Laurel/Pimlico get 6 bids

[rrbauer]

Last Friday, December 11, was the deadline to submit bids for the MEC properties at Laurel and Pimlico.


http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-magna1214,0,7260442.story?track=rss

[takeout]

I'm surprised there are that many bidders.

[bisket]

cordish is the big player. the reason they want to put the slots at arundel mills mall instead of at the track is to outflank defrancis and that stupid clause in his contract with magna. the court still hasn't ruled on magna's motion on that clause. so if cordish buys the tracks they won't have to waste time screwing around with defrancis because the slots won't be at the track. so defrancis won't have a leg to stand on.

[NJ Stinks]

So is Cordish a guy who will keep horseracing or is he what the article says - a developer? :confused:

[bisket]

he's going to keep the tracks and run them.

[Robert Fischer]

6 bids, none spectacular...

[takeout]

What’s with some of the bidders wanting to remain anonymous? What’s that about?

[NJ Stinks]

he's going to keep the tracks and run them.

That's great! Thanks, Bisket.

[takeout]

cordish is the big player. the reason they want to put the slots at arundel mills mall instead of at the track is to outflank defrancis and that stupid clause in his contract with magna. the court still hasn't ruled on magna's motion on that clause. so if cordish buys the tracks they won't have to waste time screwing around with defrancis because the slots won't be at the track. so defrancis won't have a leg to stand on.Makes sense to me but it also seems like some new stuff has been introduced into the game. Seems like all of a sudden everyone thinks they have a shot at some kind of slots do over or something. ?? Peter Angelos even shows up again. Remember the Rosecroft thing? My point is it seems like all of a sudden everyone smells money. Why?

I don’t know but I’m starting to think that some of these bids might be sizable. It has to be development, slots, or something else, right? I doubt that any of the bidders actually want racetracks any more than Penn Gaming wanted Charles Town without slots.

[3george3]

With BRAC moving tons of jobs to Ft. Meade, I just can't see Laurel surviving as anything other then a new housing development. The MARC train station, location between Route 1 and the BW Parkway, and the sheer size, makes it among the most valuable housing tracts between DC and Baltimore. Plus, PG and Anne Arundel Counties would much rather have new houses and property taxes, then a run down track with few patrons and a some live-in grooms.

So then what? Run Pimlico year round? That would require major upgrades to the barn area (and the rest of the facility), and the barn area can't be expanded. So do you run year round at Pimlico and van in the majority of horses from Bowie? Would a "new and improved" Pimlico draw enough fans to be viable? Or is the location simply too much to overcome?

You can't close Pimlico, the state will never allow it. It has to be open for at least 1 day per year to host the Preakness. Keeping both tracks open hasn't worked in the past, and probably won't in the future. Plus WV now has table games and PA will very soon, while Maryland can't even open its first slots parlor, or decide where it will go.

As great as it is to get rid of Magna, its still an uphill climb for live racing in Maryland.