The owner of Pimlico Race Course has reached an agreement to donate the historic Baltimore track to the Maryland state government, allowing the state to take over operations of the storied sport of thoroughbred horse racing, officials said Thursday.

The Stronach Group, which has owned Pimlico for more than two decades, has made “a binding commitment” to transfer the track to the state as early as this summer, according to state officials, with the state taking over racing operations next year. Stronach representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

The hand-off will allow the state to plow hundreds of millions of dollars into modernizing the track, as well as build a new training center at a location to be determined. A bill was introduced in the Maryland General Assembly on Thursday to pave the way for the construction and for the state to eventually run daily racing through a nonprofit entity that will be created.

The story continues at The Baltimore Banner: Owner of Pimlico Race Course agrees to donate historic track to state

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