April Smith might not exactly fit the stereotypical image of a cigar-chomping, visor-wearing weekday horse race bettor. “I’m 5-foot-2, 106 pounds, and a woman of a certain age,” she says. (Her twin sister won’t allow her to reveal the precise number.)

But on the days the Ruxton resident leaves her house to visit Pimlico Race Course, she is as much a regular as anyone else at the track. “I go down there to bet,” she says.

People always ask why. “‘Oh, that’s a terrible neighborhood,’ they tell me,” Smith says of Park Heights, where Pimlico—the Home of the Preakness, as the dilapidated signs say outside—is located.

First, she says, there’s not much to worry about on the 110- acre, largely desolate plot of land. Outside of Preakness week, when traffic backs up on I-83 and neighbors look to make money selling parking spots, afternoons at the track tend to be pretty sleepy. At most, a few dozen bettors might stroll across the linoleum floor in the mid-century-modern clubhouse, put down money at a teller’s window, and watch races from other parts of the country simulcast on the televisions.

But more importantly, Smith says, “There’s just something about the place.” And she’s not talking about the 150-year- old track’s well-documented warts. (Just a few of those warts: the outdated clubhouse that opened in 1960; the now condemned, century-old north-end grandstand; and the mismatched 1950s-era enclosed grandstand building between them.)

Horses race on Pimlico’s one-mile dirt oval no more than 12 days each year, but when Smith goes there, visions of races past, like Seabiscuit’s famous Great Depression-era battle with War Admiral, seem to rise from the dirt. The echoes of massive crowds, spanning generations, that have walked the grounds each third Saturday of May, nearly reverberate off the walls. And the stories of Preakness Stakes champions such as Secretariat, the 1973 winner who owns the race record, and celebrity trainers like silver- haired Bob Baffert, who have come seeking the eternal glory of the second jewel of the world-renowned Triple Crown, are shared frequently.

“The ghosts of Pimlico are still there,” Smith says. “You have to be half-dead to not sit there and have it wash over you.”

Born in Baltimore and raised in Annapolis in a sailing family, Smith, a history buff and longtime local tour guide, got turned on to horse racing in 2003 when the Triple Crown longshot Funny Cide passed through Pimlico. Smith quickly learned to appreciate the historic significance in her own backyard, figuratively and now literally.

From 2006 to 2015, she led sunrise tours of Pimlico’s stables each Preakness week, sharing all that she knew about Old Hilltop, as it was nicknamed in the 1800s. She is the very active co-moderator of the Friends of Pimlico Facebook group. She owns three horses—two of which live in a barn on her home property—and shovels manure every morning. Earlier this year, she converted her adult son’s former bedroom into a Pimlico shrine, complete with jars of dirt from the track.

In short, she simply loves the history of the real thing, just a 15-minute drive away. Sure, a serious upgrade may be long overdue. That became obvious back in 1998 when an electrical fire knocked out power on Preakness Day. But as the 146th running of the famed Preakness approaches this May, Smith fears a bit too much of Pimlico’s priceless authenticity will eventually disappear forever. That is, if everything she’s read and heard about the track’s long-awaited and closer- than-ever redevelopment plans is true.

What to do with the decrepit Pimlico Race Course has been a source of endless talks, studies, and disputes for decades. Should the property be renovated or razed? Would the state take it over? How did its condition deteriorate to this point? Should the Preakness move 30 miles south to Laurel Racetrack, the preference of Pimlico owner Belinda Stronach?

Finally, in October 2019, negotiators representing three groups—the city, the Canadian-based Stronach Group, and the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association—reached a surprising agreement: to keep the Preakness in Baltimore, at Pimlico, but in a completely reimagined venue.

The deal includes designs to tear down basically everything that is there now, rotate the dirt oval 30 degrees, and build a scaled-down clubhouse. It also calls to convert the remaining land into a mixed-use, $180-million public venue (think concerts, youth sports, and other events) that could help transform the neighboring Park Heights community.

During the negotiations about the track’s future, Belinda Stronach agreed to cede ownership of Pimlico’s 110 acres, valued at $50 million, to the city. In exchange, $155 million in state funds would be allocated for improvements to Laurel—the year-round working track of Maryland’s billion-dollar racing industry—which Stronach had once eyed as a “supertrack” to host Preakness, too. The plans for Laurel feature a mini-city of sorts—space for roughly 1,500 stalls to house the state’s thoroughbreds.

But the Stronach Group isn’t completely out of the Pimlico business. The arrangement calls for most of the 80 acres outside of the reconfigured track to be held or sold by the city for redevelopment.

The remaining property, including the new clubhouse and infield, will be used as a fully public space for 10 months of the year. But for roughly two months leading up to and just after Preakness, operations will be handed back over to The Stronach Group, which will pay between $8 and $10 million a year to build out temporary tents for corporate suites, seating, and other infrastructure for the big race, then tear it all down once it’s over.

In other words, if you’re expecting to show up to Preakness in a few years and see an uber-glamorous structure like Kentucky’s Churchill Downs, don’t hold your breath. Those in charge of overseeing the rebuilding of Pimlico and Laurel—the folks at the Maryland Stadium Authority, who led the construction of Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium—say we have to be realistic.

“The new permanent structure needs to be iconic,” says Stadium Authority executive Gary McGuigan, who is directing the project, “but iconic doesn’t mean it’s the biggest thing in the world.”

For someone like Smith, one of Pimlico’s most passionate fans, the final result will very likely be an unwanted departure from tradition, and perhaps feel like a purely made-for-TV event as opposed to the genuine attraction that it is now. Six turf sports fields may replace the dirt infield that’s there today, and there are no plans for any grand structure like the one that’s now visible from Northern Parkway.

When news of the redevelopment pact broke, Smith was able to see some of the early renderings. What she saw was a much smaller, glass-walled, white-roofed clubhouse, with temporary suites scattered around it on Preakness Day. The structure looked to her like a sterile Kleenex box or the much-maligned Denver airport, lacking character befitting Pimlico’s rich history.

Practically speaking, Smith understands Pimlico is a “neglected historic site. The old grandstand leaks like a sieve,” she says. “You’ve got tubs collecting water there. But I’m not a big fan of the new plan. If they want to get rid of the clubhouse, I can live with that, but there are certain features that should be saved.”

Like, for example, the four-ton, 30- foot long bas-relief sculpture at the building’s entrance—it depicts an 1877 match race at Pimlico that shut down Congress for a day so legislators could attend—and the solid timbers that the 127-year-old grandstand is made from. “We don’t allow trees to get that old anymore,” she says. “They’re irreplaceable.”

Other critics lament the use of nearly $400 million in state funds—even if most of the money is coming from revenue already earmarked for the state horse racing industry— for what many consider a dying sport, despite its tradition in the city and state.

Still, the deal keeps the Super Bowl- like event of Preakness in Baltimore, a tradition that started in May of 1873, two years before the first Kentucky Derby. And for the surrounding community across Park Heights, Winner, and Belvedere Avenues, the redevelopment represents a chance to seriously invest in a low-income, high-crime area that has enjoyed relatively little direct economic benefit from the estimated $30 million or so that Preakness generates for the Baltimore area each year.

 

“PIMLICO CAN’T JUST BE IN PARK HEIGHTS, BUT IT HAS TO BE FOR PARK HEIGHTS, TOO.”

 

Studies have shown that the life expectancy in Park Heights—whose north end begins at Pimlico—is more than 10 years shorter than for those living in upper-middle-class Mount Washington a mere mile away on the other side of the track.

The goal for developers and neighborhood leaders, like Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, who grew up blocks from Pimlico, is to use the land to create more year-round jobs, perhaps through a hotel and a grocery store that will serve both residents and adjacent Sinai Hospital’s employees and patients.

“Pimlico can’t just be something that’s in Park Heights, but it has to be for Park Heights too,” says Scott, who attended his first Preakness in 2019 after becoming City Council president. “My lasting memory is the world descending on my neighborhood, then the next day we were forgotten again, and that’s what I’m trying to make sure that we don’t do anymore.”

As for the idea that money might be better spent elsewhere, Scott says, “Why not invest in Pimlico? As we go through this process of redeveloping Park Heights through a lens of equity, why can’t we invest in something big and spectacular in a neighborhood that has significantly been under-invested in? People need to see that investment, just like in other places in the city.”

If you’ve driven past Pimlico lately, you’ll notice nothing has changed, and it likely won’t for a while. Most of the year, you may see a horse galloping around the track with an exercise rider or being led to or from the stables, but you’re just as likely to see no activity. The starting gate rests unused near Northern Parkway.

For 50 weeks, no races are run. Trash whips around the media parking lot and a handful of off-track bettors come and go from the south grandstand entrance. In February, The Stadium Authority selected the project’s lead design firm, downtown-based Ayers Saint Gross. New ground won’t be broken for at least two years, according to McGuigan, as more contractors are selected and various tax agreements and land-transfer details are worked out between The Stronach Group, Baltimore City, and Anne Arundel County.

What’s more, logistics may dictate work starting at the year-round Laurel facility before Pimlico, which means “there will be a Preakness, one or two, that will be at an unfinished facility,” McGuigan warns.

The framework of a reinvented Pimlico is already set in law, though. Specifically, the Racing and Community Development Act of 2020, which passed in the state legislature last May. It was the result of focused negotiations that began with a break-the-ice meeting between former Baltimore City Mayor Jack Young and Belinda Stronach in her chalet tent at the 2019 Preakness and ended with an announcement five months later.

It was surprising news, given the extremely private and relatively quick nature of the negotiations. In recent years, discussions about the future of Pimlico had been marked mainly by public back-and-forth between the interested parties and contentious Annapolis hearings.

In fact, on the day Young met with Stronach, a lawsuit filed by Young’s predecessor, Catherine Pugh, seeking not only the rights to Pimlico property but also the intellectual property of the Preakness, right down to the Woodlawn Vase given out to the winner, was still pending.

After the Healthy Holly children’s book scandal put Young in the Mayor’s office, the sides agreed to start over at the urging of intermediaries, namely Bill Cole, the former city councilman and CEO of the Baltimore Development Corporation; Joe De Francis, Pimlico and Laurel’s former owner (along with his sister) who completed his sale of both tracks to Frank Stronach, Belinda’s father, in 2007; and Alan Rifkin, an attorney for Preakness Stakes and the Maryland Jockey Club, which is owned by The Stronach Group.

On Preakness Day 2019, “It just so happened that the Mayor found his way into Belinda Stronach’s tent,” Rifkin recalls. Young, the East Baltimore native, and Stronach, the Canadian who inherited her father’s horse racing empire, chatted off in a corner for about 10 minutes. They agreed to “put away the swords,” Rifkin says, “and come up with a way to resolve the problem.”

A little more than a week after the 2019 Preakness Stakes, Rifkin started renewed discussions with the city (with Cole as its negotiator) and brought Horseman’s Association president Alan Foreman, representing state horse trainers and owners, to the talks.

Ultimately, the group settled on a potential combination of redeploying funds from the state’s existing Racetrack Facility Renewal Account ($8.5 million annually), Horseman Associations’ purse revenue ($5 million), and a portion of the city’s annual slot-machine revenue from the state ($3.5 million) to raise an estimated $17 million per year to pay off a 30-year state-issued bond for the work at Laurel and Pimlico. From there, Stronach agreed to hand over Pimlico to the city, while retaining rights to the Preakness itself.

“That was extraordinary,” says Rifkin. “It was a transformative moment. Pimlico has been for so many years a barrier between communities. As a result of this project, it will become a bridge between communities.”

What the bridge looks like in the end remains to be seen. Those early public renderings might not look like the final product. Even Rifkin, a member of the group who commissioned the images, says as much, explaining that they were mostly needed to give legislators a visual of what could be possible, not what will definitely happen. McGuigan, of the Stadium Authority, says the same.

“Will it look like those initial renderings that were shown?” he says. “It might, but there’s going be a lot more ideas thrown around the next year or two.”

There will be public meetings and no doubt various asks and opinions from different stakeholders in what happens at Pimlico: the city, neighbors, politicians, horse owners, trainers, jockeys, and most certainly Friends of Pimlico like April Smith. At this point in the saga of Pimlico, Smith recognizes the need to remake the track, but doesn’t want to feel like the place lost its identity when she shows up to bet or simply reminisce.

Forget the ghosts, she says. The ashes of several actual people—equine professionals and enthusiasts alike, including 1909 Preakness-winning jockey Willie Doyle—have been scattered across the property, further proof of how much the track has meant to people over the decades.

“This is hallowed ground,” Smith says. “As rundown as Pimlico is, it breaks attendance records every year because everybody knows that this is the real thing. When I go, invariably I’ll start talking to somebody, and they always tell me that they love just being there, just sitting there and taking it in. It’s not just a figment of my imagination.”

Baltimore’s place in American horse-racing history is so cemented that tomorrow’s Preakness Stakes will actually mark the second time the race will be run on Pimlico Race Course’s hoof-trampled dirt oval during a once-in-a-century pandemic.

Things were a little different than they were today. First off, news and the Spanish Flu of 1918 didn’t travel nearly as fast as information and COVID-19 seem to today. As World War I was still being fought—and about two months after reports first surfaced in U.S. newspapers about a flu outbreak at a military base in Kansas—fans were present at Pimlico on May 15, 1918 to watch the 43rd running of the Preakness.

And the race was run on a Wednesday afternoon, which evokes a different impression than the pageantry and excitement of the third Saturday in May that we (usually) see today. Though, like then, this year’s race will be run at an unusual time—at 5:45 p.m. on the first Saturday of October. And it will happen at a largely empty venue void of fans, something we had similarly never imagined.

But here’s the fascinating kicker about the last time the Preakness was run during a global pandemic. Back in 1918, for the first and only time ever, the race was so popular that it was split into two divisions. And because folks back then couldn’t decide one true winner, there were actually two. One was a 3-year-old appropriately named for the time, War Cloud, and the other went by the speed-invoking moniker Jack Hare Jr. To this day, the 1918 Preakness is the only classic race—that’s what the Preakness, Kentucky Derby, and Belmont Stakes were known as before the Triple Crown label was invented—to be so-called, “split.”

It happened because William Riggs, then secretary of the Maryland Jockey Club, hatched a marketing idea to increase the Preakness prize money to attract a strong field after the Kentucky Derby winner from 11 days earlier dropped out. So many horse owners wanted a piece of a then-record $25,000 of prize money (roughly equivalent to $470,000 today), that 26 horses entered. Rather than run them all in one race, officials decided to split the money and the race into two heats.

Today, another marketing genius might come up with a way to determine a Preakness winner in an NCAA basketball-style tournament over a few weeks for television purposes, but back then, two races—and two winners—was evidently a satisfying solution.

The Preakness that year was represented by the fourth and sixth races of a seven-race card at Pimlico. A jockey named Johnny Loftus rode War Cloud to a win in the first division. And Jack Hare Jr. took the second heat in 1 minute, 53.4 seconds—which was 0.2 seconds faster than War Cloud’s time in the earlier race.

