In the 10 days leading up to last year’s Kentucky Derby, seven horses at Churchill Downs were euthanized following training or racing-related injuries. By the time the Preakness went off two weeks later, there were two more fatalities on the grounds of the famed Louisville track. The cluster of deaths sparked headlines across the country, as had a spate of horses killed, ultimately 43, at California’s Santa Anita Park in 2019.

Nationally, the reports from Churchill Downs overshadowed a similar story down the road from historic Pimlico Race Course. From the start of Laurel Park’s 2023 racing calendar through the end of its May 7 spring meet, 13 thoroughbred horses had been euthanized at Maryland’s primary racing track.

The heightened media attention did not dissuade Bob Baffert, considered by many the greatest trainer ever, from flying four of his horses, including National Treasure, a Preakness favorite, and Havnameltdown, a top 3-year-old sprinter, from his Santa Anita base of operations to Baltimore. Havnameltdown did not run the longer Triple Crown distances, but he was the odds-on favorite for the $200,000 Chick Lang Stakes on the Preakness Day card.

It would be his first start after running a close second in the $1.5-million Saudi Derby three months before. Following his promising debut as a 2-year-old, he’d won four of his previous five races before his trip overseas. Leading nearly the entire seven furlongs in Riyadh, Havnameltdown had faded late, getting nosed at the line by Commissioner King as both jockeys went hard to the whip down the stretch.

Overall, Pimlico booked 13 races on Preakness Day last year. After the main event, the mid-afternoon Chick Lang event—named for the late Pimlico general manager known as “Mr. Preakness”—offered the day’s second-largest purse. In front of a crowd only half the size of pre-pandemic years, Havnameltdown broke flat-footed out of the gate and got bumped early. Once he found his stride, however, Havnameltdown established himself on the outside behind the front-running Ryvit. Gathering speed as the leaders thundered around the turn, he had just edged into first place when his left front leg snapped, sending his head down toward the track and jockey Luis Saez tumbling from his mount.

By the time equine veterinarians reached the reddish-brown colt, now staggering loose around the oval in a gruesome scene, his front left fetlock (“the ankle” of the horse) was openly separated. The disarticulation of bones at the joint was so severe that he could not humanely be transported from the track, and he was euthanized behind black curtains on the Pimlico dirt. Nearby fans gasped at the unfolding situation. (Taken to Sinai Hospital, Saez sustained only minor injuries.)

Animal rights protestors were on hand for Preakness, as they are for nearly every racing weekend in Maryland, and activist groups spoke out immediately as images of Havnameltdown’s horrific injury and euthanasia circulated. The Humane Society called for “sweeping reforms” in horse racing. PETA said Pimlico should have banned Baffert, whose license remained suspended in Kentucky since his 2021 Derby winner failed a post-race drug test, adding “the racing industry must kick out the bad guys.”

Havnameltdown was not on any illegal substances, however, according to his subsequent necropsy. Only legal amounts of officially prescribed medication were found in his system. He had also passed his mandatory veterinarian examinations after his morning workouts during the week without issue.

“Baffert is an easy target, and a suspension like his sends a message to the public, ‘We have corrupt trainers we have to weed out,’” says Patrick Battuello, who founded Horseracing Wrongs, a national anti-horse-racing nonprofit, in 2013. “But he’s no better or worse than the average trainer. He will have more deaths because he trains more horses.”

Havnameltdown was the 75th known horse to die in Baffert’s care between 2000 and 2021, according to a Washington Post analysis of public records. “A lot of his explanations are true about drug overages, that they’re miniscule, barely over the legal limit. That’s another thing that people sometimes conflate,” continues Battuello. “Drugging and doping are two different things. We’ll see things like cocaine and Viagra and caffeine, but that’s rare. I’m not defending Bob Baffert, mind you. It just distracts from the larger problem here.”

The larger problem is that 342 racehorses have been euthanized in Maryland over the past decade, mirroring an ongoing tragedy that plays out in Kentucky, California, New York, and across the country, with no end in sight.

Since 2014, according to Horseracing Wrongs, which pulls its figures from state racing commissions, at least 10,311 horses have been killed at U.S. tracks and training facilities (as of press time). The overwhelming majority, which may surprise casual fans, most likely never received any banned drugs. The so-called “sport of kings” is simply a rather brutal affair under current rules, with the inevitable injuries and killing of thoroughbreds accepted as the cost of luring fans to the betting window. Not in any other sport, of course, would the deaths of so many “athletes,” as the industry often refers to its racehorses, be tolerated.

