Pimlico Race Course

Dave Rodman, announcer at Maryland's racetracks since 1991, has been named recipient of a Special Award of Merit for his contributions and positive impact on the racing industry. Rodman will be presented with the award at the May 15 Alibi Breakfast at Pimlico Race Course. A native of New Orleans, Rodman worked as a deejay at various radio stations before calling his first race at Jefferson Downs in 1981. He moved to Louisiana Downs in 1985 before becoming the track announcer for the Maryland Jockey Club, calling races at Pimlico,...

After reading "Enough Already. It's Time to Fix the Triple Crown" by Bill Finley, I must say I find myself not only disappointed by Mr. Finley's attitude, but also shocked by how he misconstrues and ignores the facts. In 2019, Bill Mott was planning to run Country House in the Preakness. Mott actually said, "We're leaning toward the Preakness, since he is the Derby winner and we don't want to pooh-pooh the Triple Crown. We want to support that." But two days later, Country House was coughing, placed on antibiotics,...

Spendthrift Farm will sponsor the upcoming Sir Barton Stakes, presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. The farm will also make a donation of $50,000 to the TAA during a check presentation following the running of the race on the May 17 Preakness Stakes undercard at Pimlico Race Course. "We are honored to partner with Spendthrift Farm for this year's Sir Barton Stakes," said Stacie Clark Rogers, Operations Consultant, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. "Their commitment to the welfare of Thoroughbreds, both during and after their racing careers is inspiring, and we are deeply...

A total of $100,000 in bonus money is on the table for trainers who run a minimum of five horses in the 15 Thoroughbred stakes races held during Preakness weekend, May 16 and 17, at Pimlico Race Course. Points for the trainer's bonus, which is returning to the Maryland track for the ninth year, are accumulated for finishing first (10 points), second (seven), third (five), fourth (three) and having a starter (one) in the 15 Thoroughbred stakes. The trainer with the most points will receive $50,000, second is worth $25,000,...

The Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority (MTROA), which was created in 2023 by the state to oversee the rebuilding of the 'Home of the Preakness' at Pimlico, will be terminated as of June 30, according to an article published in the Maryland Daily Record Apr. 4 . The piece says that a provision tucked into the state budget bills during final negotiations put the authority on ice and shifts its responsibilities to the Maryland Stadium Authority and the Maryland Economic Development Corporation. As previously reported by the TDN, the MTROA...

The Puerto Rico Horse Owners Association, Inc. (PRHOA) has agreed to drop a year-old federal lawsuit over allegedly unsafe surface conditions at Camarero Race Track after the owners of the island's only racing venue finally agreed to a long-sought demand by the plaintiffs to allow John Passero, the noted track-safety consultant who once served as the track superintendent at Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, to inspect the track. After a Feb. 10-12 inspection by Passero deemed that Camarero's dirt surface "was generally in good condition [and] not suffering at...

Artists are invited to submit their original works celebrating Preakness 150 and Pimlico Race Course for The Art of Racing 2025, 1S/T and the Maryland Jockey Club announced via press release Monday afternoon. Having attracted more than 500 artists of all ages since its inception four years ago, original, two-dimensional artwork submissions for the 2025 contest were accepted beginning Thursday, Jan. 30 and will run through Friday, Mar. 14 on the Preakness website. Artists of all levels are welcome to showcase their interpretations of Pimlico, the Preakness, or Thoroughbred racing....

As relief for all the talk of impending track closures, take a look inside my crystal ball for a glimpse of what racing could look like in New York, Maryland and Florida three years from now... Imagine the year is 2028. A newly reconstructed Belmont Park, thanks to a massive $455 million capital infusion, has secured the future of racing in New York for another half-century. The last time Belmont underwent wholesale reconstruction was in 1968, when Nelson Rockefeller was governor. Belmont's new grandstand, designed by stadium architect Populous in...

Shamrock Farm near Woodbine in Carroll County has been selected as the home of Maryland's new Thoroughbred training center, the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority announced Monday. Designed to accommodate more than 800 horses with room for future expansion, the new facility is located just 20 miles from Pimlico Race Course. "Our goal is to design and build one of the great equine training centers in the world," said Gregory A. Cross, chairman of the MTROA. "A rigorous examination of many locations in the region showed that this site provides...

On Tuesday--just two weeks after two horses died on Laurel Park's dirt surface and not even 24 hours after Laurel announced its track superintendent would be retiring immediately--the head of the new non-profit organization that will run both Laurel and Pimlico Race Course starting in 2025 told the Maryland Racing Commission that an immediate search is underway for an expert to quell the main-track woes that have intermittently plagued Laurel the past two decades. "We will obviously do a search nationwide for a winter-weather superintendent. It's a very important position....

A license transfer that is needed for a new, non-profit group to take over the running of Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course starting on the first of the year got pushed off the agenda at Tuesday's Maryland Racing Commission meeting because of concerns over the lack of documentation for how the incoming entity will meet an estimated $6-million budget shortfall for 2025. But executives from the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority (MTROA), which is facilitating the state-approved change of control of the two tracks from 1/ST Racing (The Stronach...

The Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority (MTROA) has approved the state's Thoroughbred racing calendar for 2025, which includes six days during the week of the 150th running of GI Preakness Stakes before the site is redeveloped, the authority said via a press release on Friday. The first under new leadership and a refitted organizational structure, the MTROA's calendar includes 114 racing days at Laurel Park. Preakness week will constitute the final running at Pimlico prior to a forward-looking rebuild and redevelopment of the Park Heights property, which is intended to...