Letter from the MHC President THE MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL
by Kimberly K. Egan, MHC President May is our annual Preakness issue and this year we
have an extra helping of good news for Maryland’s T oroughbred racing sector. On April 8, the Maryland General Assembly passed legislation to implement the Maryland T oroughbred Racing Authority‘s (MTROA) “Pimlico Plus” plan. T e General Assembly created MTROA in 2023 and tasked it with turning Maryland into “a best-in-class location
for T oroughbred horse racing.” T e January 2024 Pimlico Plus plan is MTROA’s fi rst step toward “reimagining Maryland’s horse-racing infra- structure . . . and establishing the most ef- fective racing operating model to align the needs of patrons, horsemen, breeders, com- munity residents and others.” MTROA’s assignment was not easy, and
we are delighted to report that the Author- ity and the General Assembly managed to balance the many interests with a stake in Maryland racing. T e legislation not only charts a path for Maryland to be “a best in class” racing state, it also lifts the communi- ties that surround and support Maryland’s racing facilities, and retains the capital proj- ects funding for Rosecroft Raceway. For those of you interested in the plan’s
under
construction.lico facility is completed. • Laurel Park will then close and be sold, or developed, by Stronach in a manner of its choosing. To minimize the burden on the tax payer, the Pimlico Plus plan re-
MHC COMMITTEE REPORTS IN THIS ISSUE!
• Farm Stewardship - Welcome new Farm Stewardship Column Sponsor on page 41
quires that $5 million annually be transferred from the purse account – which pays race winners and jockeys – to the State Lottery Fund until the $400 million in bonds is paid off . T e legislation also requires that the purse account reimburse the State for any operating losses it incurs by taking over racing. T e legislation also requires that any request for reimbursement from the bond funds be accompanied by a plan to fi nance racetrack workforce housing; com- munity aff ordable housing, workforce de- velopment, and job training; blighted and vacant housing re-development; and com- munity commercial revitalization, commu- nity safety, and community beautifi cation. Once racing’s operating losses (if any)
• Government Relations - 2024 Legislative Recap on page 37
• Industry Professionals - Welcome new members on page 45
nitty gritty, the racing provisions include the following: • current owner of Pimlico Race Course, T e Stronach Group, will sell Pimlico to the State of Maryland for $1. • T e Preakness Stakes will stay in Maryland pursuant to a separate $3 million licensing agreement with T e Stronach Group. • MTROA will take over the day to day operations of running T or- oughbred racing in Maryland, which might include partnering with a non-profi t organization established for that purpose. • T e State will authorize $400 million in bonds to demolish and re- build the Pimlico Race Course and to build a new T oroughbred train- ing facility at a location yet to be determined. • T e Preakness Stakes will move to Laurel while the Pimlico track is
• Maryland Sport Horse - First quarter competitions results on page 29
are reimbursed, the legislation requires the State’s net income from racing to be distributed as follows: • Up to $27 million a year into the Prince George’s County Blue Line Corridor Fa- cility Fund; • a $10 million grant fund to Park Heights Renaissance for work force housing; • $3 million annually in local impact funds to Prince George’s County; • $200,000 annually to Employ Prince George’s Inc. for workforce development and for small, minority, and women– owned business development; and • a one-time payment of $6.2 million
from the FY26 budget to Prince George’s County “for site development, demolition, and grading on and around the Bowie Race Course training center property and Rosecroft Raceway.” As we have said many times in the last year, we at the Maryland Horse Council very much want T oroughbred racing to survive and thrive. T e Pimlico Plus legislation looks like a terrifi c step in that direction. See you May 18 at the Preakness!
Thank You To Our Maryland Horse Council Sponsors! ®
join.mdhorsecouncil.org www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580 THE EQUIERY YOUR MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL PUBLICATION | MAY 2024 | 7
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