That’s just about a photo finish if there was such a thing. If this were happening today, NBC might superimpose each horse into video of a single race—like the Discovery channel did when Michael Phelps took on that shark a few years ago—and show us the real winner in slow-motion to satisfy our curiosity and the betting public. (Or you could enter their data into a computer and run the horses against each other digitally like a Race-Horse Keno game, and crown Jack Hare Jr. the ultimate winner after everyone sees the result.)

But back then, according to a story from horse racing website PastTheWire.com, “Neither A.K. Macomber, owner of War Cloud, nor William Applegate, owner of Jack Hare Jr., could agree who should take temporary possession of the Woodlawn Vase for the year, as was tradition, so the trophy remained in Baltimore.”

At some point, though, a trophy went to the Applegate family (known for its Kentucky-based distillery), as a descendant, Missie Rennie, described in this video a few years ago…

A little more than hundred years later, the Preakness will be run again during a pandemic. It’s grown into an event that attracts tens of thousands of people to Pimlico each year (and thanks to an agreement reached just before the shutdowns in March by the state, city, and the track’s owners, The Stronach Group, one that will continue for years to come). The purse is now $1.5 million.

But tomorrow, there will be no fans. Only the horses, jockeys, trainers, officials and some media will be there. (We’ll be one of them, fortunately.) When track announcer Dave Rodman announced the post positions for the field of 11 horses earlier this week, he did so while wearing a mask, while those pulling the cards were seated nearby—socially distanced. That’s the protocol for race day, too.

The betting machines won’t even be active at the track tomorrow. No Black-Eyed Susans poured either, nor plethora of big hats to be found. In short, there will be no buzz on any part of the property in Northwest Baltimore, be it the grandstand or infield. If you want to bet, you’ve got to do it online. If you want to watch, you have to do it on television or your phone. (To that point, the Stronach Group, the race’s operator, has partnered with The Greene Turtle to host watch parties at their restaurants around Maryland.)

Like people were in 1918, in the early days of what became a years-long pandemic, we’re happy to have a race at all. Sports, even those in which horses are the celebrity participants, are a welcome distraction in times of chaos. That was as true more than 100 years ago as it is today. And this year, only one winning jockey will be handed a big trophy.

Baltimore mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young is expected to announce his candidacy for the 2020 mayoral race at 11 a.m. Saturday in Station North.

“I decided I want to run because there’s a lot of things I want to accomplish,” Young told the Baltimore Sun.

Since assuming his role as mayor after Catherine Pugh stepped down amid a growing scandal in May, Young has shepherded the city through a ransomware attack and often spoke glowingly as new recreation centers opened across the city.

A native of East Baltimore, Young has long been a proponent of programs for city youth. He served as president of the Baltimore City Council from 2010 to 2019, and in 2016, the charter amendment he put forward, which established a fund to provide funding for youth services—the first of its kind in Baltimore—was passed overwhelmingly by voters at referendum.

While it remains to be seen what impact a Young campaign will have on stump issues, it’s safe to assume that this is where he will place an emphasis. His biography page on the Baltimore City government website touts him as a “proponent of affordable housing and mixed-use development,” explaining that he “believes neighborhood development is the key to increasing Baltimore’s population, decreasing vacant homes, and improving its local economy.”

Young had previously said that he would not run for mayor, but reports indicate he started to change his mind this summer. Since stepping into his new role, he has embedded himself into the community at a number of events including the Shake and Bake unveiling last spring and the reopening of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

Interestingly, in Young’s first few days as mayor, he made a trip to Annapolis to lay out his ideas and agenda, as well as to appeal to lawmakers for funding. During that trip, he said that his top priority was ensuring that the Preakness remain at Pimlico Race Course. Earlier this month, he got his wish, as a new deal was tentatively struck for massive renovations to usher the track into the 21st century. It’s a deal that is likely to be brought up among his key accomplishments on the 2020 campaign trail.

Young is set to formally announce his run Saturday at the Ynot Lot on North Avenue. In what is expected to be a crowded field, he hopes his name recognition and his time as mayor thus far will serve him well. Other democratic candidates that have announced bids include former prosecutor Thiru Vignarajah and Brandon Scott, who was voted City Council President after Young became mayor.

“I’ve proven I can run the city of Baltimore,” Young told the Sun. “I believe I’m the person to do it.”

With the recent announcement that Pimlico Race Course will be staying in Baltimore for the foreseeable future comes a ripple effect that contains multiple layers.

There is the obvious—that a Baltimore landmark and longstanding tradition will remain in the city. As part of the agreement, The Stronach Group has turned over the rights of the entire Pimlico facility to city officials. Plans also call for a new clubhouse that will be available to the community for use in non-racing months. The track would be rotated 30 degrees, creating new parcels with the idea of building on the land. As far as the Laurel Park track is concerned, comprehensive renovations surrounding the more day-to-day operations are a top priority.

With this stability, those involved in negotiations will now apply the information they have gathered from Park Heights officials to institute a plan that fills voids within the community —including a new grocery store, a hotel in the area surrounding Sinai Hospital, and a few sit-down restaurants to help stimulate development.

“If the mixed-use plan is done carefully, it’ll be a real catalyst for revitalizing Park Heights,” says Marty Azola, a local preservationist on the board of the Maryland Historical Society, and an expert on adaptive reuse.

For a long time, the Pimlico renovation project lacked momentum as the city and owners engaged in often contentious negotiations that were centered around funding, how that money should be used, and who would be in charge of distributing it. It’s a gamechanger for developers who have been reticent to come to Pimlico due to poor and outdated infrastructure.

“The recommendations of the plans we announced are transformative,” says Alan Rifkin, who represents the Maryland Jockey Club and the Preakness Stakes. ““It was critically important that plans included redoing all of infrastructure—putting it in a position where it could modernize the race track and the site.”

In addition to tending to the track itself, creating growth opportunities for Park Heights was always at the forefront of negotiators’ minds throughout the process. In order to do things right, they believed Pimlico needed to be established as a year-round facility—rather than leaving it dormant for a large part of the year. As a result, the hope is for it to serve as both a gathering place for events throughout the year and source for new energy for other businesses throughout the area.

“We have a pretty good sense of what the Park Heights community would like to see or what is missing in terms of retail,” says Bill Cole, a negotiator for the city who estimates that the Pimlico plans will accelerate the revitalization of Park Heights by at least a decade. “I don’t believe that anybody ever envisioned that adding this type of development in Park Heights was possible.”

But before any construction begins, officials will need to put forth a bill that would cover their plans before the General Assembly, whose current legislative session starts in January. If things go the way they hope, work could potentially commence by the end of next year.

For now, any fears about the Preakness leaving Pimlico—the second-oldest racing track in the country—for greener pastures can be qualmed for the moment.

“It would be a horrible thing for the city’s image to lose the Preakness when our national image is not as bright as it could be,” Azola says. “It’s akin to the cold winter day we lost the Colts. This will demonstrate that when people put their nose to the grindstone and come up with a win-win solution, Baltimore can do it.”

Say what you want about the water pressure and the 1980s-style décor at the 149-year-old Pimlico Race Course—and both are long overdue for upgrades—it was hard not to travel around the property on a sun-splashed Saturday, Preakness Day, and not feel nostalgic, and that the race really doesn’t need to go anywhere else.

The annual scene, a rite of Baltimore spring, played out once more. From the crowded grandstands, where people bought refreshing Black-Eyed Susans and wore big, flowery hats that will probably go back in their closets for a while and maybe placed a bet; to the InfieldFest, where sunburned drinking-age kids did what they do; to along the rail near the start-finish line of the one-mile dirt oval, where a few fortunate adults put down their cocktails and positioned themselves before the main event’s 6:48 p.m. scheduled post time to get a peak and take pictures or video of the running of the 144th Preakness Stakes.

It was sure worth watching. War of Will, the controversial seventh-place finisher of the Kentucky Derby two weeks earlier, won our race outright, and his redemption story set up a chance for a dramatic Triple Crown bid June 8 at the Belmont in New York. And everyone, all 131,256 estimated in attendance, got a big surprise when a horse with no jockey on it—Bodexpress, which bucked its rider John Velazquez from its back out of the starting gate—galloped down the homestretch, not just twice during the race as is required to finish it, but two more times afterward. “I think we’ve covered bizarre,” said the winning trainer, Mark Casse, the 58-year-old raised in Florida who was thrilled to have won in Baltimore. “The Preakness has always been so big to me.”

As we know by now, it might be one the last times the mix of party buzz, betting (a record $99 million wagered this year), and horse racing comes to the 110-acre plot of land in Park Heights. The track’s owner, the Canadian-based Stronach Group, wants to move the second jewel of the Triple Crown from outdated Pimlico, which is open just 12 days a year, to a renovated year-round “super track” about a 30-minute drive south in Laurel, while city stakeholders want to keep the race right where it is. Complicating matters is that state law maintains the Preakness can’t be moved from its current site for reasons other than “disaster or emergency.”

At one point Saturday afternoon, a private plane flew overhead with a message trailing in the sky behind it: “Stronach Keep Preakness in Baltimore,” paid for by a political communications firm. Meanwhile, new Baltimore City mayor Jack Young wore a yellow button with the same words on it, minus the surname of the track’s owners, and he spoke about wanting to negotiate a “win-win” for both sides.

Unless you’re directly in those political discussions—and Young, who took office 11 days ago, Gov. Larry Hogan, and Belinda Stronach haven’t even had them yet—it’s hard to know exactly what will happen. But the interests have said they want to talk, while a city-filed lawsuit hovers, and the public wonders. Stronach Group COO Tim Ritvo has said the race will be run at Pimlico next year, but after that, who knows?

In the meantime Saturday, we stayed in the present: a glorious 77-degree day, few clouds in the sky, a tradition-steeped event, and the people, the things of which Preakness discussions should be about. After all, what is a place without what happens there?

There was pageantry—like Navy Seals parachuting in from above with a giant American flag. And stories like this: Wouldn’t you know, two 20-something kids, of those sunburned variety, snuck into the media tent after the race, despite the seemingly hundreds of security guards and the credential scanners in the infield, and sat in on the post-race press conference.

Not only did one of them, Ryan Donofry, 21, a recent Temple University graduate, wearing suspenders over a buttoned-up collared shirt like an old-timey reporter, rise from his seat, identify himself as from his hometown Springfield Sun newspaper outside Philadelphia, and ask Casse and War of Will’s jockey, 24-year-old Tyler Gaffalione, a question (“How are you going to celebrate?”). But he and his friend, Liam Bradley, 22, took pictures with the winners after the Q&A ended.

“It was awesome,” Bradley told Baltimore afterward. “We were in the infield and we ended up in here. Can’t ask for more.” Then the pair wandered away, wondering where to go, before ultimately heading to their resting place for the night. (They also kindly apologized if they’d had taken away an opportunity to ask a question.)

Hours earlier, Avla “Poppet” Potts, in her 80s, and who bred Preakness entry Alwaysmining, an 8-to-1 shot, at her longtime Fallston farm, sat in the box seats along the homestretch, eager to see what was going to unfold like the rest of us. Would the 3-year-old horse become the first from Maryland to win the Preakness since 1983? “We’ll see how it goes,” Potts said. Unfortunately, for locals, the horse finished 11th out of 13, and never really contended. Another rooting interest, Maryland-based Win Win Win, stabled at Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, placed seventh.

A little more than an hour after the finish of the two-minute sprint, in Pimlico’s barn area on the property’s northwest edge along Winning Avenue, War of Will received celebrity-type attention, camera flashes popping as the sun set behind a giant thunderstorm cloud. Across the parking lot—fairly close to a long line of revelers seeking one more drink from a temporary bar, Alwaysmining ate hay alone in his stable, of course unable to comment. And in another corner, Casse, the trainer in a giddy mood, accepted congratulations on a makeshift stage, before heading off to dinner with his wife at Wicked Sisters in Hampden.

“The last two weeks have not necessarily been the easiest,” Casse told a small crowd, referring to the Derby controversy after which some openly questioned whether his horse should have been declared the winner. (A decision by the steward, or a horse racing referee, disqualified apparent winner Maximum Security for blocking.) Casse spoke a bit more about that feeling earlier in the media tent.

“I felt like there was so much written, so much said about how our horse wasn’t going to win [here]. I felt bad for him,” he said. “I just wanted a fair shot.” He got it, and, thankfully, so did we—to watch and enjoy what we hope is one of many more splendid days to come on Old Hilltop.

It’s sad, really, the whole situation. How the venue, Pimlico Race Course, for one of America’s most iconic sporting events and one of Baltimore’s great decades-old traditions, the Preakness Stakes, has been left to wither and die.

If you’ve been, there’s no shortage of evidence, from the unusable bathrooms a few years ago, to the 7,000 Old Grandstand seats the track’s owners have said are unsafe to sit in this year, to on Tuesday morning, when a water main burst, leaving a pair of craters in the parking lot just outside the historic-yet-dilapidated, 149-year-old facility’s administrative offices.

Even Pimlico’s jockey’s lounge, used sparingly throughout the year but which you expect would be in better condition for riders preparing for a nationally televised horse race with a $1.5 million purse, looks like it hasn’t been updated since the 1980s (the hand-crank manual pencil sharpener affixed to a desk is a giveaway). Plus, it has its own damage: The frayed net on a Ping-Pong table wouldn’t even allow a fair game.

The course’s crumbling state is all too obvious a symbol of the disarray that surrounds the Preakness Stakes. The ongoing legal and legislative battle and public posturing between Baltimore City and The Stronach Group—the Canadian real estate conglomerate and Pimlico’s owner—which hasn’t hid the fact it wants to move the Preakness 30 minutes south to a “supertrack” in Laurel, has been well documented. (Though we’ve yet to hear how new mayor Jack Young feels about the situation.)

Of course, it makes business sense for the track’s owners to want to have a state-of-the-art, year-round facility halfway between here and Washington, D.C., where they can attract the type of corporate dollars they want, while theoretically strengthening the state’s horse racing presence. And, outside from one weekend a year and the money that some residents of surrounding and blighted Park Heights charge visitors to park, the neighborhood sure doesn’t enjoy the type of long-term economic impact you would hope a legendary sporting event, and its home, could bring to a place.

The 110-acre Pimlico lot sits practically desolate for 50 weeks out of the year—the parking lots are used to do things like walk dogs—coming alive only for 12 days surrounding the running of the Preakness, the second jewel of the famed Triple Crown. When that happens, it only makes the warts more apparent to visitors. You won’t see them on TV, though. “Viewers won’t see the dumped mattresses, tires and garbage on desolate blocks, the high concentration of liquor stores and convenience shops,” is how The Undefeated put it in an article this week.

