Baltimore suing Stronach Group over potential relocation of Preakness Stakes
 

It could get very interesting.

Ritvo Quote.
 

What they want done at Pimlico I could do at Laurel for a $100 million , rather than $400 million it would cost to renovate pimlico

Condemnation to take a race track....this ought to be entertaining. That would take 20 years to get through the courts.

and watching the city of Baltimore owning and operating a race track also could be entertaining.

If this ever came to fruition I would be shocked if the city went in to the racetrack business. I would suspect they might just sell the land off to the highest bidder.
I truly hope this never becomes a possibility.

Especially a city as dysfunctional as Baltimore. One bad stewards' decision, and....:eek:

No it won't. This suit is a loser. They just want some leverage.

EDIT:To explain this more, Baltimore can sieze Pimlico, but they can't seize the Preakness. The Preakness is a trademark. The owner of the trademark can stage a race at 1 3/16th miles anywhere it wishes to in compliance with its contracts with Churchill, NYRA, and NBC. That race will be the Preakness.

Baltimore, if it succeeds, will end up with a racetrack, but will not end up with the contractual right to run a TC race.

State law mandates that the Preakness has to be run at Pimlico, with the exception of a "disaster or emergency" that forces it to be run elsewhere. This was always going to be a sticking point with moving the race to Laurel. I think TSG was hoping that the legislature would work with them and just change that law, but that seems to be out the window now.

So if the city won control of the track, for all intents and purposes they would also own the Preakness, because TSG by law couldn't run that race (at least under that name) at Laurel.

But none of that would stop TSG from just setting up a new race in mid-May at Laurel called "The Frankness", and the rest of the industry agreeing that "yeah this is the second leg of the TC now".

That "state law" is preempted by federal trademark law, which permits a trademark owner to use the mark in commerce anywhere in the geographic region of exclusive use. It also possibly violates the takings clause as well.

Indeed, if that law WERE enforceable, Baltimore wouldn't be trying to seize the track. They would just seek an injunction.

And it isn't the industry that matters here. It's the contracts with the other TC tracks and NBC. They define the TC. And the City of Baltimore cannot make itself a party to those agreements, and they can't seize the Preakness trademark either.

I love the name "The Frankness" but "The Freakness" may be more appropriate. :D

It will be the Preakness, and I am actually rooting for Stronach to just go ahead and move it. I have a particular distaste for grandstanding local politicians. They are misleading their constituents about this issue and deserve to get egg on their face.

Don't know the details, or the behind-the-scenes workings here.

If I wanted to make an uneducated guess - This is negotiation tactics, and the Preakness will move to Laurel 2022.

The track is already a disaster, so they are half way there.

The law was passed in 1987. I believe the bill was part of a package that expanded Maryland racing to include Sundays. Sunday racing was the consideration, so no takings?