Maryland
Maryland governor authorizes $400 million to rebuild Pimlico
Maryland governor Wes Moore signed a bill Thursday to put the state of Maryland in control of Pimlico and to allot state funding to rebuild its run-down grandstand.
The bill authorized $400 million in state bonds to rebuild Pimlico, which will come under control of the state of Maryland on July 1. The bill signing was previously reported by Bill Finley of Thoroughbred Daily News.
During the planned construction, the 150th running of the Preakness in 2025 is planned for Pimlico despite the fact that construction will be in progress. The 2026 Preakness will happen at Laurel. Maryland will contract the operations of the 2025 and 2026 editions of the Preakness out to The Stronach Group. In the TDN report, Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association general counsel Alan Foreman compared that agreement to the operating agreement for the Breeders’ Cup to come into a track and run its signature yearly meeting.
When racing resumes at the rebuilt Pimlico it will be operated by a new nonprofit, under a model with some similarity to that of the New York Racing Association which oversees racing at Belmont, Saratoga and Aqueduct. The Preakness will return to the newly rebuilt Pimlico in 2027 under the auspices of that new nonprofit.
In addition to rebuilding Pimlico, the new plans also require a training center to be built in Maryland, since Pimlico is not big enough to house the entire Maryland-based horse population. Racing is expected to continue at Laurel for the next three years while Pimlico construction proceeds, but Laurel will close once the new Pimlico opens.
A University of Maryland (UMD) football player was arrested for harassment, according to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.
Dontay Joyner, a defensive back and rising senior at UMD, was charged with telephone misuse for making repeated calls, electronic communications harassment, and violating release conditions, a misdemeanor offense, according to court records.
Joyner’s attorney is calling the ordeal “outrageous,” saying “[Joyner] has been locked in a cage in Harford County for seven nights after being charged with a misdemeanor for telephone misuse for texting his longtime girlfriend during an argument. This is simply outrageous.”
Joyner’s attorney, Former Attorney General Douglas Gansler, said the 21-year-old has never been in trouble with the law and does not own a handgun. According to Gansler, Joyner’s girlfriend is “fully supportive of him and does not want to press charges.”
According to the UMD Terps website, Joyner is a Lakeland, Florida, native who previously attended Arkansas State. In the spring, Joyner was given the Nick Cross Defensive Back Award in a tradition that honors “past terrapin greats.”
According to court records, Joyner was held without bond.
WJZ has reached out to UMD officials for comment.
In Maryland, residents can find parades, concerts, history programs, fireworks, volunteer opportunities and family-friendly celebrations leading up to Independence Day.
America250, the national semiquincentennial initiative, is encouraging communities to take part through local commemorations, block parties, service projects and July 4 events. State and local commissions, historical societies, museums, libraries, parks departments and civic groups are also hosting events tied to the milestone.
Open primaries advocate Jeremy Gruber says nearly 100,000 independent voters in D.C. remain locked out of primary elections despite voters overwhelmingly approving open primaries in 2024. On The Final 5 with Jim Lokay, he blames the D.C. Council for refusing to fund the change and says similar efforts are gaining momentum in Maryland, where more than one million independents are also excluded from primaries. Gruber argues that in many one-party jurisdictions, the primary is effectively the election, making voter access even more critical.
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