After the Maryland House of Delegates initially passed the legislation unanimously, the bill was subsequently amended by the Senate. This amended bill was then sent back to the House for Monday's concurrence vote.

The legislation will now go to the desk of Maryland governor, Wes Moore, for a final signature, with a veto seemingly unlikely.

“I've worked with governors going back to the mid- to late-1970s in Maryland, and most were very supportive of the industry in one shape or form. But Governor Moore was absolutely committed to this project. His support was instrumental in getting this passed,” said Alan Foreman, voting member of the non-profit Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority (MTROA), about passage of HB 1524, otherwise known as “Pimlico Plus.”

The MTROA is an industry-led non-profit created last year by the legislature to essentially oversee and help facilitate the Pimlico Plus plan. Pending gubernatorial approval, the rollout of the plan will be a multi-year project beginning June 1, when the law goes into effect.

Among key provisions of the plan, the legislation requires the formation of a non-profit to manage daily operations of Maryland's new industry infrastructure. Those responsibilities are currently filled by the Maryland Jockey Club, owned and operated by 1/ST Racing. The MTROA will have ultimate oversight of this new entity.

“Like the [New York Racing Association] reports to the franchise oversight board, the entity to be created in Maryland will report to the MTROA,” said Foreman.

Though much-needed renovations to Pimlico could begin later this year, said Foreman, the 2025 Preakness is still expected to be staged at the Baltimore track, with the 2026 edition set to be hosted temporarily at Laurel Park.

“After Preakness 2025, Pimlico will undergo full construction, and the plan is that the 2027 Preakness will be at Pimlico under the auspices of the new non-for-profit.” said Foreman. “For the horsemen, racing will be conducted at Laurel for the next three years.”

Like Pimlico, Laurel is currently operated by 1/ST Racing under the umbrella of The Stronach Group (TSG). Transfer of Pimlico from 1/ST Racing to the state comes at a nominal one-dollar price-tag.

The MTROA has already negotiated a licensing agreement with 1/ST Racing to operate and promote the GI Preakness S. and the GII Black-Eyed Susan S., Maryland's two signature races.

“It's a 10-year agreement with five-year renewals,” said Foreman. “After ten years, if the state wanted to buy it out, it could. But any renewals would be for five-year intervals.”

Complementing a revamped Pimlico will be the selection of a year-round companion training facility to accommodate the horses not stabled at Pimlico. According to Foreman, some 1,300 horses are expected to be split evenly between the two facilities.

The MTROA has identified eight potential training facilities for purchase, rating them by several criteria, including their location, size, cost to purchase and cost of redevelopment. According to this rating system, two facilities come out jointly on top: Shamrock Farm and Mitchell Farm Training Center.

Shamrock Farm Training Center is a 155-acre facility just over 20 miles from Pimlico. Mitchell Farm Training Center is a 97-acre facility near the Aberdeen Proving Ground. The third-rated facility is the Bowie Race Track, a 131-acre training facility.

The legislation also allows the Maryland Stadium Authority–a state-founded entity to help fund and operate key building projects in Maryland–to issue $400 million in bonds to help bankroll the Pimlico Plus plan.

Ultimately, ownership of Laurel Park will be transferred fully to TSG for redevelopment at the beginning of 2028, “unless we have to extend the lease,” said Foreman.

According to Foreman, state taxpayers won't be on the hook should the non-profit formed to manage daily operations going forward run into operating deficits.

“If there's an operating loss when the non-for-profit takes over, the Thoroughbred purse dedication account has to backstop the losses. It will not come from taxpayer dollars,” said Foreman.

“I can't overstate the historical moment this is for Maryland racing. It's historical for the City of Baltimore. This is great for the City of Baltimore. It stops decades of worries about Pimlico and the future of the Preakness in Maryland and Baltimore. It's great for the Park Heights community. And I think it's great for the racing industry overall,” said Foreman.

