Meeting Held On Pimlico Transition

Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association Executive Director David Richardson met with horsemen and employees at Pimlico Race Course April 26 to discuss plans by Maryland Jockey Club to transition workers and horses later this year to Laurel Park as part of the ongoing plan to redevelop Pimlico. 

About 75 people attended the information session, which was also designed to get an accurate count of those who would need accommodations at Laurel. Concurrently, MTHA is working with Maryland Jockey Club to accommodate everyone currently based at Pimlico with as little disruption as possible.

Barns 31 and 32 at Laurel are currently in the process of receiving infrastructure upgrades by MJC. Barn 33—under quarantine until May 5 because of an EHV-1 positive—houses horses that had been stabled in Barn 31. When they are ready to return to Barn 31, horses in Barn 32 will move to Barn 33. When the process is completed, horses from Pimlico will be able to move to Barn 33.

With 923 horses at Laurel as of an April 1 census, and over 1,300 stalls available, there is adequate space to accommodate the 233 horses stabled at Pimlico. As for dormitories, the MTHA, MJC and MTROA are considering acquiring modular units, if needed, that could be placed at Laurel when the required infrastructure is in place. 

Richardson provided residents with a dorms request form and asked that it be completed and returned by June 1 for those seeking workforce housing at Laurel. He reiterated that MJC and MTHA are committed to accommodating all horsemen that return these forms in a timely fashion.

The Pimlico property is scheduled to be turned over to the state by 1/ST RACING (The Stronach Group) July 1 under legislation passed in early April. There is no official date for the end of training at Pimlico, though it is expected to occur this summer or early fall.

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