Coleman Hamstead

Future of the Preakness - City of Baltimore files lawsuit against Stronach Group

The future of the Preakness Stakes has been a hot topic in Baltimore and the equestrian community for a few months now, finally peaking a week ago when it was announced that Baltimore City has filed a lawsuit against the Stronach Group to prevent moving the Preakness out of the city. Through the suit, Baltimore City hopes to take over ownership of the Pimlico Race Course as well as the Preakness Stakes itself. The Stronach Group, a Canadian conglomerate that owns both Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park, has spent the past few years renovating their Laurel Park track into a “super track” all in hopes of making it the new home of the Preakness.

As the second jewel in horse racing’s famous Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes has been held at Pimlico Race Course since 1873. With such a history, why would the Stronach Group want to move the Preakness out of Pimlico and Baltimore City?

"The Pimlico facility has reached the end of its useful life as a major event venue," Stronach executive Tim Ritvo wrote in a letter to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and others. The Stronach Group does not see the value in spending the $400+ million proposed in a bill by Pimlico supporters on a track that hosts just 12 races a year, including Preakness. After seeing Pimlico for yourself, one might agree with this sentiment. As described by Ilya Somin of reason.com, Pimlico is “a decrepit facility in a severely depressed section of the city that is hard for visitors to get to and sits idle the rest of the year.” A key reason for this could be linked to the fact that in the last five years, Stronach Group has put nearly 90% of its state horse track renovation subsidies into its Laurel Park track rather than Pimlico. It seems as if Stronach may have prematurely moved on from Pimlico and is using their neglect of the facility as an excuse to change locations—an idea Baltimore City will surely aim to argue in the lawsuit.

While Stronach has been actively focusing on relocating the Preakness Stakes, Baltimore City officials, including the mayor, have been hard at work fighting to keep the prestigious sporting event in the city. At a recent meeting before the House Ways and Means Committee, Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh said, “the Preakness belongs to Baltimore. You don’t hear Kentucky talking about moving the first jewel of the Triple Crown, and you’re certainly not hearing that reference to the Belmont. Why would we even be talking about moving the second jewel of the Triple Crown out of Baltimore City?" Other Pimlico supporters and boosters echo similar feelings. At the same meeting, Michael Gaines, executive pastor of Manna Bible Baptist Church, proclaimed that moving the Preakness from Park Heights, the Baltimore neighborhood Pimlico is centered in, would “sign the death warrant certificate for that community.” Baltimore City officials see Preakness as crucial not only to the future of Park Heights (where it is located) but to the progress of the entirety of Baltimore. The community has been showing its support in the fight, holding rallies toward the cause to keep Preakness at Pimlico.

In the beginning, it looked as if some sort of agreement or deal between the two groups, Baltimore City and the Stronach Group, was possible. Now, any idea of a settlement outside of litigation seems highly improbable. Not only are both sides getting farther apart in terms of budget and other technicalities, but the dispute has also reached a personal level. This past Friday, in a letter to Governor Hogan and other legislative leaders, Mayor Pugh said that the Stronach Group was a “company in disarray” and referenced feuds within the Stronach family that include lawsuits involving one another. The Stronach Group took offense to this, stating they were “extremely disappointed with Mayor Pugh’s recent letter.”

It appears as if Baltimore City is on their last leg with this dispute. The lawsuit filed a week ago may be a last-ditch effort to keep the cherished race in Baltimore. The success of the suit is uncertain at best, with some calling it “dubious.” The Stronach Group has stated that they are committed to holding the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico through this year’s race, coming up on May 18th, but there are no guarantees after that. If the Stronach Group is given the okay to move ahead with their plans, the history of Preakness at Pimlico will end this year with the 144th annual running of the Preakness Stakes.