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The winning artwork was announced at an honorary ceremony in the Brown Center at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Senior Advisor of Arts & Culture for the City of Baltimore Tonya Miller Hall was in attendance, representing Mayor Brandon Scott. MICA dignitaries, Park Heights's City Council representatives and 1/ST RACING leadership also attended the announcement alongside participating artists.

The submission deadline for the third annual competition was Mar. 12, at which point the public was encouraged to visit preakness.com/the-art-of-racing to peruse the digital gallery and cast a vote for their favorite work of art. The top 10 vote-getters were then judged by a panel that included elected officials, community leaders and art professionals to select the winner.

“My objective was to capture the colors, excitement and festive mood of Pimlico Race Course and the Preakness S.,” said Kahl. “I chose the loose and romantic medium of watercolor to depict this scene as it best depicts the movement and drama of the day.”

Kahl received a $4,000 prize and two VIP tickets to Preakness 149. His work will be reproduced on a curated collection of Preakness 149 merchandise that will be available for purchase online and onsite during Preakness weekend. Proceeds from the sale of merchandise will be used to advance the activities of Park Heights Renaissance as it pursues affordable housing for families and provides employment opportunities to people of Park Heights.

“The platform given to rising artists, both amateur and professional, who have entered Preakness: The Art of Racing competition over the past three years underscores the vibrancy of the Preakness S. and its unique cultural footprint,” said Audra Madison, Director of Marketing, Maryland Jockey Club. “It brings me joy to see the diverse array of artwork entered into the competition each year, and I hope community members share the same sense of celebration.”

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In addition to his four wins on the day, Rodriguez claims 46 through the meet, 18 more than runner-up Jeiron Barbosa, and helped conditioner Jamie Ness move ahead of Brittany Russell in the race for leading trainer. All four of Sunday's wins were on Ness runners and the combo hit at a lofty 29 per cent for the meeting. Rodriguez also leads in purse earnings at more than $1.6-million.

Since starting his 2024 season, he's recorded 12 multi-win days, six of which he visited the winner's enclosure on three or more occasions. Rodriguez is the three-time defending champion at Delaware Park as well.

“I have to thank all the owners and trainers that help me,” Rodriguez said. “All the hard rides I give to Jamie Ness I'm going to give all my horses, whoever puts me on. We're going to keep working.”

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Live racing is scheduled to return Saturday with a special 11:40 a.m. post time. The 11-race program is co-headlined by the $100,000 Spectacular Bid S. for 3-year-olds and $100,000 Xtra Heat S. for 3-year-old fillies.

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The next scheduled program is Friday, Jan. 26, which is set to featuer the $100,000 What a Summer S. and the $100,000 Fire Plug S., each of which was originally programmed for the Jan. 20 card.

The season's first 3-year-old stakes will take place next Saturday, Jan. 27, with the running of the $100,000 Xtra Heat S. for fillies and the Spectacular Bid S. for males.

The Jennings S. and Geisha S., each restricted to Maryland-breds and offering prize money of $75,000, will be brought back for Sunday, Jan. 28.

Laurel, Pimlico Race Course, Rosecroft Raceway and the MJC OTB network will remain open for simulcasting Sunday.

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Dangerous driving conditions has also caused simulcast wagering to be cancelled at both Laurel and Pimlico Race Course.

The Saturday card with a 10-race program, including four stakes highlighted by the $100,000 What A Summer and $100,000 Fire Plug, will start at noon ET.

Several tracks, including Oaklawn Park and Turfway Park, were forced to cancel their weekend programs due to inclement weather.

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The 'Art of Racing' commemorates the Preakness S., and beginning Monday and continuing through Mar. 11, artists nationwide may submit their original, two-dimension visual art celebrating the second leg of the Triple Crown.

In the past two years, more than 300 entries from 19 states have been received each depicting different elements of Thoroughbred racing as reflected in the Preakness. The public is encouraged to take part in the open voting phase from Mar. 12 to Mar. 26 to cast their vote for their favorite piece of art.

