A portion of Pimlico’s grandstand was closed to the public this year out of concerns for safety
A Maryland legislator from Baltimore sent a letter this week to the state attorney general requesting an investigation into the Maryland Racing Commission over subsidies given to the Stronach Group and potential conflict of interest issues with members of the commission.
State Delegate Nick Mosby sent the inquiry, which comes after a pair of Baltimore Sun stories raised questions about commission practices. The newspaper reported last week that despite a Maryland law that only allows four of its nine members to “have a financial interest” in horse racing, actually six of them do. Five commission members own racehorses that are eligible for the state’s Thoroughbred incentive program.
The Sun also reported on $22 million in subsidies provided to the Stronach Group and questioned whether the commission properly held the Stronach Group’s Maryland Jockey Club, owner of Laurel Park and Pimlico, to state laws regarding such public subsidies.
“I am requesting you to conduct an independent audit and investigation into [The Stronach Group] and Maryland Jockey Club’s suitability to maintain the privilege of holding a racing license in our state,” Mosby wrote. “To date, the Maryland Jockey Club has repeatedly received tens of millions of dollars in [state] reimbursements without having the statutorily required Capital Improvement Plan on record with the Maryland Racing Commission.”
The Maryland Jockey Club told the Sun it is still in “good faith discussions” with the city of Baltimore over Pimlico’s future.
Read more at the Baltimore Sun
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