| Horse Racing is a sport that has been around for | | | | formed and first carried out. The three main |
| centuries and has a very rich history of tradition and | | | | contributors to the idea were Milton H. Sanford, John |
| culture. One of the factors that has made it this way | | | | Hunter, and Oden Bowie (who was the Maryland |
| is the race tracks themselves and what they bring to | | | | Governor at the time). They came up with the idea |
| the sport. One of the most well known race tracks in | | | | to have a two-mile stakes horse be held in the latter |
| America is the Pimlico Race Track, found in Baltimore, | | | | part of the year and to race third year colts. They |
| Maryland. The Pimlico track is known as a | | | | agreed on an initial purse of $15,000 and began the |
| thoroughbred track and is one of the most respected | | | | construction of the course. |
| venues in all of North America. It is found on a | | | | As the race track was being constructed it was soon |
| 140-acre area of land and is usually open for live racing | | | | purchase by the Maryland Jockey Club and given the |
| from early March to about October with breaks | | | | name "Pimlico" which is comes from the name of the |
| in-between. One of the reasons it has become so | | | | first English settlers to arrive in that area. The whole |
| famous is because it is the host of one of the Triple | | | | track took up about 70 acres and was completed in |
| Crown Races, namely the Preakness Stakes. | | | | time for the 1870 dinner party. The horse that won |
| The Preakness Stakes is not the only event that is | | | | that race was named "Preakness" and thus the |
| held here, however, and it is actually the home of a | | | | Preakness Stakes was born. |
| variety of other stakes events including The Maryland | | | | Ever since then, this track has been a renowned |
| Juvenile Championship, the Rollicking Stakes, the | | | | course and has seen the likes of the horse Seabiscuit |
| Challedon Stakes, and The Maryland Million among | | | | among others. The track was most recently handled |
| others. It is the second oldest track in the United | | | | by the Magna Entertainment Corp who went bankrupt |
| States is still highly regarded in the sport of horse | | | | last year. Up until this point, however, the track has |
| racing. The only complex older than Pimlico is | | | | seen a multitude of different things through its |
| Saratoga, which only opened six years before Pimlico | | | | course. There have been wars fought nearby, riots, |
| did. | | | | fires, recession and much more that have all affected |
| Pimlico officially opened on October 25, 1870, but the | | | | the track in one way or another. All of these |
| plans to create it go back to 1868 where a group of | | | | different events add to that rich history that make |
| businessmen came together and decided to have a | | | | Pimlico what it is today and future events will only add |
| large race in commemoration of a special dinner | | | | to that culture that has made it so famous. |
| party. This is where the idea of the track was | | | | |