These hard truths don’t mean it’s easy—or right—to simply throw away one of the great traditions of the city, and the state. That might be why Maryland law says the Preakness can’t be moved from Pimlico for any reason other than “disaster or emergency.” It’s hard to imagine anybody wants a Colts 2.0, though at least this potential move is playing out publicly. In fact, when I visited Pimlico as the sun rose early Tuesday morning and joined one of the free public tours of its barns, I didn’t find one person there who wanted to see the track close down, even if they understood its crumbling condition.

It may have been a biased polling group, but our tour guide, Anita Slebzak, a lifetime horse racing enthusiast who started working at local tracks in 1978, certainly doesn’t want it to happen. “Having the Preakness is like having the Super Bowl or the World Series in your hometown every single year,” she said after guiding a group of nine people around. “I hope that they keep it.”

So does 32-year-old John Anderson, the security guard who tagged along with our group. He’s worked at the track on and off for 15 years; his mom has him beat, at 19. “I work here. My mom works here. My dad will be here tomorrow. My sister will be here on Preakness Day, and so will my will brother-in-law,” he said. From South Baltimore, the guy with gold front teeth and an endearing and infectious laugh isn’t sure if he’d be able to get to Laurel to work, should Pimlico close and its land redeveloped, unless transportation was part of the deal. “There’s no need to take it down,” he said, standing beneath the grandstands. “For what? You make a lot of money here, and it’s historic.”

Indeed, Frank Stronach, 86, a self-made billionaire who has sued his daughter, Belinda, for financial mismanagement of the family assets (and she vice versa), bought Pimlico, and Laurel, in 2002. Money, more money, could have been invested in the place a long time ago. Even so, just two years ago, on a nice weather day, Pimlico set single-day records for attendance (140,237) and handle ($97.16 million).

Even someone who you’d think would have rooting interest for the proposed new location for the state’s premier track, Louann Day, a retired communications official who lives within walking distance of the current Laurel Raceway and took a tour of Pimlico on Tuesday, said she hopes the venue stays right where it is. “This is iconic Maryland,” she said. “It’d be like taking crabs away.”

Gone not only would be the theater, pageantry, and buzz (Infield party or otherwise) of the 100,000-plus watching the running of the Preakness—a reason to celebrate, and we could sure use as many of those as possible. But also disappearing into thin air would be the small, charming moments, the type of early weekday mornings that leave an impression on plastic minds.

Like when Tim Tullock, a veteran outrider and racing analyst who sat on a horse near the start-finish line of Pimlico’s one-mile dirt oval and informed wide-eyed kids (and adults) about the nuances of horses. “Did you know horses can’t throw up?” he said, as a way of explaining that they can’t breathe through their mouth. Later he entertained his own kids, by video-chatting to them from horseback, as he rode about the property.

A few media members stalked the stables, looking for a glimpse of War of Will, one of the horses involved in the controversial Kentucky Derby finish two weeks ago. And security guards talked shop, one about the good old days when you could bring anything in on race day, even your own liquor. A second spoke of another reality. Part of his job Saturday? To retrieve the golf carts that kids from the surrounding divested neighborhood hop the Pimlico fences to steal. (Note: They have GPS in them, so they’re easy to find.)

Meanwhile, television crews ran wires from their many production trucks, in preparation for Preakness Day, making sure the electricity worked. “The Home of the Preakness,” the signage says nearby, a true statement until at least 2020. After then, we don’t know.

Though its future location hangs in the balance, we can definitively say that, for now, the Preakness Stakes are a Baltimore tradition. And local bars, restaurants, and party professionals are celebrating the Charm City spectacle in characteristic style.

From cocktail specials to bus parties and everything in between, here are the best ways to celebrate the middle jewel of the Triple Crown.

Support thoroughbred care at Mt. Washington Tavern.
For the sixth year in a row, America’s Best Racing will hold a pre-Preakness party at Mt. Washington Tavern. On Wednesday, May 15, guests can enjoy Triple Crown-themed cocktails, a buffet of bar snacks, and a silent auction all to benefit the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, which awards grants to aftercare organizations around the country.

Sip on a slushie at Wet City.
Our favorite personified frozen drink machine is getting in the Preakness spirit this year at Wet City in Mt. Vernon. Decked out in an eyepatch, Blinky will be churning out frozen Black-Eyed Susan cocktails with rum, vodka, pineapple juice, orange juice, and coconut. The safest bet of the day? You’ll be wearing the eyepatch after a few of these.

Go downtown for al fresco happy hours.
All week long, Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts will be hosting events to celebrate the lead up to Preakness. There are events for kids, lunchtime markets, and even a fireworks show, but we’re mostly excited for their Monday-Thursday happy hours featuring vendors like Clavel, Charm City Pops, and Connie’s Chicken and Waffles.

Start the pregame party bright and early.
Get into the true infield spirit with tailgate pros Bmore Around Town, which will be hosting pregame parties at Mother’s and Southern Provisions starting at 8 a.m. on Preakness day. Tickets get you an unlimited brunch menu, bus transportation to Pimlico, a commemorative beer mug, and a general admission ticket to the infield. Just remember: pace yourself.

Imbibe a beautiful cocktail at The Elephant.
Now that The Elephant is officially staying open on North Charles Street, celebrate by trying their elegant cocktail Grandma Suzie. This horse-race-inspired drink is made with Hendrick’s gin, Grand Marnier, herbal liqueur, tonic, seasonal fruit, and edible flowers. With its elaborate garnish, it’s kind of like the Preakness hat of cocktails.

Go traditional with a Black-Eyed Susan.
As much as we love creative twists on classics, sometimes you really just want the original. Stop into the Grille at Harryman House for a no-fuss, Black-Eyed Susan made with Bare Knuckle bourbon, vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice, and sour mix served over crushed ice. It’s the official drink of Preakness for a reason.

So the future of the iconic Preakness Stakes in Baltimore comes down to this: a political horse race.

In the red silks, from Canada and jockeying the betting favorite, is the Stronach Group. The entertainment and real estate conglomerate has long let it be known it’s had eyes on moving the second jewel of the Triple Crown from the historic-yet-dilapidated, 149-year-old Pimlico Race Course—open just 12 days a year—to a new renovated home a 30-minute drive south at Laurel Park, a 300-acre property the company also owns.

And in the blue wares is the city, represented by Mayor Catherine Pugh. She is urging lawmakers in Annapolis to go with the seemingly longer shot, and vote for a pair of bills to create a plan to redevelop Pimlico—“Home of the Preakness” as the signage says in its Park Heights neighborhood—and in grand $424 million style, as the Maryland Stadium Authority suggested in a December report.

Goal: to avoid a psychological equivalent of The Colts and the Mayflower Vans Part II, if instead $120 million in fast-tracked state bond funding is green-lit for the Stronach’s desired “supertrack” between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and improvements to a training facility in Bowie, too.

State law says the Preakness can be moved to another track in the state “only as a result of a disaster or emergency.” Some, especially those that have seen the bathrooms, might say Pimlico’s condition already qualifies; it hasn’t been widely renovated in decades. But simply bad condition is likely not what the law’s writers had in mind.

Legislative action will be needed to move the area’s splashiest sporting event, and its venue, from the 110-acre plot of land west of the Jones Falls, as should be required for a tradition as rich in meaning as the Preakness.

Hearings begin Friday in the Maryland House and continue Wednesday in the Senate. Pimlico or Laurel? The debate is about to enter its most public phase.

In the last few weeks, both camps have made their cases in letters to Gov. Larry Hogan and state legislature leadership. The mayor came out swinging, saying “allowing a wealthy family from another country to use Maryland tax money for a racetrack to have as their anchor for the development of their 300-acre site in Laurel would be a travesty.”

She also inserted a commentary on the Stronach family’s ongoing drama (billionaire patriarch Frank Stronach, 86, has sued his daughter, Belinda, whom we profiled last year, for more than $500 million) and that the D.C. economy would benefit most from a Preakness situated in Laurel, not Baltimore.

A week earlier, Stronach Group COO Tim Ritvo described in his letter why a supertrack was ideal, and why the company sought state funds to build a state-of-the-art, year-round home for Maryland horse racing. Pimlico “has reached the end of its useful life,” he wrote. Ritvo reiterated the stance in an interview with Baltimore on Thursday.

“We think we can accomplish a lot of the same things at Laurel for a fraction of the cost, without using any state funding that isn’t already earmarked for racing,” Ritvo said, referring to money the Stronach Group currently receives annually from state slot machine revenue via Maryland’s Racetrack Facilities Renewal Program. (Since 2013, that’s totaled $22.5 million, which the company is required to match under state law, 90 percent of which it has spent on improvements at Laurel, not Pimlico, The Sun reported.) “From our perspective, we’re looking to consolidate two businesses into one that makes sense, rather than operating two facilities.”

That’s the business case. But tradition and reverence—in the form of a world-recognized event held every May within city limits and the assorted attached memories, like maybe a foggy infield party day in college—is what means so much to so many others.

Laurel has its advantages: more space, train links, better parking, for a few. But it will be different in a new place, with smaller total crowd size—at about 75,000 to 80,000 instead of the 130,000-plus that Pimlico attracts—and a more corporate feel. Laurel’s infield can’t be used because it’s a protected wetland, though the facility has plenty of room for an alternatively located “Clubhouse Fest” outside the track, as it does already for the Maryland Millions event.

We’ll see if the court of public opinion holds any sway over elected officials in the next several days. That might be the only hope the Preakness of old has of staying in Baltimore. Pugh has begged for city residents to travel to Annapolis to have their voices heard. Park Heights leaders have offered to bus up to 600 people to the hearings, but will the turnout be powerful enough?

“We will fight this with every fiber of our being because we believe, as is in statute, that the Preakness belongs to Baltimore,” Pugh said Wednesday.

We would love for the Preakness to stay right where it is, but it’s hard to make an argument for the city or state to spend $424 million, or even close to it, on a new racetrack while schools don’t have adequate heat, and while a police department could find an infinite number of uses for that kind of cash in a minute. The bills Pugh is lobbying for would create a working group to discuss financing for the Maryland Stadium Authority’s recommendations.

Most reasonable, even if it hurts to say considering Frank Stronach bought Pimlico and Laurel Park in 2002 and theoretically could have proactively worked to improve the former many years ago, is that the race heads to Laurel and the Pimlico site is redeveloped with public entertainment space, shops, restaurants, and the like, while Sinai Hospital also expands its neighborhood footprint.

Ritvo said Thursday that the Stronach Group is open to funding some of that redevelopment. “We don’t want to leave a barren land,” he said. “We would contribute at Pimlico on a private-public venture on the property to figure out what we could do and help enhance the neighborhood.”

As this debate enters its political homestretch, and as the circumstances are now, that might be the best-case scenario. But at least this isn’t happening overnight, and in moving vans. It’s public. Laurel needs significant improvements, too, hence the $120 million ask, if it is to host a Triple Crown race and a Breeders Cup and be open 200 days a year, as is the desire. The track wouldn’t be ready for that until at least 2021, Ritvo said, and there’s a lot of time between now and then.

Maybe this horse race is farther away from the finish line than it appears.

In one of the most high-profile lineups of recent years, DJ and producer Kygo, Grammy-winning DJ Diplo, and Grammy-nominated rapper Logic will be headlining the 2019 Preakness Stakes. Also joining them on the InfieldFest stage at Pimlico Race Course on May 18 will be breakout hip-hop artist Juice Wrld, DJ and producer Fisher, and rising star DJ Frank Walker.

Since I.M.P. began programming Preakness’ music in 2009 and The Stronach Group began operating Pimlico in 2011, the middle jewel of the Triple Crown has been trying to attract a younger audience with its musical acts. Past performers have included Post Malone, Lorde, Bruno Mars, and The Chainsmokers.

“This year’s InfieldFest represents the evolution of our entertainment program at The Stronach Group and carries out our mission to deliver world-class entertainment experiences with outstanding talent,” said Jimmy Vargas, the group’s EVP of entertainment. “This year’s InfieldFest lineup brings the excitement of the race track to the stage and encourages a new generation of race goers to experience The Preakness Stakes.”

This comes at a time when Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh has been blasting the Stronach Group for proposing legislation that would permit funding for one big “super track” in Laurel, not Baltimore.

In a letter to Governor Larry Hogan and General Assembly leaders, Pugh wrote: “Certainly, before throwing away the racing tradition of the Preakness Stakes, the annual ‘Super Bowl’ of Baltimore city, and a generator of significant revenue for Maryland, [The Stronach Group] should be required to demonstrate that they have the bandwidth to create their recently announced ‘super track,” referring to the family being embattled in multiple lawsuits.

When profiling chairman and president Belinda Stronach last year, she made it all but clear that their sights were set on that super track they are now pursuing.

“For us, if we’re going to make the investment, it’d be better to have one track that caters to everyone,” Stronach told us. “Having said that, we totally respect the tradition of the Preakness at Pimlico. It’s a complicated question. We don’t know how this will unfold, but we’re going to do what’s best for the sport and the fans.”

For this year, at least, the horses will be running in Baltimore and the musical acts will take the stage at Pimlico. Particularly exciting is Gaithersburg native Logic, who has been nominated for three Grammys and shot to stardom with critically acclaimed mixtapes and whose third studio album Everybody was certified platinum.

Diplo has become a global superstar in his own right, working with some of the top artists in the industry like Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, and The Weeknd and has toured the world solo, as well as with Skrillex and as one third of Major Lazer. Norwegian DJ, producer, and songwriter Kygo has taken the world by storm, hosting the world record for fastest 1 billion steams on Spotify and is known for his performance during the closing ceremonies at the Rio Olympics.

Tickets can be purchased online now and start at $59 for general admission, with VIP packages featuring an elevated viewing platform, bottle service, and private bathrooms available. Certainly a far cry from the infield debauchery of yore.

A Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA) study has recommended tearing down the dilapidated Pimlico Race Course and starting over—at a cost of more than $400 million. But while the operators of the track agree in principle with the report’s findings, they’re not up for paying the tab themselves.

The study, released today, envisions multiple, year-round uses for the facility, but focused in the short term on just replacing the clubhouse, grandstands, tracks, infield, and assorted racing-related outbuildings. Retail, residential, units—even a hotel—could be later phases on the sprawling track between Mt. Washington and Pimlico but would likely have to be funded by private enterprise.

According to the study’s findings, without a large investment in the track, Pimlico faces “significant challenges, which, if not addressed, may threaten its continued existence and the success of the Preakness Stakes.”

The study also suggests city and state officials, the track operators—the Maryland Jockey Club (MJC) and The Stronach Group of Canada, which owns Pimlico and Laurel Park—begin talks about the next steps, a recommendation supported by Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh.

“What we believe is, this is a path forward for the Preakness in Baltimore,” Pugh said. “We know this is going to require public-private partnerships, including the state.”

