The Pimlico Race Course, home to the Preakness Stakes since the 1870s, is preparing for a full teardown next month as part of a sweeping redevelopment plan. The project marks the end of an era for the historic Park Heights track — and the start of a new chapter.
On Preakness day, thousands of fans gathered one last time to walk its aging grounds. The familiar rhythm of hooves hitting dirt and gates clanging shut echoed through the air, blending nostalgia with uncertainty.
Edmund Benson and Jeffrey Dzbynski, assistant starters with the Maryland Jockey Club, have spent the past 30 years working at Pimlico. For them, the track wasn’t just a job — it was a starting point.
“I’ve been walking horses since I was 12, buying my own school clothes,” Benson said. “That was big for me, because I could buy things my mother wouldn’t buy for me.”
“He’s absolutely right,” Dzybynski added. “I came to the racetrack to buy my own car, buy my own clothes. In the morning before school, I’d ride horses, feed them, take them over to the paddock for the races. That’s how we grew up. We grew up the same way.”
Yolanda Jiggetts, a community leader with Park Heights Renaissance, said the track shaped her childhood and many others’.
“I remember being in the stands when I was very young, family members selling waters,” Jiggetts said. “I think it’s where I learned to love horses. But I also know the other side of that — unchecked — it is also a gambling addiction. You have to have support services while we do all these other fun things there.”
Many workers, like Dzubinski, say they miss the crowds.
“In the ’80s here, this parking lot was packed, you couldn’t even walk on the apron,” he said. “I’m hoping when they rebuild this, it will become the way it used to be. And I’d like to see younger fans come to the track, because that’s the future of racing. We’ve got to get younger people here to make this sport grow again.”
Beyond thoroughbred racing, Pimlico has also served as a place for learning and connection.
Near one of the barns, children from Sinai Hospital — some in wheelchairs — gathered around horses from Baltimore’s Mounted Unit. A child reached out to touch one of the horses and quietly noted its texture.
“The nose was soft, but the neck was kind of itchy,” he remarked.
Loose hair floated in the air as the horses were brushed and patted by curious hands.
Dr. Phillip McClure, who works with the hospital’s pediatric unit, said the site offers a therapeutic experience for his young patients.
“We're just hanging out,” McClure said. “We’ve got patients who’ve traveled from around the world get to see something that's sort of special in Baltimore. So that's kind of cool — kids from Ohio and Pennsylvania and Tahiti are here.”
Outside the gates, residents turned into food vendors, selling Caribbean staples to visitors.
“Fried fish, fried chicken, jerk chicken, and curry chicken,” one vendor called out.
Daijia Robinson, visiting from Rahway, New Jersey, attended AfroPreak in a colorful dress made by a local designer.
“It was so much fun. From seeing the horses to seeing the fashion and the sense of community, I had such an amazing time,” she said. “It was my first time, and it certainly won’t be my last.”
While turnout was lighter than in past years, many residents are hopeful the new Pimlico will bring improvements — not just to the track, but to the neighborhood.
“I was expecting for the last one, it would be much, much better,” said Madeline Brown, who can see the track from her restroom.
“I hope when we come back here, the area will improve. Some premises are filthy. The city needs to come in and clean up because we are residents and we should be appreciated in this Park Heights, Pimlico area.”
Whether inside or outside the gates, many are betting on a brighter future.
Officials say demolition will begin in six weeks.
