This just in from the Maryland Jockey Club… the northern portion of the Pimlico grandstand will be closed for Preakness, displacing 6,670 ticket holders. Ticket holders have till May 1 to exchange tickets.
From MJC’s media contact Amy Burke Friedman (April 13, 2019)
(Baltimore, Md) – As the 144th Preakness Stakes approaches, and in light of the recent Maryland Stadium Authority study that concluded that after more than 100 years, Pimlico Race Course had “reached the end of its useful life,” the Maryland Jockey Club engaged a Baltimore based independent engineering firm, Faisant Associates, to assess the facility to determine how this may impact our guests on Preakness day.
Faisant Associates concluded that there has been significant deterioration to the northern part of the grandstand, the exterior portion of the facility adjacent to the Clubhouse. The northern grandstand is the oldest portion of the structure dating back more than a century, with seating capacity for 6,670 guests, and is no longer suitable to sustain that level of load bearing weight.
As the safety and security of all guests and employees at Pimlico is paramount, the Maryland Jockey Club made the difficult decision to close that section of the grandstand for this year’s Preakness Stakes. The closure is in effect for the full Pimlico meet including the Preakness Stakes and Black Eyed Susan Day.
“It is deeply disappointing for us and the affected ticket-holders that at a peak moment in time when we generate the most amount of income for the industry, for our company and for all stakeholders, and when we are poised to welcome racing fans to Preakness, we have to de-commission 6,670 seats,” said Bill Hecht, CEO, U.S. Real Estate for The Stronach Group, owners of the Maryland Jockey Club. “As the safety and security is paramount to our guests and employees, this position to forego income should in no way be interpreted as anything other than that.”
Ticket-holders who have purchased tickets for that section of the grandstand for this year’s Preakness will be able to trade in their tickets at face value for similar seating. Ticket-holders may exchange their tickets by calling 1-877-206-8042 between now and May 1st.
