Could Philly Park buy the Preakness?

Altanbarr · Postby **Altanbarr** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 8:30 am

I've never been there but Philly Park seems to have the money from slots to afford the race and could benefit from a signature event. Can the track accomodate such an event?

Laurierace · Postby **Laurierace** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 10:41 am

The only entity with the right to "buy" the Preakness is the state of MD. Otherwise whomever owns Pimlico owns the race. If Pimlico no longer exists the owner would be eligible to move it to one of his other tracks but not sell it.

Bohemia · Postby **Bohemia** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 3:04 pm

Plus, Philly Park is - excuse the expression - a toilet. Sure, the people who own it are making money hand over fist from slots, but they have little or no interest in horse racing. The only reason they have racing is because it's mandated by law. If they could shutter the backstretch and keep the grandstand a casino, they would.

doublete · Postby **doublete** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 5:09 pm

Bohemia- Been to MD lately?

Bohemia · Postby **Bohemia** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 5:51 pm

Well, at least Laurel is aesthetically pleasing. I find nothing attractive at all about Philly.

Altanbarr · Postby **Altanbarr** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 7:51 pm

It would be nice to keep the Preakness in the Midlantic area but none of the venues seem to have much to offer other than the tradition at Pimlico. Could Stronach move the Preakness to Santa Anita?

Laurierace · Postby **Laurierace** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 5:43 am

He could move it to one of his other properties if there was no racing in MD at all. That is providing he still owns the other properties. My guess is Santa Anita will be the first one that sells.

Hold Your Peace · Postby **Hold Your Peace** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 6:38 am

While Laurel can't handle the typical on track crowd associated with the Preakness, the best option is to make the Preakness expensive and exclusive for those wanting to see it live and run it at Laurel and pack Laurel with much higher priced ticket holders. A big part of the value of the Preakness is the simulcast revenue it generates and that wouldn't be affected by running it at a venue with a much smaller on-track crowd.

Sure the whole on-track character of the Preakness would be changed, but running it at Laurel and keeping Laurel operating as a racetrack is the most desirable of a lot of bad options.

Horsemen aren't interested in running at Pimlico and Pimlico requires way too much in capital improvements. Let it go.

Laurel would not be able to run as many dates as they're running now, but you could still have a decent amount of racing at Laurel with Colonial and Delaware and the PA and WV tracks being options at times when Laurel isn't running. You would at least still have a Maryland racing industry of some sort and you'd have the Preakness staying in Maryland.

I'd envision a Spring meet at Laurel (featuring the Preakness) from March until June when the Colonial meet starts. Then after Colonial run a Fall meet at Laurel (with the Maryland Million etc;). Scrap the Timonium racing. Scrap winter racing in Maryland.

And let somebody else puts slots at the Anne Arundel mall as Laurel purses still get the benefit without the new owner of Laurel having to build and run a slots operation that isn't going to be that successful anyway with a 67% tax rate and plenty of competition from neighboring gaming states.