Some state lawmakers said Thursday the Preakness should be moved from Baltimore to Laurel because of the hundreds of millions needed to renovate Pimlico Race Course, setting up what could be a heated political battle as the future of the horse race continues to be debated.
Del. Frank Turner, a Howard County Democrat, and Del. Jay Walker, a Democrat from Prince George’s County, both expressed interest at a briefing of the House Ways and Means Committee in moving the second jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown.
During the briefing on the Maryland Stadium Authority’s first phase of its Pimlico study, Turner questioned whether the legislature has enough votes to approve the at least $300 million needed to upgrade the historic race track. He and Walker asked Stadium Authority officials if they were looking at all at how much it would cost to have the Preakness at Laurel Park and what the economic development impact would be.