So, why did Havnameltdown and Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, a local horse trained in Cecil County, whose shocking breakdown during the 2006 Preakness Stakes became a national saga—and thousands of other young thoroughbreds—end up dead?

That’s one question. But there are two more, all particularly relevant at the moment. Given the catastrophic injuries suffered by so many racehorses—combined with the drastic decline in attendance—should Maryland continue to subsidize horse racing with tax revenue generated from other legal gambling sources?

Currently, the state redirects upward of $80 million annually to prop up the horse-racing industry. It’s money that could conceivably go to public education, like other gambling revenue received by Maryland.

The second question is even bigger. Earlier this year, Gov. Wes Moore and the state reached a tentative agreement with the Stronach Group to take over the thoroughbred racing industry in Maryland. With less than a month remaining in the General Assembly, state legislators began considering a bill supported by Moore to purchase Laurel Park from the Stronach Group and assume control of Pimlico—and then close Laurel and move all thoroughbred racing to Baltimore.

The state plan has stalled since it was first considered back in 2020, but it has renewed momentum and if it doesn’t pass both houses and get signed into law this year, it will likely go forward next year, in time to be celebrated along with the 150th running of the Preakness.*

Currently, the legislation calls for spending $400 million in bond money to overhaul the 19th-century-built Pimlico course, nicknamed “Old Hilltop” because of the rise in its infield. It’s the hope of the governor and Mayor Brandon Scott, among others, that shifting the entire thoroughbred calendar to Baltimore will generate economic development in its surrounding low-income Park Heights neighborhood. The overall impact of racing in the state is estimated at $572 million. It would seem a significant gamble by state officials to expect Maryland to break even, let alone turn a profit, at the venue in the coming years.

In the 15 years before COVID-19 hit in 2020, annual attendance fell 73 percent at Pimlico, while the amount of money wagered fell by an even greater amount—85 percent. At Laurel Park, both annual attendance and total bets fell 64 percent over the same period. Meanwhile, some 45 tracks in the U.S. have closed over the last two dozen years.

Animal rights activists also raise ethical dilemmas and the apparent hypocrisy of state ownership. Dog racing, they note, is already illegal in Maryland and 42 states (the only operating track is in West Virginia). The National Aquarium at the Inner Harbor ended its dolphin shows eight years ago, citing changing public opinion about animals kept in captivity for entertainment purposes, and Maryland is soon expected to become the eighth state to prohibit the use of animals in traveling circuses. Some observers believe horse-racing days are ultimately numbered as well. The proliferation of legal wagering on the NFL, NBA, and MLB, including at venues like the Camden Yards’ SuperBook Sports lounge—requiring merely a cell phone—would not seem to bode well for horse betting, either.

Stronach executive Craig Fravel told the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority last September that the company lost $10 million last year managing Laurel and Pimlico. Preakness alone lost a combined $4.8 million in 2022 and 2023, according to Fravel.

IN THE 15 YEARS BEFORE COVID-19 HIT, ATTENDANCE FELL 73 PERCENT AT PIMLICO.

Forty-eight hours before last May’s Chick Lang Stakes, which is the cut-off time that racehorses in the U.S. are allowed to receive any sanctioned drugs, Havnameltdown was administered a two-gram intravenous injection of phenylbutazone, often referred to as “bute,” a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug for the short-term treatment of pain. He also received 500 milligrams of Adequan, an FDA-approved preventative, and treatment for, degenerative and traumatic arthritis in the limb joints of horses.

A weekly administration of Adequan, and a daily dose of Gastrogard, an approved paste for the treatment of ulcers, was a regular practice dating at least to the beginning of the year. (Nearly 100 percent of racehorses, because of the combination of heavy exercise and long periods in the stall, have ulcers.) Most likely, the regimen began earlier, after he was purchased for $200,000 in April 2022 when he turned two.

He also regularly was administered LASIX, a medication used to prevent respiratory bleeding in thoroughbreds, while training and racing at high speeds. This may be troubling to some people outside of horse racing, but it is within the rules and standard practice.

