Pimlico barns, track are closed Saturday; renovation is on deck
Ahead of a $375 million renovation that has been put off for decades, Pimlico Race Course had its final day of training and simulcasting Saturday before the nearly 154-year-old track undergoes its first facelift since 1960.
The formal announcement was made Saturday in a written statement from the Maryland Jockey Club, the subsidiary of the The Stronach Group which sold the track for only $1 to the state of Maryland while retaining rights to run the Preakness for three more years.
Flashback: Maryland, Stronach make plans for Pimlico.
“On July 1, 2024, ownership of Pimlico Race Course was officially transferred from The Stronach Group to the State of Maryland as part of the plan to secure the Preakness Stakes’ continued presence in Baltimore and establish Pimlico as the permanent hub for year-round Thoroughbred racing in Maryland,” MJC acting president and general manager Mike Rogers said in the statement. “In conjunction with this transfer, a strategic investment of $10 million was announced through the Park Heights Renaissance in consultation with the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority to enhance housing, employment training and workforce development in the Park Heights area.
“For the MTROA and the Maryland Stadium Authority to move ahead, ... Aug. 31 marks the final day for all racing, training and wagering operations at Pimlico Race Course. This closure includes all customer-facing activities and the backstretch.”
The Stronach Group announced in January it was getting from under the burden of running and maintaining Pimlico. The Preakness is expected to be run at Pimlico next May before it is moved in 2026 and 2027 to Laurel Park, which Stronach intends to sell afterward to punctuate its final Maryland racing chapter.
“Pimlico has been a valuable part of our organization,” Rogers said in Saturday’s statement. “The Stronach Group thanks our customers and the community, particularly the Park Heights community, for their patronage and support. To the employees, backstretch workers, owners, trainers, jockeys and riders and industry stakeholders, we thank you for your partnership in delivering world-class Thoroughbred racing and training while maintaining the highest standards of operation and horse care and safety at Pimlico. We look forward to continuing to work with Maryland racing stakeholders for many years to come and to the upcoming Preakness 150 at Pimlico.”