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Pimlico Special to make return to Old Hilltop; purse reduced

By Kent Baker | Special to The Sun
March 19, 2008

The Pimlico Special is back.

After a one-year absence, the second-most prestigious race on the Maryland thoroughbred racing calendar will return to the Preakness eve program at Pimlico, albeit with a smaller purse.

At its monthly meeting at Laurel Park yesterday, the Maryland Racing Commission approved the entire spring schedule for the state's signature meeting, spring racing at Old Hilltop, without discussion, including the return of the Grade I test for older horses. It will be run for a $250,000 purse, half the offering of two years ago.

"We're hoping to get a sponsor [for the Special], but as of now, we're pretty much paying for it alone," said Chris Dragone, the president-general manager of the Maryland Jockey Club. "Financial considerations dictate that the purse be dropped, and this is the lowest it can be and still be a Grade I race."

The restoration of the race has a twofold purpose: to assess the appeal of the event and to maintain its top-level graded status.

Dragone said the purse reduction makes it difficult to attract high-class horses. The Special has often been conducted with short fields, but he doesn't like to say this race isn't going to draw well.

The Special - inaugurated in 1937 - was the first major stakes in the U.S. run by invitation only. Its most famous edition came in its second year, when Seabiscuit upset War Admiral in their ballyhooed match race.

Because of tight money, the overall stakes schedule for the meeting underwent a slash of $450,000 to $3.465 million.

"We had to cut some races," racing secretary Georgeanne Hale said.

One casualty was the Grade III, $100,000 William Donald Schaefer Handicap, a fixture on the Preakness undercard since 1991. The conditions are similar to the Pimlico Special (older horses at 1 1/8 miles), so the Schaefer was a logical candidate to be eliminated. Hale switched the Allaire duPont Distaff, a Grade II, $150,000 race, to Preakness day.

As usual, the headliner of the 31-day meet, which begins April 17, is the Grade I, $1 million Preakness, the second jewel of the Triple Crown, on May 17. The meet's first major stakes is the Tesio on April 19.

In other developments, the commission twice convened behind closed doors, once to discuss "confidential commercial information and confidential financial information" with representatives of Magna Entertainment Corp. and the MJC and one from Cloverleaf Enterprises Inc. (the harness interests), according to chairman John Franzone.

The second session apparently involved a pep talk for leaders from all segments of the industry to form a united front for the coming slots referendum. That followed a nod from the commission toward a 4 percent reduction in disbursements to the breeders' fund from revenues and subsequent 4 percent hike to purses.

That change is pending in the state legislature.

Related topic galleries: William Donald Schaefer, Magna Entertainment Corporation, Equestrian, Triple Crown

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