In a statement, Belinda Stronach, chairman and president of The Stronach Group, thanked the MSA for its “thorough and extensive job of understanding and responding to the challenges of the aging Pimlico Race Course. The final conclusions of the MSA report are in line with our assessment that, in order to bring the facility up to par, it will require several hundreds of millions of dollars.”

But the Stronach Group has consistently balked at the idea of paying for such a rebuild out of pocket, saying significant public investment is necessary. The company has suggested it’s open to discussing a public-private partnership.

Marty Azola, president of the Azola Companies, known for historic restorations across Baltimore and a national expert on adaptive reuse, served as vice president for facilities at Pimlico for several years in the late 1990s, and knows every worn-out corner of the property. While he has mixed feelings about dropping large sums on Pimlico, he acknowledges how important it is to keep the race in Charm City.

“The argument about where to run Preakness is not just about the facilities,” says Azola, who’s also author of the recent book Rebuilding Baltimore. “It’s about civic pride. It’s about our nation’s history in Baltimore. We have so few nationally prominent businesses and events in our city. Let’s not even consider losing Preakness.”

But he thinks a less ambitious redo might make more sense.

“I am very aware of the business realities for the MJC and support public financing of the Pimlico rebuild so the MJC can profit reasonably,” he said. “But you could also argue that record crowds keep coming notwithstanding the condition. It’s the event that draws them. I’d recommend a smaller year-round facility at Pimlico similar with state-of-the-art simulcasting, food service, banquet and other revenue-producing spaces. Then provide fair-weather grandstand facilities and all the infield amenities for the extra 100,000 fans that come on that one special day—Preakness.”

Preakness for the owners of Pimlico is like black Friday at the mall—that’s historically the day they show a profit for the year. It’s also the single biggest event of the year in terms of revenue for Baltimore.

“A revamped Pimlico would help support adjacent development indirectly but understand that racing fans are unlikely to venture off site for any meaningful amount of business,” adds Azola.” “It’s the same dynamic as casinos. You need all amenities on-site.”

The world froze for about two minutes on November 1, 1938. Cars idled, and people leaned on doors and windows, listening. Families gathered around living room consoles, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt paused his cabinet meeting and turned on the radio. All dials were tuned to a broadcast live from Pimlico Race Course, where a beloved underdog and a dominating force in the world of horse racing would face off on the muddy track to finally settle the question: Who’s the greater horse, Seabiscuit or War Admiral?

The largest radio audience in history was listening when Clem McCarthy called it: “Seabiscuit by three! Seabiscuit by three! Seabiscuit is the winner by four lengths!” An ugly little horse from California had beaten a Triple Crown champion, and it wasn’t even that close.

Whether you’re a fan of sports or not, you’ve probably heard of Seabiscuit. Eighty years later, the race persists in our collective memory partially because of the sport’s epic proportions at the time and mostly because of its pop culture resurgence. While the average person in 2018 probably can’t name a race outside the jewels in the Triple Crown, horses and jockeys were once as popular as baseball and basketball stars today.

“They used to get 60,000 [spectators] on a normal Saturday, and now it’s just the total opposite,” says National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame historian Allan Carter. “But you could make an argument that it was the most popular spectator sport in the United States. Good horses ran a lot longer than they do now, too.”

Fans would track horses they liked the way people track their fantasy football teams now, and though they didn’t have all-hours access to highlights and statistics, radio allowed fans to tune in to races across the country for free.

Legendary as it might be among horse-racing fans, part of the legacy of this epic matchup must be attributed to Laura Hillenbrand, author of Seabiscuit: An American Legend, which was turned into a blockbuster film. Hillenbrand brought to light the history and endearing details of a race that loomed large in the memories of those who experienced it, but had been forgotten by many.

“When I was shopping the book around, people didn’t know who Seabiscuit was anymore,” says Hillenbrand. “But this race, it still is something that’s remembered. And I think that’s because of two names. I don’t want to give War Admiral the short shrift. He was magnificent. But Seabiscuit, more than any horse before or since, captured the American imagination in a permanent way.”

Seabiscuit’s path to greatness wasn’t a direct route. He was foaled in Lexington, Kentucky, and sired by Hard Tack, a son of Man o’ War. Despite good breeding and an all-time great trainer in “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons, Seabiscuit made a bad impression on those around him and finished poorly in his first 17 races. His ornery nature wasn’t worth cracking for the prestigious Wheatley Stable of Kentucky, even after he showed some promise in his two-year-old season.

So, in August 1936, Seabiscuit was sold off to auto magnate Charles S. Howard for $8,000 and entrusted to trainer Tom Smith. The unorthodox trainer and the undersized, knobby-kneed horse got on famously, and with Canadian jockey Red Pollard on his back, Seabiscuit began to come into his own. And as he won more and more races, he also won over the American public.

“He wasn’t very pretty. He looked like America. He looked the way people felt about themselves.”

The country was still in the depths of the Great Depression, and one in five Americans was out of work. People needed an escape, and they needed something to root for. The meteoric rises of radio and Seabiscuit provided both.

“Americans have a very deep-set belief that people can rise from anywhere and succeed. And the Depression blew that away,” says Hillenbrand. “People attached themselves to Seabiscuit, not simply because he was such an extraordinary athlete . . . this was a horse from the wrong side of the tracks, from a very unfashionable sire, and he came from the West, which was considered the backwater of horse racing. And he wasn’t very pretty. He looked like America. He looked the way people felt about themselves. People attached themselves to him, and he ran as their proxy.”

He became beloved and ubiquitous. During Hillenbrand’s research for her second book, Unbroken, Olympic runner and army veteran Louis Zamperini told her stories of listening to Seabiscuit’s races over the loudspeakers at his own track competitions. Scores of men would stop running and crowds would go silent so they could hear how the horse was doing.

While Seabiscuit was winning hearts and minds, War Admiral was winning the 1937 Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Preakness Stakes to make him the fourth-ever Triple Crown champion. A son of the great Man o’ War (yes, Seabiscuit and War Admiral would have been nephew and uncle if horses kept track of that sort of thing), War Admiral had met and exceeded all expectations, clinching the Triple Crown even after shearing off part of his hoof during the start of the Belmont Stakes. He appeared in the winner’s circle having set a track record and with his belly covered in blood.

War Admiral beat out Seabiscuit, 1937’s top earner, for Horse of the Year, and by the time the Admiral recovered from his Belmont injury and returned to racing, fans of the sport were clamoring for a race between the East Coast great and the West Coast people’s champion.

When Seabiscuit crossed the finish line to win the Bay Meadows Handicap in April 1938, he was met with a crowd chanting, “Bring on War Admiral!” “They were [both] just extraordinary,” says Hillenbrand. “Everyone wanted to see a match race.”

Although match races, events pitting just two or three horses against one another, are no longer run, they were once a fairly regular part of the sport. Man o’ War won a 1920 contest with first-ever Triple Crown winner Sir Barton, and in 1955, Nashua, of Maryland’s Belair Stud, won a grudge match of sorts against Swaps, who had beaten him in the Kentucky Derby that year. But match racing came to an abrupt halt in 1975, when star filly Ruffian was tested against Derby champion Foolish Pleasure. Horse racing’s battle of the sexes ended in tragedy when Ruffian broke down on the backstretch at Belmont, snapping both sesamoid bones in her right foreleg. The event was witnessed by a full crowd at Belmont, as well as a stunned television audience. Ruffian was put down shortly after.

“That ended match races forever. It sickened the country, and they said this really is not the way to go,” says Carter. “I think a horse’s worth is proven more in a race with seven other great horses rather than a match race, because the horse that’s a speed horse will normally beat one that comes off the pace [paces itself against its competition]. In Seabiscuit’s case, he did something he’d never done before.”

Despite the newsreels, radio broadcasts, and sportswriters encouraging the public’s call for a matchup between the racing giants, War Admiral’s owner, Samuel Riddle, was reluctant to schedule the event. Months of bad tracks, scratches, and interpersonal issues among owners and trainers delayed a meeting between Seabiscuit and War Admiral. Finally, Pimlico President Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt II successfully arranged for the event to be held at his Baltimore track. The young Maryland Jockey Club president saw the value that could come from hosting what would be billed as “The Race of the Century.” The news broke October 5, 1938. The long-awaited race was on, and it was set for Opening Day at Pimlico, November 1.

With a sly “So long, Charlie!” from Woolf that would go down in history, he and Seabiscuit were gone.

“Because of Mr. Vanderbilt’s charisma and connections and enthusiasm, he managed to convince Sam Riddle, who didn’t want War Admiral to race,” says April Smith, a Pimlico advocate and former tour guide at the track. “[Riddle] thought his horse had proven enough. But Vanderbilt said just think how great it would be for the sport and how your horse would really go down in history and managed to convince him.”

His reluctance was assuaged partially by an agreement that War Admiral would compete only if Riddle was able to dictate the circumstances of the race. Because War Admiral didn’t do well with starting gates (a relatively new addition to the sport), it was determined that the race would be a bell start. War Admiral also held the classic match-race advantage: He was faster from the start. One-on-one, the horse that dictated the pace nearly always won the race. These two factors tipped the odds—and the betting—heavily in War Admiral’s favor. What those placing their bets didn’t know, however, was that Smith was retraining Seabiscuit. The horse known for slower starts and playing around with his competition was learning to break fast with the help of a jerry-rigged alarm clock and a whip. With a ring and a crack behind him, Seabiscuit got faster and faster from the jump as race day approached.

When that muddy morning at Pimlico came, Seabiscuit, Tom Smith, and George Woolf, the jockey who replaced the injured Pollard for the race, were ready. Woolf had walked the track the night before and found a stretch of track near the rail that was solid. Woolf would lead Seabiscuit there, and the horse would have to do the rest.

As luck, and possibly a bit of light tampering, would have it, the bell that officials intended to use for the race went missing, and Smith gallantly supplied his own bell as the replacement. War Admiral would have the start he wanted, but Seabiscuit would have the start he knew so well.

The jockeys, Woolf on Seabiscuit and Charles Kurtsinger on War Admiral, rode to the start line on that cool afternoon for the sixth race of the day, but the only one that really mattered. Forty thousand people packed into Pimlico, and thousands more craned their necks from fences surrounding the track and perched in the rafters and trees. A steeplechase fence broke under the weight of spectators. Nominally, the stakes were $15,000 and a glittering silver trophy. But to those watching and listening, they were much higher than that.

The alarm clock bell rang, and they were off.

Woolf kept the race close at first, backing Seabiscuit off in the middle on Pollard’s advice, just long enough for the horse to get a look at his competition. Once he saw War Admiral, it was over.

It was finished in just under a minute and 57 seconds. And as the race came to its end, the celebration began. Men spilled onto the track from the infield and grandstand, ducking or jumping the rail along the way. Rowdiness, it seems, has always had its place at the track.

“When Seabiscuit crossed the wire, it was pandemonium,” says Hillenbrand. “It staggers the imagination how thrilling this race was. Seabiscuit, on fair terms, cracked War Admiral, and for Americans in that era, in that time, that the underdog won the race fair and square was everything. One American in every four was listening to that race on the radio. They could turn off the radio and feel better about themselves and their prospects in the world because that little horse pulled it off, and if he could do it, they could, too.”

Nearly a century later, it’s hard to imagine any sporting event that could quite match up to the 1938 Pimlico Special. The 1980 Miracle on Ice comes to mind, but even that wasn’t experienced by as large a portion of the population. Politicians and athletes still evoke Seabiscuit to let people know that, though no one might have expected their success, they had it in them all along.

“I have written letters and suggested for years that they put at least a plaque up at Pimlico, if not an equine statue, [stating] that this is the place, on November 1, 1938, where The Race of the Century occurred. It was important,” Smith says. “The story of this little horse became so famous, and people attach themselves to heroes.”

The thrill of the race was over in moments, and the horses and their jockeys are long gone. Even the storied track at Pimlico may soon be lost to time as Laurel Park continues to grow. But The Pimlico Special endures not only as one of the ultimate examples of greatness found in the unlikeliest of places, but as a moment of joy and unity amidst dark days. The kind that it’s hard to imagine anymore. In the midst of the Depression and in a world careening toward war, people stopped and listened, and then they cheered.

“Do you want me in shoes or boots?” Belinda Stronach asked one of her group’s PR reps before posing for a picture Saturday under cover at Pimlico.

The rain, of course, had soaked the grounds for a few days, and like the rest of those from the announced crowd of 134,487 who ventured to the infield at Preakness, mud now caked her footwear: a pair of tall, blue rubber Hunter boots. 

The 52-year-old president of the company that bears her last name, and the owner of Pimlico (and Laurel Park) race tracks, switched into a pair of heels and stuffed the empty environmentally-friendly storage bag from which they came into one her waterproof shoes, and photographers snapped a few shots.

The rapper, Ne-Yo, appeared beside her, and he lamented about the weather. “You know, though, I was just out in the infield,” Stronach said to him, “and the crowd is insane.” Indeed, around that time, video and pictures surfaced of some brave, and perhaps liquid-courageous, younger folk swan diving into the land of a thousand muddy lakes in front of the main concert stage. They’d shower later.

“It’s unfortunate,” Stronach had said earlier about the sloppy conditions, which figured to play a significant role in ending a four-year stretch of increasing attendance. Although Saturday’s gate, and handle ($93.65 million), were still the third largest numbers in the event’s 143-year history. And that was before an untimely dense fog settled in as the 6:49 p.m. post time of the big race approached. 

If you watched on TV and couldn’t see most the main event until the horses emerged like ghosts of races’ past at the top of the stretch, being there in person didn’t offer a much better view. “I was thinking it’s going to be tough on Larry Collmus, the track announcer,” Bob Baffert, the white-haired winning trainer, said. “I was joking, he’s probably saying, ‘They’re in the backside. I can’t see the horses, but there’s Post Malone,’” referencing the performer on stage in the infield.

So there was mud and fog, yes, but ultimately a big winner, by a head. Justify, the betting favorite ridden by 52-year-old (!) jockey Mike Smith, helped the Preakness do what it does: give the Triple Crown-interested world each spring a shot at seeing another winner in three weeks at the Belmont in New York.

There’s also, of course, that bigger lingering question of how much longer this scene—rain, shine, or otherwise—will unfold at the 148-year-old Pimlico facility, which showed all of its warts, and leaks, Saturday. Stronach Group COO Tim Ritvo addressed the event’s location, long a source of speculation and political maneuvering, in an informal conference in the press box earlier in the afternoon. 

And he basically pushed his ball closer to the group’s goal-line in Laurel, about 30 miles south, a location that’s three times the size of Pimlico that the Stronach Group has spent $30 million on in the last two years alone, and one that has train access to both Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and more room for parking and other amenities.

As it is, Pimlico is open for racing 12 days a year and needs a major reimagining and investment ($300 million, at least), which won’t come from the Stronach Group, Ritvo said, though he said the group is open to a state of city partnership if they, “feel strong enough and they want to build a facility here.” 

