Friday 3 April 2009

Dark Clouds Gather over Pimlico

The bankruptcy of owner Magna may put it's historic Baltimore property, Pimlico Racecourse, in serious danger, the Baltimore Sun reports. Home of the Preakness (the least prestigious, but arguably the most meaningful jewel of the Triple Crown), Pimlico's and the race's future have been the subject of much debate over the last couple of weeks, but a solution has yet to be found.

In the interest of racing, let's hope that the unique sight of Pimlico's crowded infield will not become a thing of the past. The Triple Crown isn't the Triple Crown without the Preakness, and the Preakness isn't the Preakness if it's not run in the slightly rowdy but likeable, always electrifying atmosphere of it's Baltimore home.

2 comments:

  1. Doesn't the State of Maryland own the rights to the Preakness...not sure if that's a good thing these days...but it could be?

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  2. That's for the judge to decide, although I don't fully understand what they went to court for.

    In any case, a Preakness run anywhere else than in Baltimore should be considered a new race, and thus end the history of the American Triple Crown. The race was briefly run at two now-defunct NYC tracks during its history, but that was well before the concept of the Triple Crown took hold.

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