“Those medications help horses and have genuine preventive benefits,” says Dr. Kathryn Papp, an equestrian horse trainer who has family ties to Maryland. “Probably 85 to 90 percent of competitive horses receive them. They’re used with competitive equestrian horses, too. It’s only the cost that limits their use.”

However, the injection of corticosteroids into multiple joints four weeks prior to Preakness, Papp says, along with the use of sedatives during training—revealed in Havnameltdown’s drug and medical reports from California—raises a red flag.

“[The] use of corticosteroids tells us they suspected something was going on,” Papp says. But they did not know the extent of injuries. “Without diagnostic workup such as X-rays, CT or PET scans, anything you do to form a diagnosis, even a physical full exam, and you are just guessing the horse’s hocks are bothering them and to what extent.”

Similarly, the examination of Havnameltdown’s condition post-mortem revealed issues that may also be alarming to some horseracing outsiders. However, there was nothing extraordinary in the findings—other than osteoarthritis, severe degenerative joint disease, and bone cysts, which are holes in the bone, were found in all four limbs, not merely the fractured limb. Ultimately, that may be the most troubling thing of all, at least for those outside the horse-racing industry.

The report, which Baltimore received in its entirety, along with necropsies of other recently fallen thoroughbreds at Pimlico and Laurel, reads as such:

LEFT FRONT LIMB: Lateral condyle [the rounded end of the bone, which forms an articulation with another bone] fracture through a deep cyst [a fluid-filled hole in the bone]. Severe DJD [degenerative joint disease] characterized by bone cysts on both condyles of MC3; comminuted fracture of the medial sesamoid bone; severe tendon damage open fracture and disarticulated joint

 

RIGHT FRONT LIMB: Moderate to severe DJD [degenerative joint disease] characterized by bone cysts on both condyles of MC3; mild eb- urnation [degenerative process associated with osteoarthritis] to the intermediate carpal bone

 

LEFT HIND LIMB: Cartilage eburnation [de- generative process associated with osteoarthri- tis] and pitting of the hock [swelling behind the joint]. Moderate DJD [degenerative joint disease] of the fetlock joint characterized by bone cysts on both condyles of the MT3

 

RIGHT HIND LIMB: Cartilage eburnation [degenerative process associated with osteoar- thritis] and pitting of the hock [swelling behind the joint]. Moderate DJD [degenerative joint disease] of the fetlock characterized by bone cysts on both condyles of MT3

“Degenerative joint changes such as these are common in racing horses. Condylar fractures, such as this one, are often through bone cysts,” the report noted.
After Papp received a leaked copy of Havnameltdown’s necropsy, she tweeted it out and asked: “Who thinks these are appropriate in a 3yo racehorse?!” She added: “Vets would call this a racing time bomb.”

As you might expect, a long back and forth ensued between animal rights supporters and horse-racing industry defenders.

But Papp, who believes few owners are thinking about the long-term health and care of a racehorse when purchased, asks a good question. Whether eight holes in the bones of a 3-year-old horse is appropriate is subjective. Legally speaking, inevitable degenerative joint disease, bone cysts, gastrointestinal problems in still-maturing animals, and an estimated 2,000 euthanized U.S. racehorses each year, are not an issue. Neither are the estimated 7,500 U.S. thoroughbreds a year shipped to Mexico or Canada for slaughter and human consumption in other parts of the world, according to the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

New technology may be presenting ways to mitigate the harm, however. At the Melbourne Cup, for example, CT scans became mandatory for competing horses after a high-profile death there, something Papp believes should be required in this country.

“VETS WOULD CALL THIS A RACING TIME BOMB,” SAYS EQUINE VETERINARIAN DR. KATHRYN PAPP.

Before the Belmont Stakes last year, PETA also called for CT scans, citing the deaths at Churchill Downs and Pimlico, and referencing a two-year California Horse Racing Board study that found that roughly 90 percent of thoroughbreds that suffered catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries had pre-existing bone lesions and abnormalities at or near the site of the fracture.

The California study provided a powerful counterpoint to the notion long put forth by the industry that fractures were largely the result of a bad step or bad track. Portable PET, MRI, and imaging devices may provide early diagnosis assistance, and clearance help before races, but the cost and time involved remains prohibitive.