The winning artist will be awarded a $4,000 prize and two tickets to Preakness 149 on Saturday, May 18. In addition, their work will be reproduced on a curated collection of Preakness 149 merchandise that will be available for purchase online and onsite during Preakness weekend. Proceeds from merchandise sales will be directed–for the third consecutive year–to the Park Heights Renaissance, a non-profit organization pursuing employment opportunities and affordable housing for Park Heights residents.

“As we kick off the third-annual Art of Racing competition, we're thrilled to invite artists nationwide to capture the Preakness Stakes through their unique perspectives,” said Audra Madison, Director of Marketing, Maryland Jockey Club. “Once again, we look forward to blending artistic achievement with the vibrant world of Thoroughbred horse racing.”

The winner of last year's competition was Justin Johnson, a Baltimore-based artist, whose original illustration titled “The Face of Victory” was selected from among the 207 total submissions.

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The latest recommendation in a years-long attempt by multiple stakeholders to consolidate Maryland racing at a single, reimagined racetrack now calls for a project dubbed “Pimlico Plus,” with racing centered in Baltimore and supported by the construction of a new training facility elsewhere in the state, according to a report issued by the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority (MTROA) Jan. 5.

The ambitious remake of the sport's infrastructure in Maryland hinges upon legislative approval, although the report did come with the endorsement of Maryland's governor, Wes Moore.

Another key to the deal would require 1/ST Racing and Gaming, which owns Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park, to transfer ownership of Pimlico to the state, and for 1/ST Racing to cede control of its day-to-day Thoroughbred operations to a to-be-created, non-profit entity as of Jan. 1, 2025.

The report stated that 1/ST Racing is amenable to “a framework for an agreement in principle” for those transfers to happen.

In addition, the state would negotiate a licensing agreement with 1/ST Racing to operate and promote the GI Preakness S. and the GI Black-Eyed Susan S., Maryland's two signature races.

Laurel Park would be maintained as “a transitional facility for live racing and training during the expected four-year construction and transition period,” the report stated.

The Washington Post reported that if all went according to plan, Pimlico would be shut down after this year's Preakness on May 18, with the 2025 and 2026 editions of the race temporarily shifting to Laurel.

After that, the MTROA report stated, Laurel will likely be redeveloped.

Complementing the rebuilt Pimlico's projected 700-horse stabling capacity would be the construction of a new training facility at a to-be-determined location that can house 650 horses “in reasonable proximity to Pimlico that would also be acquired and developed under a non-private ownership structure,” the report stated.

The report stated that the cost for the entire project would be “significantly below” previous concepts proposed in recent years that involved keeping both Pimlico and Laurel running “and within the range of General Assembly allocations.”

A story in the Baltimore Banner gave a more specific breakdown: “The new Pimlico comes with a price tag of $274 million to $284 million, while the training facility would cost about $113 million–in line with $400 million in state subsidies previously set aside for the renovation of Pimlico and Laurel.”

The concept of consolidation in Maryland has been openly discussed for the better part of a decade. 1/ST Racing (known as The Stronach Group when it took over in Maryland in 2002) has been on the record for years as acknowledging the sub-optimal conditions at outmoded Pimlico, which as recently as 2018 raced only 12 dates for an abbreviated meet surrounding the Preakness.

Initially, The Stronach Group invested tens of millions of dollars in upgrades at Laurel while publicly stating that the company did not foresee putting any of its own funds into an overhaul of Pimlico.

Civic and state officials, fearful of Baltimore losing the Preakness to Laurel, helped to push for the years-long commissioning of several years of studies for a publicly funded solution led by the Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA). In 2019, Baltimore's mayor even tried to sue Pimlico's ownership in an attempt to force a city takeover.

As the MTROA report explained, “After many iterations, an agreed-upon program was finalized in late 2021 and estimates were generated. The estimates were significantly over the available bonding capacity for the project.”

