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Known for hosting the Preakness Stakes, Pimlico Race Course is a horse racetrack located near Baltimore, Maryland. The location of the facility was named after Olde Ben Pimlico’s Tavern in London in the 1660s by English settlers, hence the origin of the facility’s name. The racetrack gained the moniker “Old Hilltop” due to a slight elevation in the infield that developed into a well-liked meeting spot for fans of thoroughbred racing and trainers.
Pimlico Race Course History
The Dinner Party Stakes was first raced, and the colt Preakness won, marking Pimlico’s official opening in the fall of 1870. The 1873 Preakness Stakes would be named in the horse’s honor three years later. Notable events held at the track include the match race on November 1, 1938, when Seabiscuit defeated War Admiral in front of 43,000 spectators.
At the moment, Maryland Jockey Club is the owner. The Maryland General Assembly passed a measure on April 13, 2009, allowing the state to buy Pimlico in the event that Magna is unable to find a buyer. The next day, Governor Martin O’Malley signed it into law. The course of the Pimlico Special and the Preakness Stakes is 1 3/16 miles. Farma Way holds the Pimlico track record at that distance, which she established in 1991 when winning the Pimlico Special.
Pimlico Race Track has withstood several external historical events throughout the century and a half since its founding, including the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Great Fire of Baltimore (1904), and numerous noteworthy Baltimore riots. Additionally, Pimlico made it through Prohibition and, in 1910, an anti-gambling movement. According to Alfred G. Vanderbilt, “Pimlico is more than just a four-street-wide dirt track. Respected for its noble past and committed to promoting the best interests of a magnificent sport, it is a recognized American institution.” Fans travel from nearby states to watch the races at Pimlico, with The Preakness being the premier annual event. The greatest ever attendance at a sporting event in Maryland history was 121,263 persons in 2007 for the Preakness. Bets totaled more than $87.2 million.
Magna Entertainment Corporation and its parent firm MI Development reached an agreement on March 23, 2010, to sell the two Maryland Jockey Club tracks, Pimlico and Laurel Park. MI Development and Penn National announced on May 7, 2010, that they would jointly own and run the Maryland Jockey Club. Since its founding in 1973 as a single racetrack operator close to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Penn National has expanded to become the nation’s largest racecourse operator.
When MID Developments acquired Penn National Gaming’s minority interest in the Maryland Jockey Club, which owns Laurel Park, Pimlico, and a training center in Bowie, in June 2011, The Stronach Group assumed control of the tracks. Frank Stronach is a Canadian horse breeder and owner of the Stronach Group. In addition, Stronach held the positions of chairman and chief executive of MI Development, which he resigned to oversee Maryland’s racetracks.
Off Track Betting Guides
Get your off track betting action at Pimlico Race Course, one of the many available horse racing tracks at YouWager.lv’s racebook.