Unfortunately, two horses had to be euthanized at Belmont by the weekend’s end of the last leg of last year’s Triple Crown. The New York-bred Excursionniste suffered a catastrophic injury during the 13th and final race at Belmont Park on Saturday, the race that immediately followed the Belmont Stakes’ main event. On Sunday, Mashnee Girl, a 5-year-old mare, was then euthanized after she fell near the quarter pole. They were the third and fourth horses put down at Belmont since the start of its spring- summer meet a month earlier.

In 2012, the big budget HBO series Luck, set in the horse-racing world and starring Dustin Hoffman, was canceled shortly after a third horse was injured and euthanized in connection with the production of the series. Its pilot episode, directed by Michael Mann, had just aired three months before.

“The horse was on her way back to the stall when she reared, flipped over backwards, and struck her head on the ground,” Dr. Gary Beck, a California Horse Racing Board veterinarian, said in a statement afterward. An attending veterinarian determined that euthanasia was necessary. Dr. Rick Arthur, medical director of the state racing board, told the Associated Press that “such injuries occur in stable areas every year and are more common than thought.”

For animal rights activists, the isolation and confinement of racehorses, which can lead to the not-infrequent injuries that Arthur references, are another reason to demand reform and/or the outright banning of horse racing.

Bred for sport, the racehorses from a young age are often confined alone for up to 23 hours a day in 12-by-12-foot stalls. In testimony before the New York State Senate, equine veterinarian Dr. Kraig Kulikowski likened keeping a 1,000-pound juvenile horse confined to a stall to locking a 100-pound child in a four-by-four-foot closet for 23 hours a day.

“A 2-year-old horse is equivalent to a 6-year-old human; a 3-year-old horse is equivalent to a 9-year-old human,” said Kulikowki, noting that such confinement often leads to mental stress and behavior that can prevent thoroughbreds from being accepted into post-career boarding facilities. “Yet, the biggest races are for 3-year-olds. They still have their baby teeth. Their bones are not mature. Their brains are not mature…Most of these juveniles never see pasture or a moment of playtime once they start their racing career.”

Relatedly, Dr. Nicholas Dodman, an animal behaviorist and professor emeritus at Tufts University, told Baltimore that because of their unnatural training and confinement, a racehorse’s normal instincts are inhibited from proper expression, leading to mental and emotional issues. Though not displayed in most horses, it is also not unusual for that suffering to manifest in repetitive, compulsive be- havior, including what is known as “cribbing”—biting on its gate, for example, and contracting its neck muscles while pulling backward and grunting—or pacing, kicking, and even self-harm.

“Horses are social animals that live in a herd, and the longer racehorses are confined, the more stereotypies [compulsive behavior] they will exhibit,” Dodson says. “It’s similar to the behavior you will often see exhibited by any animal, or human being, for that matter, in solitary confinement.”

Meanwhile, Jennifer Sully, a Maryland organizer with Horseracing Wrongs, has been pulling together anti-horse-racing demonstrations most weekends at Laurel or Pimlico since 2018.

“I feel like most of the public genuinely doesn’t know what goes in horse racing, the extent of the cruelty,” says Sully as other protestors, including her mother, pass out informational literature in front of Pimlico on a recent Saturday afternoon.

“Several years ago, after the deaths at Santa Anita made headlines, there was a change in feeling among a lot of people,” continues Sully, amid the “horse cemetery” props placed in the median outside the track, Pimlico advertisements for the upcoming Preakness Stakes, and honks of encouragement. “And after last year, with deaths at all three Triple Crown events, there has been another turn, into even more positive direction [against horse racing].

“Most people, you know, their jaw hits the floor when I tell them that 27 horses were killed last year at Maryland tracks.”

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*This story was first published in our May issue. Subsequently, the General Assembly passed legislation on the final day of the 2024 session authorizing the state of Maryland to take control of the horse-racing industry and use $400 million in state bonds to rebuild Pimlico Race Course. Governor Wes Moore signed that bill into law earlier this month.

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.

Love it or hate it, the Black-Eyed Susan cocktail is as synonymous with the Preakness Stakes as jockeys and wide-brimmed hats.

Although the annual thoroughbred horse races have been postponed until the fall due to the coronavirus outbreak, (a special virtual event reliving American Pharoah’s run to the Triple Crown will stream on Facebook Live on Saturday, May 16 at 6 p.m.), fans of the track and fruity cocktails alike can still carry on the tradition at home with key ingredients.