The Maryland General Assembly then called for additional input and yet more studies in 2022, and that year, the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA), the Maryland Horse Breeders Association, and others proposed an alternative scenario that would maintain year-round training and racing at both facilities.

“In total, six scenarios have been analyzed by the MSA [and] all of them significantly exceeded available project funding,” the MTROA report stated. It also concluded that “given the level of State investment required to rehabilitate and sustain the industry, a public ownership structure for the tracks and subsequent lease of them to a nonprofit entity led by Maryland industry professionals is the best path forward.”

The report stated at least one significant reason why 1/ST Racing would agree to give up Pimlico: The company would be on the hook for huge taxes if the state provided any funding for the rehab of a privately owned track.

“An additional issue complicates any public investment at either Pimlico or Laurel Park under the current ownership structure,” the report stated. “Under Section 118 of the Federal Tax Code, expenditures made by a government unit to construct improvements at a facility owned by a for-profit entity will constitute taxable income to that entity. Tax advisors have concluded that MSA expenditures at either racetrack may be treated as taxable income to any private owner.”

Belinda Stronach, the chairwoman, chief executive and president of The Stronach Group, stated in a press release that “The Stronach Group and [its subsidiary] the Maryland Jockey Club remain deeply committed to reinvigorating Thoroughbred racing in Maryland, and this framework agreement represents an important first step in that process.”

MTHA president Tim Keefe echoed those sentiments in a separate press release that stated “The Maryland racing industry is one of the most storied in the nation and [Friday's] announcement is an important step forward for a sustainable and bright future.”

TDN had follow-up questions for Keefe about the horsemen's perspective on the project, but a voicemail message left for him did not yield a return call prior to deadline for this story.

However, the MTHA press release did state that a “town hall” webinar for members to discuss and ask questions about the project would be scheduled for the near future.

So what might the reimagined Pimlico look like? The MTROA report outlined the following basic concepts for what would be one of the nation's few remaining tracks nestled within an urban neighborhood.

A new Pimlico would be a “best-in-class facility” featuring both a “right-sized” grandstand and clubhouse “with overlays that could be activated for the Preakness and other large events,” the report stated.

The report also envisioned the creation of a 1,000-seat event space, development parcels, a hotel built by a private partner, and “state-of-the-art equine diagnostic health facility with space for veterinary services.”

Housing for backstretch workers would not be in the stable area, but instead “constructed in the Park Heights community” near Pimlico.

Two parking facilities would be constructed. One would be part of the hotel. A second garage could be shared by both racetrack patrons and patients and staff at Sinai Hospital, which is adjacent to Pimlico.

As for the new training facility, the report stated that MTROA identified eight potential locations within a 50-mile radius of Pimlico to be examined for suitability.

Ranked on a scoring mechanism that evaluated nine criteria, the top three were Shamrock Farm in Woodbine, Mitchell Farm in Aberdeen, and the former Bowie Race Track in Bowie that last hosted racing in 1985 but had functioned as a training facility until 2015.

The report stated that “it is the recommendation and conclusion of the [MTROA] that those three locations move to a next stage for final consideration and subsequent acquisition. The [MTROA], however, will continue to evaluate and consider additional suitable properties if and when they become known.”

A footnote within the report disclosed that during the investigation of possible sites, “the [MTROA] learned through industry sources that Shamrock Farm, which is currently owned by the family of [MTROA] Authority member [and National Thoroughbred Racing Association president and chief executive] Tom Rooney, may be for sale. Those members leading the search reached out to Mr. Rooney about its availability, and he confirmed that a sale may be possible.”

With regard to the fundamental change of the state's operating model for racing, the report stated that it is seeking a system that “mirrors that in use by the New York Racing Association. Facilities would be owned by the State and leased to a professional not-for-profit operator. This structure will better align operations with the needs of the horse racing industry and the State's significant financial investments.”

