Pimlico Race Course will close to training, racing and simulcast wagering Sept. 1 as preparations begin to raze and redevelop the home of the Preakness Stakes, part of a $400 million plan to overhaul Maryland’s racing industry.
The state took ownership of the track from The Stronach Group on July 1 as part of the redevelopment plan, passed earlier this year by the General Assembly.
In conjunction with that transfer, Maryland Jockey Club acting president Mike Rogers informed the state’s horsemen that the dilapidated facility will close in September, meaning trainers, backstretch workers and horses stabled at Pimlico will need to move to Laurel Park over the next two months.
“The benefits of this agreement to the state of Maryland and Maryland Thoroughbred racing industry are significant,” Rogers wrote.
The 2025 Preakness Stakes will still be held at Pimlico, though demolition is expected to have begun by then. The state’s signature race is scheduled to move to Laurel Park in 2026 before returning to a redeveloped Pimlico as early as 2027.
Plans had called for the old grandstand at Pimlico to be demolished before next year’s Preakness, but that timeline is changing.
During the Maryland Stadium Authority’s monthly board meeting Tuesday, an official supervising the project said it would be too expensive to demolish the old grandstand while still keeping the clubhouse standing as envisioned.
“We were doing an engineering analysis for the demolition of the old grandstands and what we found out is it’ll probably cost a lot of money to demolish the old grandstands and keep the clubhouse in place,” Gary McGuigan, the authority’s Executive Vice President for Capital Projects Development, told the board. “We’d have to underpin some of the areas to keep the clubhouse in place, so we are deciding that we’ll do the demolition all at one time, after Preakness 150 next May.”
Only some barns on the backstretch will be demolished before the next Preakness, McGuigan said.
Meanwhile, a new state-created nonprofit will take over operating the sport at the beginning of next year, with daily racing continuing at Laurel Park until it’s ultimately consolidated at the restored Pimlico.
Related Articles
“The transfer of the track will keep horse racing at Pimlico for generations and will deliver economic prosperity to the Park Heights community and the City of Baltimore,” Gov. Wes Moore said in a statement Tuesday. “The Preakness is an event deeply embedded into our state’s fabric and provides one day a year, every year, where all eyes are on Baltimore. Now, the legacy of the Preakness is safely in public hands. Pimlico will become the home of Thoroughbred racing in Maryland, making it a year-round hub of economic activity.”
State Del. Sandy Rosenberg, a Democrat whose district includes Pimlico, said state officials have begun monthly meetings with community representatives to “consider priorities and funding for community investment.”
“The transfer is yet another step towards redevelopment for both the race track and the surrounding communities,” Rosenberg said.
McGuigan also noted during Tuesday’s stadium authority meeting that two new consultants have been engaged by the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority as part of the Pimlico project. The Canopy Team, a Baltimore-based planning, design and development firm led by Oriole Park architect Janet Marie Smith, will provide services, as well as marketing company Gold Rabbit Sports.
Baltimore Sun reporter Hayes Gardner contributed to this article.