The traditional recipe calls for a mix of vodka, bourbon, orange juice, and sour mix, but the folks at Mt. Washington Tavern—a popular spot during race weekend—put their own spin on the classic drink.

Owner Rob Frisch says they’ve perfected the Black-Eyed Susan by combining elderflower liqueur, grapefruit vodka, and ginger beer, and, in typical Baltimore fashion, serving the concoction as a cocktail or a crush.

“We serve about 450 to 500 every Preakness weekend,” Frisch says. “The Black-Eyed Susan is comforting; it’s all about the nostalgia.”

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.

EAT

May 17: Masarap Pop-up at Suspended Brewing Company

Suspended Brewing Company, 912 Washington Blvd. 5-9 p.m. Free.

If you didn’t get the chance to try local chef Rey Eugenio’s top-notch Filipino eats during his pop-up concept’s stint at Fadensonnen or Greener Fest, head to Pigtown this Friday to sample everything on this entirely plant-based menu. From Masarap staples like charred Brussels sprouts and Filipino-style stir-fry noodles to roasted corn and oyster dumplings, this vegan lineup pairs perfectly with a few of the South Baltimore brewery’s signature pours. And, since one dollar from each pint supports the next Charm City Night Market, there’s no shame in snacking and boozing all night long.

DRINK

May 17: Maryland Craft Beer Fest

Max’s Taphouse, 737 S. Broadway. 11-2 a.m. Free.

Outdoor beer festivals may be all the rage, but there’s something about walking into Max’s Taphouse and seeing 90 taps (yes, you read that correctly) full of Maryland beer that can’t be beat. This Friday, start early and work your way through beers by more than 40 local breweries, including Charm City favorites like Heavy Seas and Diamondback as well as newcomers like Nepenthe and Mobtown Brewing. Whether you spend the day sampling new brews or sticking to your go-to guarantees, we recommend ordering some nachos or tater tots every few rounds to soak up the suds.

SEE

May 15-Dec.1: Hitching Their Dreams to Untamed Stars

The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free.

If you do nothing else this spring, visit the Baltimore Museum of Art to experience this awe-inspiring exhibition that celebrates the profound work of MacArthur-award winning local artist Joyce J. Scott and her mother, Elizabeth Talford Scott. The curated collection features Talford Scott’s experimental textile pieces, including a quilt that depicts the North Star as a matriarchal beacon of freedom, along with examples of Scott’s art that responds to her mother’s textile tradition. The exhibition’s seven-month run encourages visitors to view the pair’s thought-provoking bodies of work again and again.

HEAR

May 17: Micah E. Wood Album Release

The Charmery Ice Cream Factory, 1700 W. 41st St., Suite 400. 8-11:45 p.m. $10.

We agree with Micah E. Wood: If having your own ice cream flavor at your self-titled album release party isn’t the ultimate flex, we don’t know what is. Pack The Charmery Ice Cream Factory on Friday night to hear this beloved local musician and photographer perform bare-it-all songs from his third record, as well as sets by indie-pop quintet Super City, pop-opera duo Outcalls, rapper Al Rogers Jr., and DJ Loc Spice. Grab a complimentary scoop of the singer-songwriter’s signature flavor (ginger-lemon-coconut) and bop along to brand-new tracks dedicated to introspection, self-care, and—of course—his dog, Ansel.

DO

May 18: Preakness Stakes

Pimlico Race Course, 5201 Park Heights Ave. 9 a.m. $99-720.

After months of debates and hearings about the future of the iconic Preakness Stakes, this weekend’s events will be the first time in a while that the focus will be on the actual horse race, not the political one surrounding its potential move to Laurel Park. On Saturday, start the festivities early at the ever-raucous InfieldFest, featuring the likes of EDM star Kygo, popular rapper Logic, and DJ/producer Diplo, before heading to the track for the main event. Above all else, revel in the chance to cheer on the middle jewel of the Triple Crown for what could be one of the final times at Pimlico Race Course.

Gerald Delp liked Ronnie Franklin from the start. “He was small, but he didn’t take any shit from anybody, and he was funny,” the 56-year-old Delp recalls with a laugh. “He was from Dundalk, and I grew up in Laurel. We clicked. Just the way you do with some people.”