Meanwhile, Laurel is being positioned as a future venue for premier horse racing, like the Breeder’s Cup, and a place the Stronach Group would rather run races year-round to grow its business, with the type of corporate hospitality and facilities it envisions at other tracks in owns in California and Florida. (“What can be done today that will be sustainable for the next 40 or 50 years?” he told us earlier this year.)

“I think change is coming,” Ritvo said Saturday, “and it will be for the better . . . We’ll go to Laurel, and we’re still in the state of Maryland, and we’ll give you a better, more elevated and prestigious experience.”

The second phase of a Maryland Stadium Authority analysis of the topic is expected to be finished by the end of this year. A state law requires the Preakness be held at Pimlico, but legislation can been changed, of course, with the right influence. 

But yesterday, at least, the spectacle felt very much like Baltimore—with plenty of black-eyed Susans (on hats and in cups), overheard chatter about the Orioles’ woes, and the signature “O” being shouted during the National Anthem. It reminded us how surreal it would be to host the Preakness anywhere else.

When crafting the lineup for Preakness InfieldFest each year, Seth Hurwitz is always trying to stay ahead of the curve. The chairman of I.M.P. Productions—which books big-name shows at Merriweather Post Pavilion, 9:30 Club, and The Anthem—has served as the producer of the infield concert since its inception in 2009.

“Our strategy has always been to find each year’s most cutting-edge story just as it’s breaking big,” Hurwitz says, mentioning previous Preakness headliners like Bruno Mars, Pitbull, Lorde, The Chainsmokers, Zac Brown Band, and Maroon 5. “Believe it or not, all the times those acts played, they were just starting to become big stars. And yet, we’ve never been wrong.”

InfieldFest provides the soundtrack for Maryland horse racing’s marquee event, which returns to Pimlico Race Course with a modernized layout and bigger stage this Saturday, May 19. Hurwitz says that he wants attendees to walk away from the event having seen some of the most of-the-moment performers.

“We want people to think of Preakness as where you are going to see the next big thing,” he says. “And have a blast, because that’s the whole other thing—we only pick the fun ones.”

There will certainly be plenty of good times in store for revelers this year as the Infield welcomes rappers Post Malone and 21 Savage, and electronic duo ODESZA—whose latest album A Moment Apart earned the musicians two Grammy nominations last year.

Though ODESZA’s Clayton Knight and Harrison Mills haven’t spent much time in Baltimore in the past, they’re looking forward to being in town for one of the city’s most iconic events.

“The only time we’ve been to Baltimore was in February 2014, when we opened for another artist at Baltimore Soundstage and we were just here for the day,” Mills recalls. “We didn’t get to explore much of the city, which is pretty common on tour, but I remember the audience being really receptive to us. Unfortunately, we won’t have much down time on this visit either, but at least we get to watch the Preakness right after our show.”

The guys recently performed a captivating Sunday-night set at Coachella, and will go on to play other big-name festivals including Lollapalooza, Firefly, and Austin City Limits this summer. But they admit that their Preakness gig will stand out from the rest.

“This was the first time we’d heard of concerts happening in the infield before a race,” Mills says. “We were familiar with Preakness and the Triple Crown, but neither of us have any ties to horse racing, so that world is pretty foreign to us.”

ODESZA’s first Preakness performance comes at a transformative time for the concert, which has downsized this year from two stages to one massive “mega-stage” that measures 120-feet wide and 60-feet tall. The platform will be situated just off of the InfieldFest entrance tunnel and make it so that attendees will have clear views of the races happening around the track.

“We want to ensure that our concert goers can also experience the race,” says Tiffani Steer, vice president of communications and events for The Stronach Group, which owns Pimlico. “We have cleaned up the views to the racetrack, and there are now more designated viewing areas so that you can not only enjoy the concert, but also be connected to the horseracing.”

Additionally, organizers have repositioned the concession stands along the outer edges of the Infield and moved the rows of Porta-Potties that previously blocked sights of the races. There will also be more accessible betting stations scattered throughout the grounds for concert-goers interested in wagering on the thoroughbreds.

“In order to be able to start to connect a new generation to the sport, and continue to modernize and thrive, we have to provide opportunities for people to have fun with great food and beverage and entertainment all day,” Steer says. “That’s really what’s going to round out an ultimate day at the races now.”

Aside from getting a front row seat to the middle jewel of the Triple Crown, ODESZA is most excited about reconnecting with Baltimore crowds.

“Neither of us have been to a horse race, let alone a Triple Crown race, and we’ve only seen the big races on TV,” Knight says. “So that will be a highlight. But we’re most looking forward to performing for our fans in Baltimore—it’s been so long since we’ve played here.”  

If life was like a horse race, you could place a winning bet on where to find Belinda Stronach on the third Saturday in May: right in the middle of the spectacle that is Preakness Day at Pimlico Race Course. Inside a carefully designed two-story, glass-walled “chalet” erected on the track’s grass infield, Stronach will entertain local celebrities, politicians, and other guests in a glamorous Old English-style building whose décor she describes as “Ralph Lauren meets SoHo House.” The 52-year-old blonde’s designer attire will match appropriately.

Outside, college kids will party for hours (“It’s kind of legendary,” she says of the madness), listening this year to the music of Post Malone and Odesza. And, finally, after 6 p.m., in the 13th race of the day, a dozen or so thoroughbreds will sprint around the one-mile dirt oval. More than a hundred-thousand fans of all ages will scream, as . . . down the stretch they come . . . the second leg of the Triple Crown, and $1.5 million in prize money, is up for the taking in the iconic horse race’s 143rd running.

You may have never heard her name until today, but Stronach has been known simply as Belinda in headlines in her native Canada throughout her well-documented public life. She is a lifelong businesswoman with model-like looks, a former lightning-rod member of Canadian parliament, a breast cancer survivor, a twice divorced mother of two, and the heiress to her father’s self-made billion-dollar fortune. She is chairman and president of the Stronach Group, one of the world’s largest thoroughbred racing companies, which owns Pimlico, the historic-yet-dilapidated 148-year-old venue that hosts one of America’s most iconic sporting events, as well as the newer racetrack in Laurel, and four other premier tracks across the country.

That position makes her one of the most influential figures at the center of what will continue to be one of Baltimore’s hot-button issues in the months and years ahead. No, it doesn’t rise to the level of school funding, safety, or public infrastructure, but the question does pertain to one of the area’s beloved and well-known annual traditions, held nearly every spring since 1873 on the same plot of land in Park Heights: Will the Preakness stay at Pimlico? The question echoes in the minds of the city and state stakeholders inside the chalet tent, and it’s a question that Stronach, who is bent on modernizing one of the country’s most overlooked legacy sports, often asks herself. “We want to bring great events to Maryland,” she says. “The question is what is the appropriate stadium and venue for that?”  

The road to an answer is long and complicated. The second phase of a Maryland Stadium Authority analysis of the ideal Preakness venue is expected to be completed by the end of this year; the first phase estimated that Pimlico would need around $300 million in renovations. Maryland law states the Preakness can be moved “only as a result of a disaster or emergency,” but legislative acts with the right support could change policy, of course. In the meantime, Stronach’s perspective plays an important part in the story.

“It’s my responsibility first to look at it as a business,” she says. It’s an approach she first learned about when she dropped out of college after one year to take a position in her father’s auto-parts manufacturing empire, Magna International. By the age of 32, she was the organization’s executive vice president of human resources. Three years later, Magna’s board of directors recommended to her father that she take over as CEO of the $10.5 billion company with 62,000 staff members and offices and factories in 18 countries. Stronach then became Magna’s president in 2002.

Along the way, she piloted the spinoff of an entertainment division that eventually became the Stronach Group. And she encountered the realities of being a woman, and family successor, no less, in a male-dominated business world. “Who is this lovely lady?” an executive at Ford Motor Company asked a Magna junior executive at the start of a key meeting in Detroit in 2001, where Stronach was “dressed to kill,” as Canadian political journalist Don Martin wrote in his 2006 biography of Stronach, Belinda. She interrupted and introduced her colleague as her subordinate. “That’s why I never attend a meeting carrying a purse,” she said at the time.

From a personal standpoint, Stronach supports the #MeToo movement: “It’s messy, it’s imperfect, but the level of awareness that has now arisen as a result of very inappropriate behavior, specifically in the workplace, is a good thing,” she says. “Everybody has the right to come to work and do their job with dignity.”

Her father, Frank, an Austrian immigrant, instilled the value of pride in her. He built his company from mere pennies to a net worth estimated at $1.5 billion. Frank has a legendary passion for the horse business, owning tracks and animals that have won big races, (his Red Bullet took the 2000 Preakness). At 85, he still owns and operates a successful breeding farm, Adena Springs.

But while his daughter shared her father’s passion and penchant for business, she was indifferent to the track. In elementary school, “I wanted to do other things with my friends,” Stronach says. “But I had a couple of girlfriends who also went to the track, whose fathers were trainers, and we’d hang out and eat really crappy food, hot dogs and Coke, or something like that. I didn’t really like the experience very much. It kind of turned me off.”

What’s more, one of Stronach’s first memories of life was falling off a tractor and breaking her collarbone on the family’s farm in Aurora, Ontario, an opulent compound with an entrance adorned by wrought-iron gates and stone pillars topped with horse heads. In one of three houses on the property, Stronach eventually raised her two children, Frank Jr., who is now 26 and a music producer, and Nikki, 24, an accomplished equestrian, after divorcing their father, Magna executive Donald Walker, in 1995.

Stronach was married again for three years to Norwegian Olympic speedskater Johann Olav Koss before she exited the C-suite of Magna and made what was a surprising entry into the Canadian political scene. In 2003, she spent $2.5 million to run for the leadership of Canada’s new Conservative Party, came in second, and instead won a House of Commons seat in parliament representing her home district.

A year later, alienated by a limited role in the party, she shocked the country (think round-the-clock national TV coverage), and her then-boyfriend, Conservative deputy leader Peter MacKay, by defecting to become a Liberal cabinet minister. Voters reelected her in 2006, but a year later, she left politics for good after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Many felt her departure was for the best. “The entire time she was here, she wasn’t in her natural habitat,” says award-winning Canadian political journalist Susan Delacourt, who broke the news of Stronach’s cancer diagnosis in 2007. She was also once rumored to be romantically linked to former U.S. President Bill Clinton, and had a relationship with former Toronto Maple Leafs hockey player Tie Domi.

But the fact is, for all the public attention, she’s a very private person. When she discussed her cancer treatment with the Canadian Press in 2009, talking about her decision to opt for a mastectomy and a right breast reconstruction, it was only to raise awareness and money for the University of Toronto’s cancer center.
This is all to say Stronach isn’t afraid to take an unorthodox approach.

“The word gets used a lot, but she’s a disrupter,” says her former spokesperson Greg MacEachern. “She will buck tradition when she thinks it’s time to shake things up a little bit. And if Belinda makes up her mind to do something, good luck trying to dissuade her.” Not long ago, a belief in horse-racing circles went that on the day Frank Stronach passes away, his daughter will sell the tracks, pack up what’s largely considered a dying business, and find something else to do almost immediately. But, despite her initial misgivings about the sport, that’s not the impression she gives off.

“I feel like all I’m doing 24/7 is horse racing,” Stronach says. The work is clearly a priority, but exhausting. “I just want to sleep in.” Indeed, she could use it, considering her typical schedule includes an early-morning workout routine, and she has gained a reputation for partying late into the night. Now, when she’s not working on business projects, Stronach, who still lives in Aurora, often dines and spends time with her children—and their friends—in nearby Toronto or out of town spots such as Wellington, Florida, where Nikki spent the winter riding and competing. “Basically, I’m sandwiched between a bunch of horse enthusiasts,” Stronach says. “I just go and have fun with them.”

She’s also just as likely to be found at home, watching an episode of The Crown on Netflix—she was particularly tickled when Queen Elizabeth (played by Claire Foy) discused her horse running in a race at Laurel. “That was kind of cool,” Stronach says. The track hosted the famed D.C. International from 1952-1994, and the Stronach Group is looking to revive the event.

Two months before Preakness, Stronach is talking about all the new plans her team have in place for this year’s event at Pimlico. One is a centralized stage for the music, as part of a redesigned infield intended to better blend the party with the corporate village. She’s worked on the details with I.M.P., which has been programming Preakness’ music since 2009.

Then there’s that new, larger Stronach Group chalet—where last year Gov. Larry Hogan, rapper 50 Cent, and a handful of Ravens players stopped by—and other double-decker suites, part of a bigger idea to create more space in the infield for people to watch the races instead of just enjoying the beer, wine, and non-equine entertainment. “You don’t have to do one or the other,” Stronach says. “That’s where the magic is.”

“This sport hasn’t innovated to the degree it needs to,” Stronach says. “It’s really the last great sporting legacy platform that has not yet modernized. That’s what we’re doing.”

And that strategy includes evaluating the facilities where the races are run. As far back as the 1950s, there have been discussions about moving Preakness to what was then a newly renovated Laurel Park. A 1958 bill to do it failed in Maryland’s general assembly by just one vote. Pimlico was 88 years old. It’s nearing double that now, and looks it. Stronach Group COO Tim Ritvo says the company has put $20 million into the facility in the past three years, spending some of that to replace old box TVs, demolish walls to provide greater visibility to the track,  and improve electrical and plumbing infrastructure. The goal is to create the type of facility that could generate Kentucky Derby-like revenue from premium seating, says Sal Sinatra, president and GM of the Maryland Jockey Club, which is controlled by the Stronach Group. In 2016, Sinai Hospital’s acquisition of part of Pimlico’s parking lot from the Jockey Club fueled speculation about the site’s future.

“I don’t think anyone wants it to disappear,” says Sinatra, who toured Pimlico’s grounds earlier this year with city officials, including Mayor Catherine Pugh, who has said she’s committed to keeping the Preakness at its historic location. “There is tradition and everything else. We all feel that way when we go up there. “I’m sure people will kick and scream either way, but at the end of the day, Baltimore is going to see a giant hole if it goes away . . . Can we use the infield for other things? Can we do music things? Can schools or someone else use the infield for ball games? It has to have life.”

At the same time, the Stronach Group is positioning its Laurel site, a 30-minute drive south with direct MARC train access and better parking, as a place that can host premier events. Laurel was purchased in 2002, and the Stronach Group has put $30 million into the facility in the past two years, renovating the grandstand and expanding the barn space because “eventually that will be where the horses will stable year-round,” Ritvo says. The track already runs races 150 days out of the year.

In her ideal world, Stronach says one “supertrack” would exist for the region. But she remains open-minded about the possibility of operating two facilities via public-private partnerships pending the analysis results. That study has already been delayed a year and alone carries a more than $420,000 price tag.

