Pimlico demolition, rebuild OK’d for after Preakness
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A Maryland board approved a $14.3 million contract on Wednesday to begin the demolition and rebuilding of Baltimore’s storied but antiquated Pimlico Race Course, home to the second jewel of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes.
The vote by the three-member Board of Public Works, which includes Gov. Wes Moore, was made 10 days before the 150th Preakness Stakes, which is scheduled for May 17. It will be the last time the annual horse race will be held with the existing structures in place before the track is rebuilt on the same site. The demolition will begin shortly after this year’s race.
“There cannot be a better time to announce the beginning of a transformation that will allow Pimlico to become a year-round hub for economic activity within the Park Heights community,” Moore said of the Baltimore neighborhood and longtime home of the race.
Under the plan, the Preakness will take place in Laurel Park, located just southwest of Baltimore, in 2026 while the new facility is built, before returning to Pimlico in time for the 2027 race.
Craig Thompson, the chair of the Maryland Stadium Authority which is overseeing the design of the new track, said the plan is to make Pimlico the home of Maryland thoroughbred racing. The track will go from hosting about 15 races a year to well over 100, Thompson said.
“This is more than just about a racetrack, as historic and important as it is,” Thompson said. “This is about bringing hundreds of millions of dollars in state investments to Park Heights.”
Thompson also shared a preview of the design plans. They include a new clubhouse with architecture inspired by the Rawlings Conservatory in Baltimore’s Druid Hill park and the original Pimlico Clubhouse, which included a colonnade and rooftop balconies, Thompson said.
Last year, the board approved a deal to transfer ownership of Pimlico from The Stronach Group to the State of Maryland in order to ensure the Preakness remains in Baltimore.
The state has been wrestling with what to do to restore the old racetrack for decades. Aptly nicknamed Old Hilltop, the track opened in 1870. It’s where Man o’ War, Seabiscuit, Secretariat and many others pranced to the winner’s circle.
But its age has long been a concern. In 2019, the Maryland Jockey Club closed off nearly 7,000 grandstand seats, citing the “safety and security of all guests and employees.”
The horse racing industry and other equine industries have been a cornerstone of Maryland agriculture, as well as an integral part of preserving green space.
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Jake Trotter
Former Utah quarterback Cameron Rising announced Wednesday that he’s retiring from football.
Rising, 25, started three games last season before suffering a season-ending injury to his throwing hand. He posted Wednesday on social media that two orthopedic physicians had advised him to give up football because of the hand.
Rising wrote he will undergo surgery and focus on rehab.
Bad Moon Out. pic.twitter.com/hfn5n5WtKB
— Cameron Rising (@crising7) May 7, 2025
Sources told ESPN’s Eli Lederman that Rising has accepted an offensive coordinator role at Newbury Park (California) High School, where he was a three-year starter from 2015-17 and left as a four-star recruit in the 2018 class. He’ll coach four-star Michigan QB pledge Brady Smigiel, ranked No. 45 in the 2026 ESPN 300, next fall.
Rising played in 30 games for the Utes, making 28 starts. He led Utah to Pac-12 championships in 2021 and 2022 and was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2021.
He played in only three games after 2022, however, missing the entire 2023 season with a knee injury. He was removed from the Utes roster after last season.
Rising, who began his college career in 2018 at Texas, still had a year of eligibility remaining because of redshirt seasons, the COVID-19 waiver in 2020 and the injuries.
Utah already had added transfer quarterback Devon Dampier, who started during the 2024 season at New Mexico.
Rising’s 53 career passing touchdowns ranked fourth all time at Utah.
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