As teenagers, they shared a mutual love of horse racing, girls, partying, and skipping school. Delp had known since he was 7 that he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his dad, legendary trainer Grover “Bud” Delp, and he quit school after the ninth grade. Franklin had no interest in school, either, or a Baltimore factory job (in the mid-’70s, when such things still existed) and he quit Patapsco High and went to Pimlico looking for a job, even though he’d never been near a horse in his life. “I was 13 and Ronnie was probably 15 when we first met,” Delp says. “We began walking horses together.”

A few years later, 40 years ago this month, Delp’s father trusted the reins of a colt he called “the greatest horse ever to look through a bridle” to then 19-year-old Franklin, who rode the race of his life at the Kentucky Derby, rallying a slow-starting Spectacular Bid past six horses into the winner’s circle. In front of 72,607 at Pimlico, The Bid—owned by Baltimore builder Harry Meyerhoff—and The Kid did it again at the Preakness, producing two of the biggest moments in local sports history in the span of two weeks.

Franklin, who passed away last March at 58 from lung cancer, went on to win 1,403 races and $14 million in prize money during a 15-year career. “Horses liked to run for Ronnie,” says Walter Cullum, Franklin’s nephew and a former jockey. “You have to be fearless, and Ronnie was, and he was strong, but his gift was in his hands and the way he communicated with them. God-given ability.” Delp recalls a horse named Pioneer Patty, so tightly wound she’d climb the walls of her stall. “We put rubber padding around to protect her from herself,” he says. “She was Ronnie’s first mount. He rode her to five straight wins.”

Bud Delp had sent a green Franklin to the Middleburg Training Center for experience, and it was there that Franklin first developed a bond with Bid, a charcoal gray yearling. By that time, Franklin, the youngest of six, had moved in with Bud Delp, who was raising his two boys, Gerald and Doug, by himself.

The road to the Derby and Preakness was not easy for Franklin, however. With such little experience under his belt, he was pulled at one point off Bid, clearly a thoroughbred with the potential to be one of the sports all-time greats. “He’d eat twice as much as a normal horse, a sign he wanted to work,” Gerald Delp recalls. Franklin got the mount back when Bid didn’t respond to seasoned Panamanian jockey Jorge Velásquez.

The road after the Derby and Preakness was not easy, either. Franklin and Bid missed their Triple Crown shot at the Belmont Stakes when Franklin took him out too fast. Shortly afterward, the young star was busted for cocaine, and addiction became an on-and-off struggle. “Ronnie loved people. He’d give you the shirt off his back,” says Gerald Delp. “We all have our demons, including me.”

Franklin was again working with horses in California when he was told he had Stage IV lung cancer in 2017. He returned Dundalk, which had welcomed him home after his Kentucky Derby victory with banners up and down Merritt Boulevard. Franklin, who told a reporter back in 1979, “I never had no dreams of being nothing until I came to a race track,” had remained close to his family throughout.

“He lived the life he wanted to live,” says Cullum, who was just 5 in 1979 when Franklin gave him his whip and dusty racing goggles from the Kentucky Derby as a keepsake. “He didn’t have many regrets,” Cullum continues. “The only thing he wanted was to live until May so he could go crabbing again. He didn’t quite make it.”

Preakness Stakes
May 16-18. 5201 Park Heights Ave. Times and prices vary. When he was a senior in high school, Weston Hamilton decided, practically on a whim, to become a jockey after graduation. The son of Steve “Cowboy” Hamilton, a champion racer, Weston grew up trail riding and looking at pictures of his dad as a “jock,” and he wanted to try it for himself. Fast-forward two years: He’s the country’s leading apprentice and has garnered more than $3 million in purse earnings. Weston says he looks forward to competing during Preakness weekend because it reminds him of the “good ol’ days” of racing, with onlookers dressed to the nines and cheering from the sidelines. “You get butterflies when you see everyone watching you and your horse,” says Weston. “It’s like no other feeling in the world.”—KP

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Maryland Film Festival
May 8-12. Time varies. Station North Arts and Entertainment District. $8-450. Baltimore might not be as glamorous as Hollywood, but according to film critic Richard Brody, it becomes the “center of cinematic gravity” each year during this five-day film celebration. Whether you’re a casual moviegoer or a full-blown cinephile, take advantage of this opportunity to watch more than 100 shorts, features (including The Mountain, starring Jeff Goldblum), and documentaries, as well as attend Q&A sessions and workshops with acclaimed filmmakers at the historic Parkway Theatre in Station North.