“For us, if we’re going to make the investment, it’d be better to have one track that caters to everyone,” Stronach says. “Having said that, we totally respect the tradition of the Preakness at Pimlico. It’s a complicated question. We don’t know how this will unfold, but we’re going to do what’s best for the sport and the fans.”

For now, the horses will once again run at Pimlico this Preakness Saturday. The swirl of humanity and pageantry in the nearly 150-year-old facility will be a sight to behold. And Stronach—the Canadian import running things from the top—will be at the center of it all, thinking about how the Sport of Kings can make it in modern America, even if that means bucking tradition to do so.

Correction: May 1, 2018: An earlier version of this article stated that Preakness was held in Park Heights every year since 1873. However, from 1890-1908, the Preakness was in New York and there were no races for three years from 1891-1893. Baltimore regrets the error.

Kinetic Sculpture Race 
May 5. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. Sat. 10 a.m. Free. 410-244-1900. Just weeks after learning how to ride a bike at age 4, Eli Hess found himself wearing rubber gloves and goggles, peddling alongside his dad, David, as an official participant in the first Kinetic Sculpture Race. Since then, the Hesses, including David’s now 81-year-old father, George, and the rest of Team PLATYPUS have created and raced 13 human-powered sculptures, including a 25-foot-tall rocket and a cold-cut sub, in AVAM’s annual 14-mile trek around the city. This year, their team, which stands for Personal Longrange All-Terrain Yacht Proven Unsafe, will ride “the mothership,” through water, mud, and the uphill Linwood Avenue stretch on May 5 in the museum’s 20th anniversary race. “The water separates the adults from the boys,” George says with a laugh. “It’s the rough and tumble world of kinetic sculpture racing.”

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Maryland Film Festival 
May 2-6. Parkway Theatre, 5 W. North Ave. Times vary. $11-425. 410-752-8083. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Baltimore’s cinematic celebration, which has hosted thousands of novice moviegoers, flick aficionados, and renowned filmmakers such as John Waters, David Lowery, and Greta Gerwig. This cinephile’s paradise returns with a five-day jubilee of movies—from shorts to full-length narrative features and documentaries—shown throughout the Station North Arts District. In between screenings, attend Q&A sessions with filmmakers, as well as workshops and panel discussions at Red Emma’s.

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M3 Rock Festival 
May 4-5. Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. 5 p.m. $60-850. 410-715-5550. Bust out your leather pants, studded jackets, and big hair—it’s time to party like it’s 1989. Now in its 10th year, this head-banging music festival is a celebration of all things metal, with iconic bands turning back the clock for all generations of devoted fans to rock out together. Spanning two days and two stages, catch headliners including Baltimore’s own Kix and crowd favorites Tom Keifer, Ace Frehley, and Night Ranger.

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FlowerMart 
May 4-5. Mount Vernon Square, 699 Washington Pl. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Free. 410-274-5353. Nothing says springtime in Baltimore quite like seeing the square around the Washington Monument filled with flowers, colorful hats, and classic lemon peppermint sticks. For the 107th year, Mount Vernon’s beloved celebration kicks off the spring season with arts and crafts vendors, live music and entertainment, and plenty
of festival eats. Stroll through the neighborhood to pick out the perfect plant or join in the maypole dance.

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Wham City Comedy 
May 9. Metro Gallery, 1700 N. Charles St. 8 p.m. $10. 410-244-0899. Baltimore’s favorite band of merry misfits is bringing its offbeat brand of comedy back to the Station North neighborhood that started it all.
On the final stop of their spring tour, catch Wham City Comedy’s viral, volatile performance art, as seen on Adult Swim and Comedy Central. Fingers crossed that they perform their hilarious eight-part live series, The Cry of Mann.

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The Catonsville Nine, 50 Years Later 
May 12-31. Maryland Historical Society, 201 W. Monument St. Wed.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 12-5 p.m. Free. 410-685-3750. The Maryland Historical Society is commemorating the Catonsville Nine, a group of Catholic men and women who, 50 years ago this month, burned nearly 400 A-1 draft records to protest the Vietnam War. Featuring artwork by Tom Lewis, who was a member, and additional photographs and materials from the period, the exhibit examines the group’s motivations amid the political chaos and conflict of the late 1960s.

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Preakness 
May 19. Pimlico Race Course, 5201 Park Heights Ave. 8 a.m. $40-720. 410-542-9400. Every year, horse-racing (and day-drinking) fans from near and far come to cheer on the country’s finest thoroughbred horses as they compete for the second jewel of the Triple Crown. Before heading to your seat for this 143rd event, partake in pre-race festivities throughout the city, or hear chart-topping rappers
Post Malone and 21 Savage take over the raucous Infield Fest. 

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Brew At The Zoo 
May 26-27. The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, 1 Safari Pl. 1-7 p.m. $25-75. 410-396-7102. Tap into your wild side at The Maryland Zoo’s 17th annual fundraiser with beers from more than 80 breweries, including local suds from DuClaw Brewing and The Brewer’s Art. In between refilling your glass and gushing over the zoo’s newborn African penguins, listen to live music by local rockers Nelly’s Echo and The Kelly Bell Band and sample snacks from dozens of food vendors. 

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Maggie Rogers 
May 30. Baltimore Soundstage, 124 Market Pl. 7 p.m. $30-35. 410-244-0057. Since skyrocketing to internet stardom after a video with Pharrell Williams (gushing over her now-hit song “Alaska”) went viral, this Maryland native has signed a record deal, toured the globe, and released her first EP, Now That the Light Is Fading. For one night only, the singer-songwriter brings her earthy rhythms and soulful sound to her home state for a must-see performance.

The starting gates will be occupied at Pimlico Race Track on Sunday, April 8, but there won’t be any horses. Instead of thoroughbreds, visitors will find purebred bulldogs ready to run the historic track at the second annual Bulldog Day hosted by Hunt Valley Animal Hospital. The event will bring lovers of the wrinkly-faced breed from near and far to raise money for local rescues.

Dr. Allan Frank, owner of the hospital and bulldog dad, specializes in soft palate surgery and other procedures that are often needed for bulldogs, who have a higher tendency to experience breathing challenges. Last year, he hosted the inaugural Bulldog Day in Cockeysville that attracted a crowd of nearly 800 bulldog lovers and 200 dogs.

“Bulldogs are one of the most lovable, comical dog breeds out there,” Dr. Frank said. “We know many people in our region love this breed, too, and after the great success of last year’s event, we decided to throw an even bigger celebration this year.”                

The day will include contests—including best French bulldog, best English bulldog, best costume, best puppy, best senior, and best butt wiggle—prizes, a kissing booth, food, and music. New this year, given the venue, will be the “Racing of the Bulls,” where participating bulldogs will compete to see who’s the fastest.

“The whole thing is going to be so funny,” said Kelly Rowe, the hospital’s administrator. “They’re bulldogs, so it’s not going to be a lengthy race. We’re talking 15 yards tops—it will be hilarious.”

There will also be a caricaturist, moon bounce, and even a little pool area for the dogs to cool off after the race. In addition to more than 30 pet-related vendors selling everything from dog biscuits to puppy portraits, there will also be seven rescues featured with their own booths in hopes of being adopted.

Expecting to double last year’s attendance, Bulldog Day will be held rain or shine, and admission is $8 per adult at the door. Children and dogs are free, but proof of up-to-date vaccinations will be required upon entry (for the dogs, of course, not the children). There will even be vets on site from Hunt Valley Animal Hospital to ensure that all dogs are safe while participating in the events and hanging out with their pooch pals.

“It’s going to be a fun, family-friendly event,” Rowe said. “The more we can give back to the rescues, the better. It’s a day to celebrate how unique and wonderful bulldogs are.”

Beneath overcast skies, runner-up contender Cloud Computing upset betting favorites Always Dreaming and Classic Empire in Saturday’s 142nd running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. Always Dreaming—the Kentucky Derby winner that was favored to win the Preakness at odds of 4:5—lagged behind in the final furlong, making way for Cloud Computing to charge to victory.

Though Cloud Computing’s win eliminates the potential for a Triple Crown victory—a feat that hasn’t occurred since American Pharaoh won all three races in 2015—the horse’s success marks a major win for jockey Javier Castellano, trainer Chad Brown, and owner Seth Klarman, who just so happens to be from Mt. Washington.  

“[Klarman] grew up in Baltimore,” Brown told NBC Sports after the race. “He used to come out, buy a seat, and watch racing—that’s how he got involved. He’s very deserving.”

Aside from all of the excitement happening on the track, the infield at Maryland horseracing’s marquee event—which drew a crowd of more than 125,000 this year—also saw plenty of celebrations. In true InfieldFest fashion, fans trekked through the muddy terrain to sip cocktails, down drafts of beer, and jam to live music on two stages.

Organizers with The Maryland Jockey Club make it a priority to mix up the lineup each year, featuring both national names and local acts. In keeping with that objective, this year’s bill of performers included country singer-songwriter Sam Hunt, EDM superstar Zedd, honky-tonk hitmakers LOCASH (a duo which includes Baltimore native Chris Lucas), and pop-punk rockers Good Charlotte—whose frontmen Benji and Joel Madden hail from Waldorf.

“I always wanted to go to Preakness,” said Joel, as he raised a red Solo cup addressing the crowd. “I just want to raise a glass and propose a toast to the host-with-the-most. It’s good to be home.”

In between performing familiar favorites (think “The Anthem” and “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”), the band also played a few new songs off of their 2016 album The Youth Authority. At one point, the rockers even initiated a “Seven Nation Army” chant to express their love for the Baltimore Ravens.  

Speaking of the birds, many of them (including kicker Justin Tucker) were spotted roaming around the infield Saturday. Other noteworthy attendees included Under Armour founder Kevin Plank, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, and actor Kevin Spacey—who films his Netflix show House of Cards in Charm City and performed the traditional “riders up” command just before post time.

From revelers donning the state’s colors in the infield to fans sipping traditional Black-Eyed Susan cocktails in the clubhouse, the 2017 Preakness Stakes were full of Maryland pride.

Benji Madden summed it up best as he concluded Good Charlotte’s set on the DuKuyper stage: “We started this band 21 years ago in Charles County,” he said, thanking the community for its support. “Every single night that we’re on stage playing shows, we always feel so grateful to be from Maryland.”

In February, the long-awaited study regarding the future of Pimlico Race Course—antiquated and in
need of a major overhaul—was finally released. The price tag for necessary renovations? About $300 million. While the fate of this hallowed horse track remains uncertain, we hope it makes a comeback and continues to carry on the Charm City tradition of the Preakness Stakes, which will run for the 142nd time on May 20. To help them get started, we’ve devised a wish list of some realistic—and, okay, some unrealistic—places to start. 

New entrance. We’re not sure what font that is, or what decade it was created, but let’s just say the entrance is not working. How about something grand and inviting, with hints of history and modern flair, like the cathedral that is Churchill Downs. 

Bathrooms, bathrooms, bathrooms. We will repeat this so that we never repeat the toilet fiasco of 2015. Also, just a thought, but those fancy restroom trailers are actually pretty nice. Plus, they’re less dangerous to run across than Porta-Potties. 

Enliven the lines. If we can’t streamline the wait—at the entrance, the bathrooms, the betting windows—perhaps we can add some in-line entertainment (aka interactive games and beer peddlers) to make it seem faster, at the very least.

Curtail the cops. We heartily support the Baltimore City Police, but as soon as you walk in, their heavy presence makes Preakness feel like a trip through the TSA line, without a tropical vacation as your happy ending. 

Lose the litter. A good start would be more trash cans and recycling bins, or maybe even use all of the aforementioned BPD to enforce some fines. Ultimately, we know it’s hard when thousands of slightly intoxicated people are traipsing across your parking lot, but let’s clean up the trash. 

Cocktails. With the pomp and circumstance of this 142-year-old event, we need fewer light beers and cheap wines and more classic cocktail options. In addition to the Black-Eyed Susan, we welcome all Triple Crown concoctions, including the Mint Julep, Southside, Bourbon Smash, and Belmont Breeze. And in larger cups, please.

More Mug Club tents. Or else the $80-120 wristband isn’t worth the price.

 InfieldFest:

•  A little more Springsteen, a little less pre-teen.
•  Astrodome roof. We know it’s a lot to ask, but there’s nothing worse than getting stuck outside during a thunderstorm. 
•  That being said, turf, instead of dirt, or at the very least, a mud-washing station. After a few hours of hip-bumping, booty-shaking, or even mosh-pitting, we’re in need of a bath, and that’s on a sunny year. 
•  Free water fountains. Hydration is key.

Make-your-own derby hat stations. There’s nothing worse than showing up to the party underdressed, or envious of another woman’s opulent, oversized hat.

Instagrammable mementos. It might sound cheesy, but we’d really like some of those silly cutout photo ops that make it look like you’re a jockey and your date’s a horse. You know the ones.

Enough with the bikini contest. It’s 2017. This is Baltimore, not Daytona Beach. 

Parking, solved. The parking situation might be a nightmare, but rather than fix it with high-rise garages, extended lots, or more shuttle buses, we suggest that The Pimlico of the Future discourage driving altogether, due to the copious amount of drinking done on its premises during Preakness. See below for automobile alternatives.

Light Rail to the rescue. Let’s have a chat with Governor Hogan. We don’t see why the train can’t come all the way to the track.

Ride-share accessibility. In this on-demand economy, more designated lines for Uber and Lyft pickups are an absolute must. Currently, it’s a total you-know-what show. 

Updated app: While the current handheld version features breaking news, event schedules, and horse information, we’d like to put the race right in our hands with a live stream mobile option. Whether you’re 5’6” or 6’5”, it can be hard to see the horses, especially from the infield. 

While Maryland is graced with hoards of horse races throughout the spring, the Preakness Stakes are by far the largest event. For the 142nd year, this second jewel of the Triple Crown returns to the Land of Pleasant Living with plenty to do beyond the main event, from barn tours and crab races to live music and hot air balloons.

THE HORSES

SUNRISE AT OLD HILLTOP
5/16-19. Watch the sunrise at Pimlico with an escorted tour of the Preakness barn and an inside look at the horses’ morning workouts. Pimlico Grandstand Apron, 5201 Park Heights Ave. Tue.-Fri. 6-9 a.m. Free. 410-542-9400.

BLACK-EYED SUSAN DAY
5/19. The day before the Preakness, see 3-year-old fillies run in one of Pimlico’s oldest races.  Pimlico Race Course, 5201 Park Heights Ave. 8 a.m. $40-60. 410-542-9400. 

142ND PREAKNESS STAKES
5/20. The nation’s top thoroughbreds compete for the middle jewel of the Triple Crown. Pimlico Race Course, 5201 Park Heights Ave. 9:30 a.m. $40-650. 410-542-9400.

