of an agreement in principle that state racing officials reached with the Stronach Group, the Canadian real estate firm that owns the Pimlico and Laurel race tracks. The sides expect to finalize the agreement in 45 to 60 days.
“We want to thank the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority for working closely with our team, and for recognizing our investments in these assets,” Belinda Stronach, chairwoman, CEO and president of the Stronach Group, said in a statement posted on X.
Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, pledged in a separate statement to “finalize an agreement that ensures this important industry continues to create jobs and drive economic growth.”
Once approved, the agreement would close Laurel Park within three years, opening the site to redevelopment.
According to the report, centering all horse racing at the rebuilt Pimlico “can be undertaken at a cost significantly below previous two-track estimates” and within state budget allocations.
The new site would provide “a source of year-round economic activity” for Pimlico’s neighboring community, it noted.
“The Pimlico Plus investment and changes will come at an ideal time for the horse racing industry as it repositions itself to maximize all available revenue streams, attract younger audiences and focus on equine health and safety, allowing Maryland to remain an industry leader in the 21st century,” the report states.
The General Assembly created the authority last year to find ways to ensure Maryland remains a “best-in-class” location for thoroughbred racing.
• Sean Salai can be reached at ssalai@washingtontimes.com.
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