Journalism’s thunderous rally down the homestretch to claim the second jewel of the Triple Crown of horse racing was a fitting send-off to the second-oldest track in the nation, Pimlico Race Course, scheduled to be torn down within months.
Time for a Makeover
Pimlico Race Course opened in October 1870, and it is fair to say that routine maintenance hasn’t been chief among the track’s official to-do list. Everything from broken elevators to rickety stairwells to a section of the grandstand that was condemned in 2019 remains in disrepair.
Because of its storied history, it has been described as a charming dump, but now it is so far gone that there is nothing charming left about it. However, it has seen its share of momentous horse racing moments, like Seabiscuit’s breathtaking triumph over War Admiral in 1938 and Secretariat’s record-setting Preakness run in 1973.
The track is a vestige of horse racing’s glorious past, when it was known as the Sport of Kings. Aside from one day a year, it is a forgotten ruin in the concrete jungle of Baltimore, running just 12-15 days per year. Prior to the 2015 Preakness, noted turf writer Andrew Beyer referred to Pimlico as “the industry’s most vexing problem.” Beyer also argued, “Pimlico is an embarrassment: decrepit, dysfunctional, and devoid of charm or glamour.”
Therefore, the decision has been made by the state to tear it down and restore it to its former glory at a cost of $400 million and two years of the track being in total darkness. The Preakness will be moved to nearby Laurel Park for next year and perhaps the year after that.
Pimlico Plus
Governor Wes Moore has made it clear that Pimlico will be rebuilt under his watch, and despite criticism regarding the $400 million in public funds, the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority believes the track will generate $52.7 million in revenue, including $48.8 million in Baltimore City alone.
The horse track oval will not be moved, and its enhancement will be a mirror image of what is currently there to protect the integrity and history of the course. But other than that, there will be a myriad of changes, improvements, and reconstruction that are going to be a wink and a nod to the original grand architecture of the track.
The track will also host 100 or more days of live racing events per year and will spur economic activity in the surrounding area. It will likely serve as a multi-use facility with concerts and entertainment events being hosted as well. It is all designed to restore Pimlico to its halcyon days and generate revenue for the state and local community.
But skeptics say there won’t be $400 million in renovations because that is too big a bill to pay for a horse track, even if it is one as steeped in history as Pimlico. One employee talked about Governor Moore’s grand plan for the horse track and said the following: “Politicians in this state would do anything to keep the Preakness,” the employee said. “Governor Moore wants to be president. If he loses the Preakness, he won’t even be governor.”
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