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FlowerMart
May 3-4. 11 a.m. 699 Washington Pl.. Free. This time-honored Mt. Vernon tradition signals the start of the spring with tons of flowers, extravagant hats, and the festival’s signature lemon sticks. Spend the weekend browsing through wares by local arts and crafts vendors, area food trucks, and, of course, flower carts that will decorate the neighborhood during this weekend-long family-friendly affair.

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Baltimore Tattoo Convention
May 3-5. Times vary. The Baltimore Convention Center. Free-$40. The Baltimore Convention Center has hosted some eclectic events over the years (think Comic-Con and Bronycon), and this annual convention that brings all walks of life together to celebrate the art of tattooing is no exception. With dozens of tattoo contests, local and regional vendors, seminars, and special guests such as past contestants from the TV show Ink Masters, we can almost guarantee that you’ll leave the downtown center with at least one new tat.

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Kinetic Sculpture Race
May 4. 5 p.m. Location varies. Free-$75. Objects typically written off as junk—think used bicycles and gears—are front and center for this human-powered and slightly lunatic sculpture race. During this signature citywide event hosted by the American Visionary Art Museum, try your hand at “engineering” a rideable structure and race around the Inner Harbor for the chance to win outrageous prizes such as the “Grand Mediocre East Coast Champion Award” or cheer on your faves from the sidelines.

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An Intimate Evening with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen
May 11. 8 p.m. 12 N Eutaw St. $93.50-137.50. Though they typically appear on opposite ends of the TV spectrum—with Anderson Cooper anchoring on CNN and Andy Cohen schmoozing with celebrities on his late-night show Watch What Happens Live—the two stars will team up to interview each other at this one-night-only event at the Hippodrome Theatre. From swapping celebrity gossip to hosting a Q&A session with the audience, experience Cooper and Cohen’s undeniable chemistry and hear embarrassing anecdotes that could only result from a longtime friendship.

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RemFest
May 11. 12 p.m.-9 p.m. Remington Ave. and 28th St. Free. Despite the smash-hit success of the first-ever RemFest, Remington-based businesses and neighbors are gunning to make this year’s festival even bigger and better. Along with more than 75 local artisan vendors, family-friendly activities, and libations by Union Craft Brewing and r.bar, the outdoor festival boasts a killer lineup of local acts including Soul Cannon, Super City, and rising banjo player Jacob Panic. Spend the day celebrating this evolving neighborhood and check out top spots like B. Willow and Charmington’s while you’re in the neighborhood.

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Hitching Their Dreams to Untamed Stars
May 15-Dec. 1. Time varies. 10 Art Museum Dr. Free. If you do nothing else this spring, visit the Baltimore Museum of Art to experience this awe-inspiring exhibition that celebrates the profound work of MacArthur-award winning local artist Joyce J. Scott and her mother, Elizabeth Talford Scott. The curated collection features Elizabeth’s experimental textile pieces, including a quilt that depicts the North Star as a matriarchal beacon of freedom, along with examples of Joyce’s art that responds to her mother’s textile tradition. The exhibition’s seven-month run encourages visitors to view the pair’s thought-provoking bodies of work again and again.

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92Q Spring Bling Festival
May 24. 7:30p.m. 201 W Baltimore St. $110-310. Whether you love her or not, there’s no denying that stripper-turned-rapper Cardi B has taken the world by storm. This month, the Grammy Award-winning queen will grace the Royal Farms Arena to headline 92Q’s annual spring concert, and she’s sure to bring the house down with hits like “Money” and “Be Careful.” Get there early to hear sets by rising rappers including Yo Gotti, Moneybagg Yo, and Blac Youngsta.

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Brew at the Zoo
May 25-26. Time varies. 1 Safari Pl. $24.99-75.99. We can’t think of a better way to kick off Memorial Day weekend than hanging out with the Maryland Zoo’s polar bears and penguins while sipping on local brews. In between unlimited samplings of beers from more than 80 breweries, bop along to live music by artists such as Ballyhoo! and Amish Outlaws and soak up the suds with eats from dozens of food vendors. Best of all? Every dollar raised during this annual fundraiser goes directly back to the zoo.

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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.”

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.

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.

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.