The big unanswered question is this: Does the Preakness come with Pimlico or is it a separate entity? The state has tried to make the argument that it has proprietary rights to the race, but it's unclear whether this is true. Does anyone know the answer?

Bill, the Preakness does NOT come with the physical property. Students of history would not the Preakness was held in New York for almost 20 years at the turn of the last century. It came back to Maryland exactly 100 years ago. The track was still there, but the race and track have historically been considered separate entities.

Maryland (and Baltimore City's) heavy-handed use of eminent domain is really starting to trouble a lot of folks. Remember the Weinberg fiasco?

Using eminent domain to 'save' tradition? How do you justify that? When do personal property rights have value? Only when they're politically correct?

Laurie, thanks for your take on this. Assuming what you say is true, I can see a lot of bidders for the Preakness and not so many for Pimlico.I mean what kind of commercial value could that property have in this market?

Well if a hundred years doesn't make for an established relationship, then what does? This long-time racing fan and thoroughbred owner and breeder, does not think of the Preakness without Pimlico. The Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes ran for many years before they became known as the Triple Crown. Should we stop calling it the Triple Crown just because it didn't start off that way? I highly doubt that students of thoroughbred racing history would treat this idea of separating the Preakness from Pimlico as lightly as Laurie does.

The Preakness, as part of the Triple Crown, is a prestigious race in the thoroughbred racing world. So prestigious that Arabian sheiks come to the U.S. to spend millions of dollars on buying thoroughbreds with the intent of winning any of the Triple Crown races and hopefully all of them. It is not unusual for an Arabian sheik to spend over a 100 million dollars a visit to the horse sales. Maryland breeders sell horses at these sales. To take the Preakness away from Maryland hurts Maryland racing, breeding, and tourism, too. Just look at any tourism publication on Maryland and one will find information about thoroughbred racing in it. I for one would like to see the Breeders's Cup come to Maryland and bring a 100 million dollars in tourism dollars to the state along with it. Pimlico with its wealth of racing history would be an ideal spot for the Breeders' Cup. We should be thinking of saving Pimlico and the Preakness, not tearing it down and throwing away Maryland's biggest sporting money maker.

Let's face facts folks. The Preakness is only worth so much because of the history attached to it. Although run in NY a long time ago, that info is so obscure by now, you have to look it up on Wikipedia. Anyone who buys the Preakness would do best to run it in Maryland. And if you own it, you have to have a place to run it.

I know football teams migrate all over the universe, but race tracks are known and favoured for their innate properties, like what type of track it is, how fast (or slow) it is, and the climate and local conditions. You can run a race in California and call it the Preakness, but it ain't the same (and there won't be any blanket of those fake Black-eyed Susans, either).

There's a difference between Preakness and Pimlico. (And, yes, I understand that nuances of tracks are often discussed w/in the thoroughbred industry).

If the State legitimately cares about the Preakness, that's one thing. If the State (or the proposed bill) is focused on Pimlico, that's a whole other animal.

If the State wants to keep Preakness in Maryland, then by all means get it the heck out of that section of Baltimore. Just because Preakness has been held at Pimlico, does not mean that it needs to be held there in the future.

Think of it this way, the move to a new location w/in the State will give the thoroughbred industry pundits and race analysts something can talk about the Preakness tracks pre- and post-Pimlico.

Jeanne - do you have any citations for your 100 million statistics? Or that Pimlico is Maryland's biggest sports moneymaker?

Did Angelos step in first because he shares the same lobbying law firm as Magna??

Also, there's a difference between Preakness and Pimlico. (And, yes, I understand that nuances of tracks are often discussed w/in the thoroughbred industry).

If the State legitimately cares about the Preakness, that's one thing. If the State (or the proposed bill) is focused on Pimlico, that's a whole other animal.

If the State wants to keep Preakness in Maryland, then by all means get it the heck out of that section of Baltimore. Just because Preakness has been held at Pimlico, does not mean that it needs to be held there in the future.

Think of it this way, the move to a new location w/in the State will give the thoroughbred industry pundits and race analysts something can talk about the Preakness tracks pre- and post-Pimlico.

Jeanne - do you have any citations for your 100 million statistics? Or that Pimlico is Maryland's biggest sports moneymaker?