THE PARTY

THE TAVERN DERBY 
5/6-6/10. Throughout racing season, the experts behind the bar at Mt. Washington Tavern will be mixing up a selection of classic cocktails to honor each jewel of the Triple Crown. Sip on traditional racing drinks including the “Preakness Mule,” “Belmont Stakes Jewel,” and the “Tavern Julep,” which fuses muddled mint, simple syrup, and local Sagamore Spirit rye. All drinks are served in a commemorative, take-home glass. 5700 Newbury St., 410-367-6903

LEXINGTON MARKET CRAB RACE FESTIVAL
5/18. At Lexington Market’s brand-new Preakness event, enjoy Faidley’s raw bar eats, happy hour, music, and a live crab race to coincide with the horses. Lexington Market, 400 W. Lexington St. 5-8 p.m. Free-$5.

INFIELDFEST 
5/20. Country takes over this year’s infield music festival with rising star Sam Hunt as the headlining act as well as country duo LOCASH (which is one part Baltimore native). Waldorf’s own Good Charlotte also rocks out their ’90s hits. The Infield at Pimlico Race Course, 5201 Park Heights Ave. 7 a.m. $110-155. 410-542-9400.

SAGAMORE RACING & RYLEIGH’S OYSTER PREAKNESS PARTY
5/20. Sip classic cocktails made with Sagamore Spirit whiskey, eat endless oysters, and see the show live on the big screen in Hunt Valley. Ryleigh’s Oyster, 22 Padonia Road, Hunt Valley. 4 p.m. Free. 410-539-2093.

BMORE AROUND TOWN PREAKNESS PARTY PACKAGES

5/20. The party experts at Bmore Around Town are offering two all-inclusive deals for revelers headed to InfieldFest. In addition to an all-you-can-drink MUG Club ticket to the concert, the party packages also include round-trip transportation (with beer on the bus) departing from Mother’s in Federal Hill and Claddagh Pub in Canton. Both bars will be offering drink specials and discounted brunch fare before the buses hit the road. Multiple locations including Claddagh Pub, 2918 O’ Donnell St., $140, 410-533-4220.

ALL-INCLUSIVE PREAKNESS PACKAGE AT MAD RIVER
5/20. Bypass Uber surge charges by partaking in this all-inclusive party—which includes bus transportation to and from Pimlico, a MUG Club ticket to InfieldFest, and a pregame at Mad River in Federal Hill. Starting at 8 a.m, enjoy a bottomless breakfast buffet and two-hour open bar access before heading to the track. Bus departs from Mad River Baltimore, 1110 S. Charles St., 8 a.m., $140, 410-727-2333

THE PEOPLE

4TH ANNUAL AMERICA’S BEST RACING PRE-PREAKNESS PARTY

5/17. Start Preakness weekend off right with eats, drinks, and raffle prizes (including a pair of tickets to the main event on May 20) at this annual race-themed fundraiser. Head up to Mt. Washington Tavern’s top-floor Skybar to snack on complimentary hors d’oeuvres, sip classic cocktails, and partake in a silent auction to benefit the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance—which works to find homes for retired racehorses. Mt. Washington Tavern, 5700 Newbury St., 7-11 p.m., $10, 410-367-6903.

PREAKNESS PACKAGE AT THE IVY HOTEL
5/19-21. Mt. Vernon’s posh hotel will be offering festive accommodations for guests visiting Charm City during Preakness weekend. Aside from its ultra-exclusive high-tea service and gourmet dining options, The Ivy will also serve Black Eyed Susan cocktails upon arrival, feature a selection of fancy hats for guests to borrow for Preakness Day, and offer complimentary shoe-shining services after the race. The Ivy Hotel, 205 E. Biddle St., 410-514-6500

ALIBI BREAKFAST
5/18. Following a 1930s tradition, this Preakness Week breakfast allows trainers, jockeys, and horse owners to provide racing fans insight into what it takes to win the Triple Crown. Pimlico Race Course Terrace Dining Room, 5201 Park Heights Ave. 9 a.m. $50. 410-542-9400.

PREAKNESS CELEBRATION BALLOON FESTIVAL
5/18-20. This mile-high festival will color the sky with 25 gorgeous hot air balloons, with crafts, entertainment, and food on the ground. Howard County Fairgrounds, 2210 Fairgrounds Road, West Friendship. Thu. & Fri. 2 p.m., Sat. 6 a.m. $20-35. 410-442-5566.

PREAKNESS UNDER THE STARS

5/20. Take in sweeping skyline views at this race-day watch party on the rooftop patio at the Lord Baltimore Hotel. Dress to the nines in your Triple Crown attire (the hotel will be giving away prizes to guests wearing the most festive hats) to enjoy all-inclusive eats and drinks while tuning into all of the action at Pimlico. LB Skybar at the Lord Baltimore Hotel, 20 W. Baltimore St., 4-7 p.m., $75, 410-539-8400

HATS & HORSES
5/22. Don bowties and big hats for this jockey-theme fundraiser, featuring local eats by Baltimore’s best chefs, to benefit Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland. Grand Lodge, 304 International Cl., Hunt Valley. 5:30-9 p.m. $150. 410-558-0827.

After inhaling some free Kind bars and juice—Pimlico wisely assumes you probably haven’t had time to eat breakfast yet—we set off in our group with Anita, a 25-year veteran of the Maryland horse racing industry, leading the way. We started inside the empty grandstand, the shades drawn on the betting windows, the linoleum floors gleaming under the pallid light. Overall, it felt like being in a high school cafeteria after hours, eerily peaceful and sterilely atmospheric. Of course, Pimlico’s aging facilities have long been a source of frustration for racing officials, who say they need to offer more VIP accommodations if they are to keep the race economically viable. Though it may not happen soon, Pimlico will hopefully see some sort renovation in the future. That’s probably for the greater good, but there is something appealingly barebones—and so very, very Baltimore—about the spartan facilities as they stand now—an almost defiant unfussiness that we’d miss, even as we’d rejoice at the prospect of reliably functioning restrooms.

The first stop on our tour was a chat with Bobby, a former jockey who displayed equipment ranging from feather-light silks to a racing saddle that was about as substantial as a leather belt. He regaled us with tidbits about jockey life (“I now have an office in the corner there with a desk and a phone. It’s a lot safer.”), showed us the vests jockeys wear to prevent cracked ribs in the event they get trampled, and passed out pairs of goggles to the kids in the group. (Jockeys often wear goggles to keep the dirt out of their faces.)

Then it was outside to the four “back lot” barns, including the Preakness Barn” from which Exaggerator emerged, all tacked up and heading to the track for his exercise. We watched forlornly as he disappeared in the other direction but perked up when we spied Satire, Nyquist’s “lead pony,” who travels and works out alongside him, providing stability and companionship. Satire, a former racehorse himself, was getting hosed down after the morning’s workout and his handler took some time to answer our questions about the horses’ bond.

“Would Nyquist notice if Satire wasn’t there with him?” we wondered.

“Oh, yeah,” came the emphatic reply.

So racehorses have besties, too.

After that, it was around the corner for a visit with Mike, the state blacksmith, who handles shoeing needs at Pimlico. He showed the various types of horseshoes one can attach to a hoof and then demonstrated the size difference between a racehorse shoe and a draft horse shoe—it’s a big one!

Speaking of draft horses, our next stop was the stalls of the Budweiser Clydesdales who are scheduled to appear at Preakness. Well, to be accurate, some of the Budweiser Clydesdales are in town. As we learned, Budweiser maintains several teams, plus a few horses who stay at the company’s farms in Missouri and are taught special tricks for commercial and film appearances. Other trivia: Clydesdales weigh about 2,000 pounds and ingest about 30 gallons of water, 50 pounds of hay, and two to five quarts of feed per day.

Once we finished gawking at the Clydesdales, we were lead into another of the “back lot” barns, this one housing racehorses that make up what Anita called, “the bread and butter of Maryland horse racing.” In other words, you’ll probably never know their names, but they’re out there all the same, winning low-level stakes races and keeping the gears turning in Maryland’s storied thoroughbred racing industry. A jockey named Marco allowed the kids in the group to feed peppermints to a dark bay colt named Grandiflora and a pretty chestnut filly named Sazerac Girl and then we departed, heading back to the grandstand.

Back inside and out of the rain that was now gently but steadily falling, we visited the jockey’s locker room and lounge where we saw racks upon racks of brightly colored racing silks, a scale for weighing in before the race (horses are assigned a weight limit and jockeys can not exceed it), and a and ping-pong table for blowing off steam.

Then it was down to the paddock with its cushioned flooring and open stalls, where the horses wait before being called onto the track. “A hothouse environment,” is how Anita described the space on race days. “Having done this, I can tell you that it’s pretty nerve-wracking to be in here with a dancing 1,000-pound animal on the end of a shank,” she noted.

Out of the paddock, we retraced our steps through the still empty grandstand back out to the apron overlooking the track where horses were still being exercised in the steady drizzle. In all, the tour took a little over an hour, though Anita said she usually does it faster.

“I was talking a lot today,” she said apologetically.

“No, don’t apologize,” said one older man with our group. “I didn’t think we’d get to see this much!”

Sunrise at Old Hilltop tours are available from 6 a.m.-9 a.m. through Friday. The last tour departs at 8:45 a.m. Tours are free and on a first come, first served basis. Reservations are not accepted. More information is available on the official Preakness site.

The Sport of Kings was having a very pressing problem with its porcelain thrones. In the hours leading up to last year’s 140th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course, a water-pressure issue forced track officials to close a number of bathrooms in the aging—many would say dying—facility after some toilets began backing up. That’s a serious problem at an event where tens of thousands of fans drink Black-Eyed Susan cocktails and Budweiser drafts as if a second Prohibition starts at sunset. “Every year it seems to be something,” says Sal Sinatra, president and general manager of the Maryland Jockey Club, which runs the race. “We’re just worried that this year it could be electric—or anything. It’s just an old building.”

That’s an understatement. In an industry where Gary Stevens was considered a relic in 2013 when, at 50 years of age, he became the oldest jockey to ever win the Preakness, the 146-year-old Pimlico facility is downright ancient.

Old Hilltop, as it’s known, is clearly losing its looks and suffering occasional plumbing issues (who among us isn’t?), but, at this point, those aren’t even its biggest problems. The lack of skyboxes and other modern amenities makes the Preakness far less profitable than its Triple Crown siblings, which is a major reason why statements Sinatra made on the brink of last year’s race sent shock waves through the city, state, and sports world.

In response to the question, “Is it conceivable that the Preakness should someday be at Laurel?”—referring to the Jockey Club-run track 25 miles south of Pimlico—he replied, “Actually . . . yes . . . I think by the end of the year, I’ll know if it’s going to be Laurel or not.”

The news of Sinatra’s candor spread faster than American Pharoah ran later that day, when he thrilled a record crowd of 131,680 by winning the second jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown in a deluge.

Baltimore without the Preakness? That would be like Charm City without the Colts. Okay, bad example. But as the Stronach Group, which acquired the Jockey Club in 2011, spends millions on major surgery for Laurel Park while Pimlico gets Band-Aids, it’s fair to ask: Might the Preakness one day move? And if it does, what exactly will be lost?

Let’s clear up one thing about the Preakness’s future at Pimlico right out of the gate.

“It’s there for as long as I can see right now,” Sinatra says. “Nobody wants it to move. Maybe one year you’ll have to let Laurel [host] it because they’re renovating the entire grandstand, but other than that I would hope that Pimlico would last another 100-plus years.”

Since it opened in 1870, Pimlico has hosted some of the most famous races in history, including Seabiscuit’s 1938 victory over War Admiral. Over the years, attending the Preakness also has become a rite of passage for partying Marylanders.

“Back in the ’70s, you could do whatever you wanted. Literally,” says Mike Cray, an Ellicott City resident who has attended more than 35 Preakness races. “A friend of mine’s uncle had a funeral home, so we took a casket, lined it, and filled it with 60 cases of beer. We’d pick up a couch and a recliner and we’d make his and her porta-potty enclosures out of refrigerator boxes. We brought it all to the infield.”

The 146-year-old Pimlico facility is downright ancient.

A bit of the anarchic spirit wore off in 2009 when Pimlico banned fans from importing their own booze, but with concerts and plenty of drinking options in the InfieldFest, very few fans wake up Sunday without a hangover.

In the clubhouse, the crowd skews older and dressier, and cocktails tend to trump beer. Of the three Triple Crown tracks, Pimlico actually offers the best vantage points for spectators, says Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey. The two-time Preakness winner now is an analyst for NBC Sports, which televises the race.

“Pimlico is the smallest of the three in terms of the grandstand,” he says. “The circumference of the track is the same size as Churchill Downs, but it gives you a much more intimate feel, like it’s closer to the racing surface itself.”

That’s where the favorable comparisons to the homes of the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont end. Bailey recalls a fire in Pimlico’s jockey room caused by an overloaded circuit breaker in 1998, and says the place is in a “state of disrepair.”

“The barns need a lot of work, that’s for sure,” says Bill Boniface Sr., co-owner and trainer of 1983 Preakness champion Deputed Testamony, the last Maryland horse to win. Still, he’d like to see Pimlico survive. “If it were to move, you wouldn’t be comparing apples to apples. You compare the great horses over the years at the same distance, the same time of year; you’d lose that if you took it somewhere else.”

Peeling paint, sagging floors, a dearth of 21st-century technology, and a general down-on-its-luck feel permeate Pimlico. No one knows this more than Sinatra.

“We’re limited on resources in terms of kitchen facilities and things like that,” he says. “The bathroom situation is a nightmare. It was built so long ago that it’s majority men’s bathrooms. You’ve got stairs to some bathrooms so people who are disabled can’t get to them. I think fans are expecting more nowadays.”

Meanwhile, last September, Churchill Downs announced it would spend $18 million to modernize its Turf Club and several other premium areas. From 2001 to 2005, the Louisville facility underwent a $121 million facelift in which the clubhouse was upgraded and 77 luxury suites were added.

Suites are the golden goose on which the Stronach Group is pinning its hopes for the future.

“On most measurements, we’re 50 percent of the Kentucky Derby,” Sinatra says. “We’re 50 percent of sponsorships, we’re a little more than 50 percent in handle. The thing that’s different is the Derby nets $55 million that weekend. We net $8 million. The main reason is we don’t have the luxury boxes—the stuff that a newer facility can offer businesses and wealthier people to get those numbers up.”

It’s not a matter of just renovating the existing facility. Because it was built on dirt, the grandstand can’t be expanded vertically, Sinatra says. Razing then rebuilding it, many people think, is the only solution, and that could cost upward of $200 million, a figure that leads to another tricky question.

Who’s going to pay for that?

Del. Sandy Rosenberg was born and raised in the 41st District, which he now represents. Except for college and law school, he has lived within walking distance of Pimlico his entire life. Losing the Preakness would be catastrophic for the city’s psyche and its pocketbook, he believes.

“It’d be like losing the Colts, but you’re not going to get the Ravens a decade later,” he says. “It’s like having a convention every year. There are a fair number of people who have discretionary income. They stay in hotels, they go out to eat and drink. They don’t just go to the track on Saturday.”

