In a statement, the Stronach Group said the agreement on donating Pimlico to the state will help “usher ina new era” in Maryland racing.
The Stronach Group has reached an agreement to donate the Pimlico property to Maryland, clearing the way for the “Pimlico Plus” plan.
Back for its second year, the Preakness future wager will offer two separate pools, with the first kicking off Feb. 29.
The Pimlico Plus plan recently unveiled by the Maryland Racetrack Operating Authority spurs plenty of questions. Here are some, and some of the answers.
Advocates of the Maryland Racetrack Operating Authority’s “Pimlico Plus” plan portray it as a chance to get a clean slate and “control our destiny.”
The future could involve the consolidation of racing at Pimlico and the exit of the Stronach Group, says a Maryland Racetrack Operating Authority report.
Overnight purses at Maryland’s “mile tracks,” Laurel Park and Pimlico, will decline by about nine percent in 2024, down from this year’s all-time high.
The Md. Racing Commission approved placeholder racing dates for 2024, but with no agreement in place between horsemen and the tracks, work remains.
This is “an inflection point” for Maryland racing, MTHA general counsel Alan Foreman said in an interview.
After being stopped by the pandemic in 2020, Canter for a Cause returns to Pimlico for the third straight year October 29.