The Preakness is worth saving but tearing down Pimlico and much of the dilapidated housing in the neighborhood and replacing it with good, market rate housing and retail would be one of the best things that could happen to Baltimore. This is actually prime real estate, close to downtown and Towson.

Can someone explain to me the headline that says "Preakness bill likely to pass?" Legislators got a glance at the bill less than an hour before. They haven't even met to hear it yet!

Apparently they're claiming eminent domain on all three tracks (& property) AND on the trademarks, concepts, and licensing of the Preakness and its trophy. Eminent domain to a non-tangible item? Has this ever been done before?

Does anyone else feel like me when the state gets involved they will just screw things up even more?
See slots for proof of Annapolis's ability to be the gang that couldn't shoot straight!

I admire the state for doing everything it can to keep the Preakness in Maryland. However, eminent domain seems like an extreme step and will the state then run the track for an indefinite period? The better long-term solution for Pimlico is to add slots -- sooner than later-- and without the odious 67% tax rate that inhibited bidding on the original five sites. Of course, this is a complicated legislative process, but should get started soon. You can read more here:

http://www.gamingatlantic.com

Yes, I do have a citation for the 100 million dollars that California gains for hosting the Breeders' Cup in 2008 and in 2009. Here's a press release dated 2/11/2008 from Gov. Shwarzenegger's office: "California horse racing makes history again with an unprecedented second Breeders' Cup Championship. I am looking forward to welcoming the world to California this fall for the 2008 Breeders' Cup Championship and next November for the 2009 event. These events give us a chance to showcase the beautiful and historic Santa Anita Park and will be an economic boon of over $100 million. California horse racing is at a crossroads and hosting the Breeders' Cup gives us a chance to support an important agricultural and entertainment industry." This press release is freely available on the web.

I stand corrected on my statement about the Preakness being the state's biggest sporting event money earner. It is the state's biggest one-day sporting event money earner. This has been stated in many articles about the Preakness, including one from WYPR News in Maryland, "Magna fate clouds future of Preakness," dated 3/24/09: "And the future of the Preakness, also owned by Magna and by far the biggest one-day, money-maker in Maryland..."

The Breeders' Cup has typically 45-60,000 people attending it each year. It is now a two-day event. The Preakness, a one-day event but with week-long events leading up to it, has hosted up to 100,000 people. This is big money, folks, do the math! Losing the Preakness is a huge financial loss for Maryland.

this is where the elected officials of the state lose my vote. i am opposed to corporate welfare of any kind. in this case the horse industry needs to get out of the taxpayer's wallets. supposedly in the capitalist society if a business cannot succeed we let it fail. time to do that here.

While hosting the Breeders' Cup in Baltimore would be great, I can't see it happening. Pimlico, despite its tradition, is a dilapidated dump. Sorry to say it, but it is the truth.

I think the racing industry in general cringes every May, knowing that Pimlico will become the face of thoroughbred racing for a day. However, there is no choice in the matter because the Preakness is joined at the hip with Pimlico. The idea of the industry selecting Pimlico voluntarily for their second biggest racing event is unimaginable. Plus, it only has seating for about 20,000, which would not accommodate the typical BC crowds (and the infield is not an attractive option in late October).

Pimlico needs to be "renovated" (i.e. bulldozed and re-built from scratch). It's hard to imagine who would be willing to pay for that, given the dismal attendance on non-Preakness race days, and the lack of those to begin with.

The best idea of all is the so-called Super Track that has been mentioned occasionally. It could be a very nice facility, still located in Baltimore (but not at Pimlico) and also host the slots parlor that is slated for the city. It could even retain the name "Pimlico", such as "Pimlico at Camden Yards".

It's hard to be optimistic over the state of racing in Maryland (and at many other places as well), but this current predicament might just be the catalyst needed to get the industry back on track. The status quo certainly is not doing anyone any good.

Is there anything the government has stepped in or taken over that was run better or more efficiently then when it was run by private firms or industry..
I THINK NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If they just stuck to defending our borders, fixing roads and providing police and fire , our nation would be better off. I do not want my tax dollars to buy a race or race track because Mike Miller thinks he knows best!!!!
The scumbags just want to find another way to line their pockets with your and my money!

Horse racing is dead. Those who drool over its corpse are necrophiliacs.

None of this is necessarily wrong, but why should it be paid for out of the public purse?