★ The Preakness is Ours · Maryland owns the IP — forever · Thank you, Governor Moore★ The Preakness is Ours · Maryland owns the IP — forever · Thank you, Governor Moore★ The Preakness is Ours · Maryland owns the IP — forever · Thank you, Governor Moore★ The Preakness is Ours · Maryland owns the IP — forever · Thank you, Governor Moore★ The Preakness is Ours · Maryland owns the IP — forever · Thank you, Governor Moore★ The Preakness is Ours · Maryland owns the IP — forever · Thank you, Governor Moore★ The Preakness is Ours · Maryland owns the IP — forever · Thank you, Governor Moore★ The Preakness is Ours · Maryland owns the IP — forever · Thank you, Governor Moore

The Preakness is Ours.

Thoroughbreds racing at the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore

Victory for Maryland

The Preakness is
ours — forever.

Governor Wes Moore and the State of Maryland exercised our right of first refusal and permanently secured the intellectual property of the Preakness Stakes — the second jewel of the Triple Crown — for the people of this state.

Not leased. Not licensed. Owned. And we did it without spending a single dollar of taxpayer money.

See what we saved →Spread the Word →Thank Governor Moore ★

153 years in Maryland. Now Maryland's, in perpetuity.

A win, by the numbers

Secured by Governor Wes Moore

$188M

Total cost over 30 years — principal + financing

$440M

What Maryland would have paid to rent the race

Taxpayer dollars spent — funded by racing revenues

Forever

Owned by the people of Maryland

We have permanently secured one of Maryland's most treasured cultural assets for the people of this state. Not leased. Not licensed. Owned — by the people of Maryland.

Old Bay and steamed crabs. The black-eyed Susan. The Chesapeake Bay. The best state flag in the nation. The Preakness is as much a part of Maryland's identity as any of these things — and now it belongs to us, in writing, in perpetuity.

A Debt of Gratitude

Thank You,
Governor Moore

This victory would not have happened without Governor Wes Moore's vision, resolve, and leadership. He saw what was at stake — and chose to fight for Maryland. Not for headlines. For the people.

Send Your Thanks →

Own vs. Rent

The math made sense, too.

If Maryland had let an out-of-state company own the rights, we would have paid that company roughly $440 million over 45 years just to keep the Preakness running at Pimlico. Instead, racing revenues — not taxpayers — will pay roughly $188 million in principal and financing over 30 years. After that, we never pay another dime to anyone for the right to run our race.

What Maryland did

Years 1–30

$188.6M

total financing cost — paid from racing revenues, not taxes

Years 31–45

bonds paid off, Maryland owns the asset outright

45-year total

$188.6M

Maryland owns the Preakness, forever

The race is permanently anchored to Baltimore. Maryland controls its own destiny.

What we avoided

Years 1–30

$241.9M

in license payments to an out-of-state corporation

Years 31–45

$197.9M

more payments — and they would still own it

45-year total

$439.9M

Maryland would have owned nothing

Perpetual license fees to outside owners. Escalating costs. No long-term control.

$1.9B

in annual economic impact from Maryland's thoroughbred industry — protected.

$400M

already invested in rebuilding Pimlico — a long-term commitment to Park Heights and Baltimore.

Belmont

New York State owns the Belmont Stakes IP. Maryland now stands in the same position with the Preakness.

Not this time

We remember the Mayflower trucks — this time, we acted.

Maryland has a painful history with promises from outside interests that evaporated when the balance sheet demanded it. The Colts left in the middle of the night. This moment was just as consequential — and Governor Moore and the state chose to act decisively. The Preakness belongs to us.