The MTROA, the report stated, would be in charge of coming up with a recommended operator.

The MTROA has been meeting regularly since first convening in August 2023, while also conducting research and receiving testimony from a wide variety of stakeholders. It was created to meet twin objectives mandated by legislation: Reimagining the state's horse racing infrastructure to better align with budget realities, and conducting a review of Maryland horse racing operations in order to recommend the best path forward.

The MTROA is composed of appointees of the governor and legislative leaders and representatives of horse industry organizations, plus the MSA, the Maryland Economic Development Corporation, and others who have a stake in the areas surrounding Pimlico, Laurel, and Bowie.

The report that came out Friday was required by the General Assembly to be issued by that date.

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The Stronach Group, the Maryland Jockey Club, and the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority (“MTROA”) today announced they have reached the framework of an agreement in principle to preserve and enhance the Thoroughbred racing industry in Maryland.

The understanding, subject to the negotiation of definitive agreements, legislative authorization, and all required governmental approvals, will enable the MTROA to design and build an iconic racing venue at Pimlico and take over day-to-day racing and training in Maryland.

“The Authority's report represents an important next step for the industry, and I look forward to working with the General Assembly and the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority to finalize an agreement that ensures this important industry continues to create jobs and drive economic growth for years to come,” said Governor Wes Moore, whose office issued the release.

The Stronach Group and the Maryland Jockey Club, as the owners of the real property assets located at Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course and the intellectual property assets comprising the GI Preakness S., the GII Black-Eyed Susan S. and related festivals, will be working with the MTROA to implement terms for the use of these assets in the short and long term.

“The Stronach Group and the Maryland Jockey Club remain deeply committed to reinvigorating Thoroughbred racing in Maryland, and this framework agreement represents an important first step in that process,” said Belinda Stronach, Chairwoman, Chief Executive Officer and President, The Stronach Group.

The agreement will allow a fluid transition from The Stronach Group and the Maryland Jockey Club as operators to the MTROA in 2025, as well as allow the time needed to develop a new training facility and modernize Pimlico Race Course. The Stronach Group and the Maryland Jockey Club will retain ownership of the intellectual property associated with the Preakness S. under a license to MTROA.

“On behalf of the MTROA, I'm delighted that we were able to chart a course forward for Maryland racing that will ensure the industry continues to thrive for decades to come,” said Greg Cross, Chairman of the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority.

Click here to access the MTROA report.

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“We are pleased to come to terms on a one-year extension to the 2012 agreement with The Stronach Group, 1/ST RACING and Maryland Jockey Club and appreciate the work by all that went into finalizing this deal,” said David Richardson, Executive Director of MTHA. “This agreement provides our horsemen, the state's breeders, and backstretch workers stability while the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority continues their important work on a long-term plan for our industry. We look forward to the final Authority report and a bright and sustainable future for thoroughbred horse racing in Maryland.”

During the 2023 legislative session, Governor Wes Moore, Senate President Bill Ferguson, House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones, and members of the Maryland General Assembly created the Maryland Thoroughbred Racing Operating Authority by law to outline a plan for the future of Maryland racing. Over the past decade, Maryland leaders have dedicated funding to stabilize this historic industry but needed more legal authority to implement a plan.

“The Stronach Group, 1/ST RACING and the Maryland Jockey Club are committed to a successful 2024 racing season as we work in good faith with other stakeholders to develop a long-term, sustainable racing model for Maryland,” said Craig Fravel, Executive Vice Chairman, 1/ST RACING. “We are pleased to have worked constructively with Maryland stakeholders on this agreement and look forward to continuing to work with the Maryland Racetrack Operating Authority in the best interests of racing in Maryland.”

The Maryland racing industry, one of the oldest in the United States, has an economic impact of more than $2 billion in addition to preserving thousands of acres of open space statewide.

The Authority, chaired by veteran attorney at Venable LLP Gregory A. Cross, is expected to issue its interim recommendations next month.

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