05/14/24 03:01:00
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05/14 14:59 CDT Final Preakness at Pimlico before rebuilding stirs nostalgia
mixed with relief for needed fixes
Final Preakness at Pimlico before rebuilding stirs nostalgia mixed with relief
for needed fixes
By STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Sports Writer
BALTIMORE (AP) --- Preakness days in recent years have featured water and
plumbing miscues. A large section of the grandstand at Pimlico Race Course has
been rendered unusable because it's condemned, and much of the rest of the
storied but decaying track is a relic to the sport of king's heyday many
yesteryears ago.
The home of the second jewel of horse racing's Triple Crown had become
something of an eyesore, far from the glitzy palace of Churchill Downs for the
Kentucky Derby.
The 149th rendition of the Preakness on Saturday will be the last before a
massive reconstruction project begins at Pimlico, and with that brings a mix of
nostalgia over the vaunted venue but also hope for the future because fixing up
the old place has been long overdue.
Tom Rooney, president and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association
and a longtime staple of the industry in Maryland, knows all too well the
contrasting feelings as someone who attends the Preakness annually sitting in
the clubhouse at Pimlico, which first opened in 1870 and hasn't gotten
significant upgrades since the mid-20th century.
"You want to feel nostalgic, but then you look up at the ceiling and you worry
that it's going to fall in on you," Rooney said. "It's kind of a bittersweet
year, but I think the people are going to be very proud of the final result in
a couple years."
After more than a decade of uncertainty and questions about what would become
of the Preakness and racing in the state, Gov. Wes Moore last week signed into
law a bill for a $400 million rebuild. The complicated process involves
Maryland taking over control of the track, building a training center and
eventually closing Laurel Park to shift full-time racing to Pimlico in the
northwest quadrant of Baltimore.
For those who tune in once a year when the sport's spotlight shines on it for
the Preakness, it means an abrupt shift, with the race being moved to Laurel
Park down the interstate halfway to Washington in 2026 before a planned return
to Pimlico in 2027, much like the Belmont Stakes' two-year hiatus at Saratoga
Race Course in upstate New York while the Long Island track is completely
revamped. The hope is to restore some of the Preakness glory that faded with
Pimlico's deteriorating conditions.
"It's going to create a much better home for the Preakness," said Greg Cross,
chairman of the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority that's
overseeing the project. "It's a statement that we're not going to lightly let
150 years of history just go away."
Some of the biggest names in the sport don't want to see everything go away,
namely the stakes barn that houses the Preakness horses in close proximity a
few minutes' walk from the track, something that does not happen at other major
races.
"That barn is so special, and there's been so many amazing horses that have
walked through that barn," said trainer Kenny McPeek, who is bringing Kentucky
Derby winner Mystik Dan to the Preakness, looking for his second victory in the
race. "The grandstand, obviously, needs to be revamped, and that's wonderful. I
think we could take this sport into another era with some changes there and
leave the Preakness barn alone."
Alan Foreman, another member of the authority, understands those concerns and
said, "Change is difficult, but the status quo for racing could not guarantee
survival of the industry."
Without casino revenue like other states and with myriad issues over who would
pay for changes, just getting to this point months from demolition is a
wire-to-wire win, especially given how many plans over the years fell through
the cracks.
"There is nervous anticipation among the racing community because until the
wrecking ball hits Pimlico, they see designs and they see the actual timeline
but I think many are still skeptical about whether this gets done or not,"
Foreman said. "Part of it's been trying to convince people that this is
different than previous iterations and that this is going to happen."
D. Wayne Lukas, who has trained a Preakness-record 46 horses, won it six times
and has two more running in it this weekend, is glad officials have worked to
keep the race in Maryland, in Baltimore and at Pimlico.
"I can appreciate the fact they're going to start over with it," the
88-year-old Hall of Famer said.
Starting over, much like Belmont Park, means a much smaller grandstand and
footprint and more outdoor space to adjust to modern horse racing, where
sparser crowds on normal days are expected but with the chance to expand usable
space for the Preakness and other special events. It could be the start of
horse racing's version of vintage ballparks replacing cookie-cutter, multisport
stadiums, a revolution that began a short ride away at Camden Yards.
"The sport and entertainment environment has changed: You have to adapt to the
current environment and plan for the future," Foreman said. "I think that
Maryland is going to be very much a lab experiment for the racing industry as
to what the future could look like."
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AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing
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