Pimlico Race Course
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| Pimlico Race Course | |
|---|---|
 Pimlico Race Course Logo |
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| Official site | |
| Location | 5201 Park Heights Avenue Baltimore, Maryland 21215  |
| Owned by | Magna Entertainment Corp. |
| Date opened | 1870 |
| Screened on | NBC (Preakness Stakes) |
| Course type | Flat |
| Notable Races | Preakness Stakes (gr.1) Pimlico Special Handicap (gr.1) Dixie Stakes (gr.2) Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (gr.2) |
Pimlico Race Course is a horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers called the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Olde Ben Pimlico's Tavern in London. The racetrack is nicknamed "Old Hilltop" after a small rise in the infield that became a favorite gathering place for thoroughbred trainers and race enthusiasts.[1]
Pimlico officially opened in the fall of 1870, with the colt Preakness winning the first running of the Dinner Party Stakes. Three years later the horse would have the 1873 Preakness Stakes named in his honor. The track is also noted as the home for the match race in which Seabiscuit beat War Admiral in the second Pimlico Special, on November 1, 1938, before a crowd of 43,000.
It is currently owned by Magna Entertainment Corp., which entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2009. On April 13, 2009, the Maryland General Assembly approved a bill authorizing the state to purchase Pimlico if Magna cannot find a buyer. It was signed into law by Governor Martin O'Malley the following day.[2]
The Preakness Stakes and the Pimlico Special are run at a distance of 1 3/16 miles. The Pimlico track record for that distance is held by Farma Way, who set it while winning the Pimlico Special in 1991.
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[edit] Physical attributes
The track has a one-mile dirt oval and a seven furlong turf oval. There is stabling for about 1,000 horses, and the attendance capacity, including the infield, is over 120,000.
[edit] Racing
The following graded stakes are run at Pimlico:
- Grade 1 - Pimlico Special not carded in 2007
- Grade 1 - Preakness Stakes
- Grade 2 - Dixie Stakes
- Grade 2 - Black-Eyed Susan Stakes
- Grade 3 - Adena Stallions' Miss Preakness Stakes
- Grade 3 - Allaire duPont Distaff Stakes
- Grade 3 - Gallorette Handicap
- Grade 3 - Hirsch Jacobs Stakes
- Grade 3 - Maryland Breeders' Cup Handicap
- Grade 3 - Maryland Sprint Handicap
- Grade 3 - Safely Kept Breeders' Cup Stakes
- Grade 3 - William Donald Schaefer Handicap
- Grade 3 - Barbaro Stakes
- Grade 3 - Adena Stallions Miss Preakness Stakes
- Ungraded - Federico Tesio Stakes
- Ungraded - Jim McKay Turf Srint
[edit] Non-racing events
Pimlico Race Course has been the only United States site for Virgin Festival since it began in 2006. The first one was held on September 23 of that year, featuring bands such as The Killers, Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Who.[3] In 2007, it was a two-day festival held on August 4–5 and featured popular acts such as The Police, Beastie Boys, Smashing Pumpkins and Modest Mouse.[4] Its name was slightly changed to Virgin Mobile Festival when it returned to Pimlico for the third straight year on August 9-10, 2008, with five headliners: Foo Fighters, Kanye West, Stone Temple Pilots, Jack Johnson and Nine Inch Nails.[5]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
Coordinates: 39°21′12.6″N 76°40′23.2″W / 39.3535°N 76.673111°W
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