Visitors to the 2015 Preakness spent an estimated $10.6 million statewide, according to a Maryland Department of Commerce report. Indirectly, total Preakness-related spending was $33.6 million, and spending and employment from Preakness race-day operations and visitor spending generated about $2.2 million in state and local taxes.

That alone would seem like a good reason to renovate the track, despite the costs.

Rosenberg calls a 50-50 public/private financing split for a new facility “reasonable,” but other lawmakers are not convinced. Del. Pat McDonough has floated the idea of a new track at Port Covington because, he says, people would be more attracted to an event near the waterfront than up in Park Heights.

“The people that own Pimlico are not really interested in pouring any money into the development of that current site, nor do I want the taxpayers to put any money into that site. It’s too far gone,” McDonough says. “It needs a rebirth somewhere else. It needs to be part of a larger project, which would be, for example, an entertainment district where the new racetrack would be adjacent to an upscale marina, a hotel facility, and there would be theaters and restaurants.

“All the legendary horses have come through here. Laurel does not have that feel.”

“We’ve got to forget about emotional and sentimental attachments, because Pimlico at its present site and in its condition has no future,” continues McDonough, who calls a 1987 state law that bars the Preakness from leaving its current site a “paper tiger.”

Under Armour founder Kevin Plank, who entered the horse racing business in 2007 when he bought Sagamore Farm, is developing much of Port Covington. He believes the Preakness should always be in Baltimore, company spokesperson Diane Pelkey says, but the focus of Port Covington’s master plan is the Under Armour headquarters, and it does not include a track.

Governor Larry Hogan appears to be taking a wait-and-see approach.

“The Preakness is an important cultural institution and economic driver for the state and Baltimore City,” says Hogan’s spokesperson, Hannah Marr. “Governor Hogan supports keeping this iconic horse race in the city, where it has been a Maryland tradition for more than 140 years.”

The Stronach Group last year spent $20 million at Laurel Park building two 150-stall barns, adding a new simulcast room, installing hardwood floors, new carpeting, new bars and food options, and replacing old tube TVs with 850 flat-screens. It has more land, a more modern facility, and, most importantly, will host 129 days of racing this year, as compared to 28 at Pimlico.

In the meantime, however, this year’s Preakness on May 21 will feature a new 30-by-50-foot high-definition television screen in the infield, redone flooring on the second floor of the clubhouse, and, yes, working bathrooms.

“I’m hopeful that we’ll come up with a master plan for Pimlico just as we’re trying to do for Laurel,” Sinatra says. “My guess is you’re probably going to be talking to me in the next three to five years seeing where we’re at. We’re trying to find a way that three to five can be 30 to 50. It’s the second-oldest track in the country. All the legendary horses have come through there. Laurel just does not have the same feel. Our sport is built on history, and history is Pimlico.”

Horse racing has always been a beloved custom and cause for celebration in the Land of Pleasant Living. For the 141st year, partake in the local tradition that is Preakness, which is back and better than ever, riding off the high of last year’s American Pharaoh sweep.

PREAKNESS PREGAMES:

Ryleigh’s Oyster Third Annual Triple Crown Series
May 7, 21, June 11: The county location of Ryleigh’s Oyster is transforming into a race party headquarters this season. With events planned for each jewel of the Triple Crown, the bar is going all out with classic cocktails, hat contests, and specialty snacks like biscuits with ham and pimento jelly, spiced peanuts, and fried green tomatoes. During the Preakness party on May 21, dress to the nines, sip Sagamore Spirit Crushes, and enjoy the sounds of country rocker Jenny Leigh during a special post-race performance. 22 W. Padonia Road, Lutherville-Timonium, 410-539-2093

Third Annual America’s Best Racing Pre-Preakness Party
May 18: Rub elbows with jockeys, sip Black-Eyed Susan cocktails, and enter to win swag like Preakness tickets and signed racing memorabilia at this pre-party to benefit the Thoroughbred Aftercare Allegiance. Mt. Washington Tavern, 5700 Newbury St., Free, 7-10 p.m., 410-367-6903

Turf Valley’s Preakness Celebration Hot Air Balloon Festival
May 19-21: Gather the family and head to Ellicott City to take in the sights and sounds of this annual fete, which offers everything from arts and crafts and food truck fare to tethered flights and grounded hot air balloon walk-throughs. Guests are also invited to watch 25 illuminated balloons light up the skyline to the beat of choreographed music during nightly glow-in-the-dark shows. Turf Valley, 2700 Turf Valley Road, Ellicott City, Free admission, 410-465-1500

BMore Around Town Pre-Preakness Party Packages
May 21: If you’re worried about parking and Uber surge-pricing on Preakness day, the tailgating experts at Bmore Around Town have got you covered. Round-trip transportation with beer on the bus and pregame brunch specials are highlights of this all-inclusive package offered at Mother’s Grille in Federal Hill and Claddagh Pub in Canton. 1113 S. Charles St. and 2918 O’Donnell St, $45

Shade 2016
May 21: Don your best spring formal attire and trot over to Port Discovery for this horse-themed charity event that features food and drink specials and music spun by DJ Candy D. All proceeds benefit Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s Hire One Youth initiative. Port Discovery, 35 Market Place, 8 p.m., $50-100.

Preakness Party Package at Mad River
May 21: This Federal Hill favorite is offering an all-inclusive party package for Preakness, which will include a breakfast buffet, bus transportation, one all-you-can-drink MUG Club ticket to Infieldfest, and open-bar access upon return. 1110 S. Charles St., 410-727-4333

Hats & Horses: An Evening at the Races
May 23: Bowties and big hats will be plentiful at this jockey-themed function featuring gourmet eats from the likes of Baldwin’s Station, Classic Catering, and La Scala, to benefit Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland. The Grand Lodge, 304 International Circle, Cockeysville, 5:30 p.m., 443-573-0945, $150

RACE-SEASON SIPS:

The Tavern Derby at Mt. Washington Tavern
In honor of horse-racing season, this neighborhood bar is rolling out a new collection of cocktails. The Preakness-inspired menu features the tavern’s takes on classic hunt club drinks such as the “Tavern Susan,” the “Tavern Belmont,” and the “Tavern Julep,” made with mint, simple syrup, Bullet rye, and club soda. All drinks are served in a commemorative, take-home glass. 5700 Newbury St., 410-367-6903

Polo Bar at Hunt Valley Inn
Despite a recent $15 million renovation, The Hunt Valley Inn’s equestrian roots have been maintained through its updated horse-country decor. Snag a seat at the hotel’s Polo Bar to sample specialty cocktails and small plates featured on a “Triple Crown” menu this season. Offerings include mint juleps, Black-Eyed Susans, and Belmont Breezes, as well as bites like ham and manchego crostini, spicy chicken skewers, and stuffed jalapeños.Other race-inspired options include Oaks Lily (Stoli vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, and simple syrup) and Down the Stretch (Grey Goose, blue curacao, grenadine and lemon-lime soda).245 Shawan Road, Hunt Valley, 410-785-7000

Preakness-Inspired Cocktails at Colette
Bar manager Crystal Wack has added a slew of classic cocktails to the menu at this Station North newbie in honor of Preakness. Order traditional mint juleps, Black Eyed Susans, and Belmont Breezes, or try the new “Sir Barton” cocktail, which is Wack’s take on the classic Southside. 1709 N. Charles St., 443-835-2945

PIMLICO PARTIES:

Sunrise at Old Hilltop
May 17-20: Enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at the Preakness contenders’ morning workout, with a tour of the barn and view of the sunrise. Pimlico Grandstand. 6-9 a.m.

Preakness Post-Position Draw
May 18: Officials will pull starting positions for the middle jewel of the Triple Crown, which also will be streamed live online. Pimlico Sports Palace. 5 p.m.

Preakness Alibi Breakfast
May 19: Join trainers, owners, and jockeys for breakfast as they tell fans and the media what it takes to make it to Preakness and possibly become a racing legend. Pimlico Race Course. 9:30 a.m.

Jockey Autograph Session
May 20: Fans will have the chance to meet their favorite riders before their big race on Saturday. Pimlico Grandstand. 10-11 a.m.

Black-Eyed Susan Day
May 20: The day before the mane (ahem) event, watch this historic filly race, enjoy an infield concert, sip Black-Eyed Susan cocktails, and attend a women’s networking lunch, all to benefit Susan G. Komen Maryland and Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. Pimlico Race Course. 11:30 a.m.

Budweiser Infieldfest
May 21: Don’t miss the party of the year, with big-name musical acts like rapper Fetty Wap (of “Trap Queen” fame), electronic duo The Chainsmokers (remember that “#Selfie” song?), and Towson’s own All Time Low. Pimlico Race Course. Doors open at 8 a.m.

141st Preakness Stakes
May 21: The big day has finally arrived: the 141st Preakness Stakes! Fourteen of the nation’s best jockeys and horses compete to win the second jewel of the Triple Crown. Pimlico Race Course. Doors open at 8 a.m. Race begins at 6:18 p.m.

Dozens of races run around the state each spring, but none are more prestigious than Preakness, where 14 thoroughbreds compete at the hallowed Pimlico Race Course for the middle jewel of the famous Triple Crown. Now in its 140th year, it has become a major Maryland institution, where the race itself is just part of the fun. Here are 16 events leading up to the big day.

PREAKNESS PREGAMES:

Kentucky Derby Party at Ryleigh’s Oyster
May 2: Pregame for Preakness by watching the first leg of the Triple Crown at Ryleigh’s Oyster in Hunt Valley. Starting at 3 p.m., enjoy festive mint juleps and sagamore crushes (orange juice based crushes with Bulleit whiskey) as well as tons of Southern-inspired fare while taking in the action in Louisville. Ryleigh’s Oyster Hunt Valley, 22 W. Padonia Road, 410-539-2093.

Karaoke for the Cause
May 7: Make it a Throwback Thursday for the record books by jamming to some classic karaoke tunes from 6-9 p.m. Raffles for Orioles and Black-Eyed Susan Day tickets will be featured with proceeds benefitting Susan G. Komen Maryland and the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. Mt Washington Tavern, 5700 Newbury St., 410-367-6903.

Turf Valley Preakness Celebration Balloon Festival
May 14-16: Take in the sights and sounds of this massive family-friendly festival in Ellicott City boasting tons of hot-air balloons, food and craft vendors, and live entertainment in honor of the Preakness Stakes. Turf Valley, 2700 Turf Valley Road, Ellicott City, 410-465-1500.

Pre-Preakness VIP Party
May 16: The Greene Turtle in Towson will open its doors bright and early to kick off the Preakness Day festivities with plenty of boozy breakfast specials. Starting at 8 a.m., sip $1 beers, jumbo rails for $3.75, $5 bloody marys, and $5 mimosas while loading up on breakfast sandwiches for $4.99 and free donuts and pastries while supplies last. The Greene Turtle. 408 York Road, Towson, 410-825-3980.

BMORE Around Town All-Inclusive Preakness Package
May 16: Transportation to and from Pimlico, an all-you-can-drink MUG Club ticket to InfieldFest, and boozy brunches featuring $3 Bud Lights and $12 mimosa pitchers are all included in this package offered by a handful of local bars including Mother’s Grille and Claddagh Pub. Locations vary, bmorearoundtown.com.

Drop Dead Gorgeous Preakness Stakes Party
May 16: The fun doesn’t have to end once the races do. If you’re up for another jockey-themed bash, head to Mosaic Nightclub in Power Plant Live at 9 p.m. for a post-game party featuring DJs Thomas Neal and Sal Flip. Bartenders will be giving away prizes for guests with the most outrageous hats and bowties, and all attendees dressed to the theme will be given a free Black-Eyed Susan martini. Mosaic Nightclub, 4 Market Place, 443-568-5308.

PIMLICO PARTIES:

Mother’s Day Champagne Brunch
May 10: Toast your mom with bubbly on the Pimlico Terrace, with beautiful views of the famous track and delicious eats like lobster mac and cheese, prime rib, and Belgian waffles. Pimlico Terrace, 5201 Park Heights Ave., 301-725-0770.

Preakness Position Draw
May 13: The equine excitement starts early with the Preakness Post Position Draw, where officials pull the positions for Saturday’s star-studded race. International Pavilion at Pimlico Race Course, 5201 Park Heights Ave., 410-542-9400.

Sunrise at Old Hilltop Tours
May 13-15: Watch the sunrise on the Grandstand Apron, tour the Preakness Stakes Barn, and watch the horses run their morning workouts during a short, sneak-peak between 6-9 a.m. Pimlico Race Course, 5201 Park Heights Ave., 887-206-8042

Black-Eyed Susan Day
May 15: On Preakness eve, join in the fun of Black-Eyed Susan Day with a women’s networking lunch; an infield concert featuring ’90s alternative mavens Vertical Horizon, Fuel, and Gin Blossoms; and the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, where 13 fillies compete in the second race of the renowned filly Triple Crown. Proceeds benefit Susan G. Komen Maryland and the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.
Pimlico Race Course, 5201 Park Heights Ave., 887-206-8042.

Female Handicapper Challenge
May 15: Learn how to “bet like a girl” at the $30,000 Female Handicapper Challenge & Seminar. Handicappers will hold a special session for fans, revealing their bets for the Black-Eyed Susan, Pimlico Special, and Preakness races.
Pimlico Race Course, 5201 Park Heights Ave., 887-206-8042.

Celebrity Jockey Autographs
May 15: Meet and greet your favorite jockeys at 10 a.m on the first floor grandstand.
Pimlico Race Course, 5201 Park Heights Ave., 887-206-8042.

True Chesapeake Oyster Company
May 16: The St. Mary’s County-based company is the exclusive oyster provider for the Preakness Stakes. Their slightly salty Skinny Dippers will be shucked in the Maryland Jockey Club in the Corporate Village, Turfside Terrace, and other premium seating and VIP tents. 5201 Park Heights Ave., 887-206-8042.

InfieldFest
May 16: Horses, shmorses. At InfieldFest, enjoy live music from two Grammy-nominated artists—EDM trance DJ Armin van Buuren and actor-cum-rapper Childish Gambino—on two stages, plus unlimited beer refills with MUG Club tickets.
Pimlico Race Course, 5201 Park Heights Ave., 887-206-8042.

140th Preakness Stakes
May 16: The 140th Preakness Stakes finally arrives, with 14 of the nation’s fastest horses and best jockeys competing for the coveted middle jewel of the famous Triple Crown.
Pimlico Race Course, 5201 Park Heights Ave., 887-206-8042.

Canter for the Cause
Rescheduled to May 24: Ride the same track as racing legends like Seabiscuit and Secretariat from 6-11 a.m. For $25-50, bring your horse to walk, trot, canter, and gallop around Pimlico’s historic loop.
Pimlico Race Course, 5201 Park Heights Ave., 887-206-8042.