Few would think to transform a Preakness party tent into an Old English hunting lodge, complete with wooden beams, equestrian memorabilia, gleaming chandeliers and touches from a former interior designer for Ralph Lauren.
But few are Belinda Stronach, a Canadian businesswoman, socialite, heiress and former government official. The president of the Stronach Group — the leading owner and operator of horse tracks in the United States, including Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park — has brought some of her star quality to the Preakness this year in the form of a VIP chalet.
"The atmosphere is sort of like Soho House meets Ralph Lauren," said Stronach. "We wanted to keep the tradition, the Maryland tradition, because we know people here love the heritage of the Preakness, and at the same time we wanted to bring in some modern elements."
The creation is just a sliver of Stronach's level of glitz and fame.
As Don Martin, Canadian TV host and writer of the 2007 biography "Belinda: The Political and Private Life of Belinda Stronach," put it, she is "the perfect storm of celebrity and politician."
Stronach was previously CEO of Magna International Inc., the multibillion-dollar automotive company her father founded. She served two terms in Canada's House of Commons, where she pushed for more women in Canada's Parliament, advocated for equal rights and fought to cast a light on the experience of women in politics.
Yet she was defined as Canada's "It Girl" during her two terms from 2004 to 2008, with her "big money, her sex appeal and guys on the orbit," Martin said.
"It looked like she was going to run for the leadership of the [Liberal] party," Martin said.
She made headlines for leaving the Conservatives to join the Liberals. And she made headlines for her relationships. She is divorced from Donald J. Walker, now the Magna CEO, and Olympic gold-medal speed skater Johann Olav Koss. She dated former Conservative Party leader Peter MacKay and the now-retired NHL player Tie Domi. Rumors even circulated about her friendship with Prince Andrew, the Duke of York and former President Bill Clinton (she has denied any romance with Clinton, Martin said).
She hosted a social gathering that is credited with helping bring together Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau.
Greg MacEachern, a Canadian TV personality and senior vice president of a Canadian marketing agency, was Stronach's right-hand man in parliamentary affairs. He describes her as warm and generous, known to make quiet donations to charities.
"As a politician, Belinda was not happy with the status quo," he said. "If she was to question something and the answer was, 'That's the way it was done,' that was not satisfying for Belinda."
Also, "Belinda was a catalyst for the first significant conversation in recent politics in Canada about women being elected, at least since the 1970s."
Since stepping away from politics, the breast cancer survivor has focused on assisting the family business and running her father's real estate company, she said.