Farewell to Laurel and Pimlico if......
 

.....this new bidder gets the properties.


http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/h...,3344981.story

That would be a great "neighborhood shopping destination," what, with all the crack and needles and whatnot. If you've watched the Wire, think Hamsterdam, seriously.

Maryland racing is such a joke right now. It's a pity.

I also love how that particular bidder suggests they should hold the race at Timonium. Really? You really think Timonium could handle 120,000 people on a Saturday?

http://www.drf.com/news/article/102658.html

to let these properties go to someone who has no intention of keeping the preakness and instead developing real esate in these "marquee" spots could be the final kick in the nuts for the race fans. I'm not saying its not out of the question that this will not happen, but i would like to think someone with some smarts would like to keep racing in MD especially now that the knew slot bill has passed, call me crazy



-bt-

Wait a minute...

APRIL 3, 2009: Baltimore Sun
So far, Verstandig is the only potential bidder for the Maryland tracks with no interest in buying the Preakness, whose fate has been the source of anxiety among state lawmakers and the racing industry.

Maybe it's me, but I'm confused... A day earlier, article author Hanah Clo filed this story noting that Cordish Cos. were readying a bid for Maryland's racing entities.. Then she writes 24 hours later that Verstandig is the only potenial bidder? WTF?

APRIL 2, 2009: Baltimore Sun
Baltimore developer David S. Cordish revealed Wednesday that his company will bid to buy Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course and the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown, which are up for sale by their bankrupt owner.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/business...,1845372.story

Steve - think she was saying that Verstandig is the only potential bidder who has no plans to buyt he Preakness, as in, the other bidders want to run the tracks and he's the only one who wants to demolish them.

My computer sucks so I can't open the link, but could the line "with no interest in buying the Preakness" hold the answer? Maybe there are multiple bidders, and Verstandig is the only one that will demolish Pimlico.

Again, can't read the article. Might be way off base here.

What a shortsighted tool. F*ck him. Run it at TIMONIUM?!??? I'm sorry, but the neighborhood around Pimlico has no appeal WHAT SO EVER as a shopping destination. Who on God's Green Earth would choose to get off the Light Rail at Falls Road when you have a huge, beautiful shopping complex in Hunt Valley a few stops later?

Honestly, I think he has a 0% chance of winning with that attitude. Cordish would probably be the frontrunners right now.

I wish I had money. I'd buy Pimlico and Laurel and restore Maryland racing to it's rightful place ahead of WV, PA, DE as the center of the Mid-Atlantic.

The goons at PA organized a "buycott" of a race at Will Rogers Downs. I say we as a group organize a "buycott" of Pimlico's entire meet to show the viability of MD racing.

Considering the entire Pimlico meet is like 10 days this year, I'm not quite sure how effective that would be, sadly.

Three potential candidates have emerged:

1) Cordish Co. - a developer masquerading as a racetrack buyer

2) Heritage Racing LLC - organized on Mar 29 - "to purchase, acquire, buy, own, hold, develop......Pimlico Race Course....to maintain the Preakness...."
http://sdatcert3.resiusa.org/UCC-Cha...rSearch_f.aspx

type in "Heritage Racing" in the name search box, then click the eye on the next page to view the Articles. Principal address is the same floor as Angelos' offices.

3) American Realty LLC - the article linked in my first post. This is the guy that wants to raze both properties.

The ONLY positive in the latest potential bidder, IMO, is that it might force the MD Gov't through the MD Stadium Authority to build a supertrack in downtown Baltimore near Camden Yards and Ravens Stadium if the guys wins.

Report is, he's got cash!!!! Cash is king!!!!

Marylanders haven't been rooting for an Angelos entity this hard in years.

Man, this really sucks!! I don't want to see either track go away. I know they have to change hands due to the Magna bankruptcy, but I'd like to see them both remain racetracks. As the article points out, Pimlico can't handle year round racing. And that's a long way from the 10 day meet slotdirt referred to.

that is what i took it to mean..

horseracing as we used to know it is gone.........soon there will be no more pimlico, hollywood park, santa anita, laurel.......its sad.

I hope you're wrong. I'm still angry about losing Garden State Park, and that was years ago.

I went to two different proms at Garden State Park while it was still in existence. The state and county has still not done a whole lot with that land.

Considering the spin-the-wheel results that Laurel produced in the Magna 5 this year, I think they should race 3 days a year in Maryland. Start the Thursday before the Preakness, and have each race be worth atleast 50k on Thursday. Have only 75k-and-above stakes races on Friday and Saturday.

can Annapolis screw this up anymore?