Pimlico

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas indicated Secret Oath (Arrogate) may take another shot against the boys in the GI Preakness S. at Pimlico May 21 following tilt at the May 6 GI Kentucky Oaks. Secret Oath finished third in the GI Arkansas Derby in her first start against males. "We had no intention of running in the [GI Kentucky] Derby; running a mile and a quarter, in a 20-horse field," Lukas said. "Whether you could make a case or not that she's one of the better 3-year-olds in...

Due to a forecast for rain early next week, work on the Pimlico Race Course dirt surface has been rescheduled for Monday, April 25, through Wednesday, April 27. The work, which entails an examination of previous work done on the base at Pimlico in advance of the spring meet, was scheduled for Easter Sunday, April 17, through Tuesday, April 19. Pimlico and Laurel already were scheduled to close for training on Easter. The Maryland Jockey Club also said that because of the forecast for rain, entries will not be taken...

Edited Press Release 1/ST EXPERIENCE and Baltimore's own Kevin Liles, CEO and Chairman of 300 Entertainment and Elektra Music Group, have teamed up to launch Preakness LIVE Culinary, Art & Music Festival as part of an expanded Preakness entertainment and cultural celebration set to take place on Black-Eyed Susan Day, Friday, May 20. The festival is a part of 1/ST's new long-term campaign, Baltimore 1/ST, kicking off this year. In consultation with Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and in collaboration with Liles, Preakness LIVE will be the first event to take...

The Maryland Jockey Club has confirmed that maintenance work on the dirt surface at Pimlico Race Course will begin Easter Sunday, Apr. 17, with plans to reopen the track for training Wednesday, Apr. 20. MJC Acting President and General Manager Mike Rogers said a favorable weather forecast will allow the project to proceed at the preferred time rather than the following week. The track maintenance crew each year has examined the Pimlico surface prior to the May race meet and last year repaired the base in specific areas. Traditionally, there...

After a two-year hiatus owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, America Best Racing's Pre-Preakness Party will be held Wednesday, May 18, at the Mt. Washington Tavern in Baltimore, with the proceeds of all tickets sold to benefit the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. A silent auction will be held which will benefit the TAA and the Maryland-based Beyond The Wire Thoroughbred aftercare organization. "We're thrilled to again be a beneficiary of this party, along with our friends at Beyond the Wire, and we're grateful for the continued support from America's Best Racing," TAA...

Pimlico Race Course will shut down for training over a three-day period later this month to repair the base of the main dirt track ahead of the GI Preakness S. meet that runs May 12-30. Mike Rogers, the president of the racing division for The Stronach Group (TSG), which owns both Pimlico and Laurel Park, alerted the Maryland Racing Commission (MRC) to the upcoming closure during Tuesday's monthly commission meeting. Rogers said the exact dates for the repairs are dependent on weather. Apr.17-20 is the primary time window, with Apr....

Voting is officially open for The Art of Racing, a unique art competition presented by 1/ST and the Maryland Jockey Club in partnership with the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) to honor the GI Preakness S., Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, and its impact on Baltimore. A total of 147 entries of original, two-dimensional visual art that depict the unique elements of Thoroughbred racing and the Preakness Stakes were submitted for the contest. The winning artist will receive a $4,000 stipend and their artwork will be reproduced and...

The Pimlico Spring Meet, highlighted by the GI Preakness S., will offer 16 stakes--10 graded--worth $3.8 million in purses. The $1.5-million Preakness anchors a program of 10 stakes, six graded, worth $2.75 million May 20. Leading the undercard stakes on Preakness Day is the $250,000 GII Dinner Party S. for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles on the turf. To be run for the 121st time, the Dinner Party is Pimlico's oldest race and the eighth-oldest in the country, first run in 1870. Other graded supporting stakes are the...

The Maryland Horse Breeders Association (MHBA) Board of Directors recently voted unanimously to begin an award program for Breeder, Owner and Stallion bonuses for registered Maryland-breds at sanctioned steeplechase race meets in Maryland. Beginning in 2022, registered Maryland-bred horses that run first, second or third will receive 30% on purses earned at National Steeplechase Association-sanctioned meets in Maryland. This program is modeled on the current bonuses paid to Maryland-breds that run at Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course and Timonium. The five meets that qualify for this program this year are:...

The new date for the resumption of racing at Laurel Park has now been pegged as Thursday, Dec. 16, with timed workouts expected to resume Friday, Dec. 10. Both targets are pending a satisfactory safety review of the extensive base and cushion work now being done on the troubled main dirt surface at Maryland's most heavily used Thoroughbred venue. With the exception of light training that continues to take place around cordoned-off areas of the dug-up oval, Laurel has been closed for racing and timed works since Nov. 28. Seven...

Seven Laurel Park horses have died since Nov. 6, and eight total have perished this autumn after sustaining fractures while racing or training over the newly installed main dirt track there. The most recent death occurred in Laurel's eighth race Nov. 28, and training has been curtailed in the three days since then. A portion of the surface has been dug up in mid-stretch to allow an influx of track maintenance consultants to try and discover if there is an underlying problem that needs to be addressed. Laurel's next scheduled...

The inclusion of an August race meet at Pimlico Race Course for the first time in 17 years was the only major change in the 2022 slate of racing dates approved Thursday by the Maryland Racing Commission. Although not discussed at the Oct. 28 meeting, one obvious benefit to the mid-summer move from Laurel Park to Pimlico will be the ability to give Laurel's turf course a break during the hottest time of the year in Maryland. Pimlico last ran in the late summer back in 2005, when its calendar...