they’re still discussing this
They’re always discussing it.
Lalalalalalala …
(sticking my head in the sand, don’t wanna hear this … 
)
I will be like the guy who stood in front of the tank in Tiananmen Square if need be.
If the track goes bankrupt, which has sounded in the past like a distinct possibility, then the decision is pretty much made. What shape is it in financially?
[QUOTE=Laurierace;8672102]
I will be like the guy who stood in front of the tank in Tiananmen Square if need be.[/QUOTE]
Stand there long enough, Laurie, and the plant might just fall down on your head!!
[QUOTE=HorsesinHaiti;8673096]
If the track goes bankrupt, which has sounded in the past like a distinct possibility, then the decision is pretty much made. What shape is it in financially?[/QUOTE]
Google can help you find the answer to your questions. Pimlico is not a separate entity, it is owned by the Stronach Group. Stronach wants to showcase Laurel, which is a much nicer facility and they recently did lots of upgrades. Pimlico is so old and so run down that it is probably easier to knock every building on the property down and start from scratch.
Baltimore went through something similar with Memorial Stadium. It took the Colts leaving town for them to wake up and acknowledge they needed to build a better facility for the team and fans. I’ve been to the new baseball stadium and that place is really really neat! A great ballpark experience, and it’s my understanding that the old stadium was pretty run down and bare bones basic. There is a lot of downtime with horse racing, and if you are at the races all day, it’s natural for some of the fans to get restless and want to get up and wander around and see what else is there. Plus, I think that the stadiums also host events such as weddings, festivals, other corporate event stuff, proms, etc. Who would want to do that at Pimlico the way it is??? Didn’t someone get shot in the parking lot recently???
I think that future Preakness Stakes should be run in VA. It is only fair. Virginia has sent our entire graded schedule to MD. And think about it from a safety stand point, VA doesn’t even have a facility, so being crushed by a collapsed grandstand isn’t even a possibility. Tripping over picnic baskets could be troublesome though.
[QUOTE=Shammy Davis;8673943]
I think that future Preakness Stakes should be run in VA. It is only fair. Virginia has sent our entire graded schedule to MD. And think about it from a safety stand point, VA doesn’t even have a facility, so being crushed by a collapsed grandstand isn’t even a possibility. Tripping over picnic baskets could be troublesome though.[/QUOTE]
Oh Shammy, you are truly after my heart, even though you made me spit my evening cocktail all over my keyboard. Best of luck to you!!!
I was shocked at the condition that Pimlico was in. Bear in mind, I had never been there, but I grew up around the Devon Horse Show, and there was a time when it was seedy as hell, also. However, you have never seen so many muddy people as were leaving the infield, yesterday. I mean mud everywhere. Really nasty.
I am pretty sure that the bathrooms at Pimlico haven’t been upgraded in100 years :lol: The stands are decrepit, and the interior is just nasty. I LIKE tradition, and I live in a very old PA Bank Barn, but this makes no sense. It looks like Stronach bought it to level it.
Not that you are going to build a nice home development there, ala Garden State. This is a nasty, urban part of town. The other thing that amazed me was the traffic control. Yes, I do realize that they set the record for the gate, but you would have thought that nobody bothered to get ready for dealing with this kind of volume. I’ve been in Philly for sports events and concerts, when there were also other events going on in town, and it was no where near this bad.
It is truly sad to see such an amazing piece of Americana for what it really is.
The fact that the tents in the infield prevented you from seeing the other side of the track, and the way the stands are constructed kept us from seeing the finish line, took away from the experience. I saw them start, I saw them in the stretch. Period. I don’t think that the people in the infield could see much, either, with the tents in the way. It is very exciting to see that much horsepower up close and personal, but not for a few seconds. I’m back to the TV.
I was at Super Saver’s Derby. If you are going to hold muddy people against the track then throw Churchill in the mix too. I literally threw my shoes in the trash. I didn’t see a single horse the entire day either. Couldn’t even tell who won, they were just dots advancing on a screen. Nobody is saying they need to move the Derby.
[QUOTE=Laurierace;8674045]
I was at Super Saver’s Derby. If you are going to hold muddy people against the track then throw Churchill in the mix too. I literally threw my shoes in the trash. I didn’t see a single horse the entire day either. Couldn’t even tell who won, they were just dots advancing on a screen. Nobody is saying they need to move the Derby.[/QUOTE]
I’d say that is the least of Pimlicos problems. I’m sorry- I know that the place means a lot to you, and this isn’t meant to hurt you, or be personal. It just is what it is.
[QUOTE=Palm Beach;8674006]
Oh Shammy, you are truly after my heart, even though you made me spit my evening cocktail all over my keyboard. Best of luck to you!!![/QUOTE]
Thanks for the kind thoughts. Four posts! That must have been one strong cocktail you spit on the keyboard. Horses get fed this AM?
[QUOTE=Shammy Davis;8674516]
Thanks for the kind thoughts. Four posts! That must have been one strong cocktail you spit on the keyboard. Horses get fed this AM?[/QUOTE]
I think it has more to do with Windows 10, which installed itself on my computer the other day. Things have been strange since then.
[QUOTE=Laurierace;8674045]
I was at Super Saver’s Derby. If you are going to hold muddy people against the track then throw Churchill in the mix too. I literally threw my shoes in the trash. I didn’t see a single horse the entire day either. Couldn’t even tell who won, they were just dots advancing on a screen. Nobody is saying they need to move the Derby.[/QUOTE]
They just did an expansive 30 mil upgrade at Derby this last year–even the infield is much, much better. But Churchill’s bones have always been substantially better than Pimlico’s, and Churchill has been consistently updated over the years.
[QUOTE=Palm Beach;8674539]
I think it has more to do with Windows 10, which installed itself on my computer the other day. Things have been strange since then.[/QUOTE]
So here it almost 9 AM and I finishing my second six pack and all I really needed to do was download windows 10 to get the same feeling?
If you think the public side of Pimlico needs help, you should see the backstretch. I’m not talking about the one “fancy” barn for the Preakness contenders, I’m talking about the barns for the regulars, on the other side of the track.
[QUOTE=Laurierace;8672102]
I will be like the guy who stood in front of the tank in Tiananmen Square if need be.[/QUOTE]
I’ll join you.
You know they called Pimlico, Old Hilltop. It was bull dozed for better infield viewing. With the state of horse racing as it is, it not out of the realm of possibility that your courage could be tested in Pimilico’s parking lot or backstretch in the near future. Though it is less likely that bull dozer operator will point a cannon barrel at you.
I, for one, enjoy horse racing’s history so I hope it is renovated and restored.
I think a renovation would be the best case scenario, but it seems there are more voices pushing for moving the race completely. I have a hard time letting go of history - not just the history of the track but many good times there (and not just on Preakness day, I like going best on quiet days, where it’s just people from the neighborhood, and you can get a good view of everything. Back when I used to go a lot I met so many interesting people there…)
