Pimlico Race Course - Clio (2024)

Maryland’s governor in 1868, Oden Bowie, was at a dinner party with someof his friends in Saratoga, New York. Bowie and his friends thoroughly enjoyedthe evening, so the men suggested hosting some type of event to commemorate their splendid evening. Because Bowie and his friends were prominent racing figures,they agreed to run a horse race in two years to remember the evening. They alsoagreed that the winner would host the losers for dinner. Interestingly, the menagreed on which colts would run the race in two years. Following thisagreement, the jockey club in Saratoga and the American Jockey Club vied tohost this event. Oden Bowie accepted theAmerican Jockey Club’s bid because he wanted the race to take place inMaryland. The American Jockey Club purchased 70 acres of land in Pimlico,Maryland, for $23,000.

General John Ellicott engineered the construction of theracetrack, and he completed the project in time for the Governor Bowie’s race. GovernorBowie and his friends referred to the opening race as The Dinner Party Stakes. MiltonSanford’s thoroughbred horse Preakness won the race. Thus, Preakness’s name isnow the namesake for one of the most important horse races. Additionally, the DinnerParty Stakes is now known as the Dixie Stakes, and it is the eighth-oldestgraded stakes race in America. Since this inaugural race, much history has happenedat this track.

Local residents referred to the race course as “Old Hilltop” since therewas a rise in the infield. This gently sloping hill in the center of the coursewas a popular gathering place for elite horse owners, business executives, andfashionable individuals. Hundreds of people would gather on this small hill tosocialize in between races. Many single individuals would also visit the hilltopin hopes of meeting someone. Videographers, however, wanted the hill removedbecause it blocked cameras from capturing the backstretch of the track.Demolition of the hilltop concluded in April 1938. Current elite members ofsociety, however, have continued the tradition of socializing at thePimlico Race Course. Today, the Corporate Village of the Preakness hosts over 5,000business executives and social elites in a 21st Century “gardenparty.”

The Pimlico Race Course almost closed in 1910. Many conservativeactivists supported the closure of the racetrack because it endorsed the sinfulpractice of gambling. The owner of the course, Billy Riggs, saved the course bybeing adamant that his track would not close. Despite popular support for theclosure of his course, Billy Riggs did not waver in his stance. For thisreason, the horse racing community refers to him as the “Savior of EasternRacing.” The Pimlico Race Course also endured Prohibition, the GreatDepression, and Baltimore riots. The race course is currently the second oldestracetrack in the United States; the horse racing track in Saratoga is theoldest.

The Pimlico Race Course is the only place to have the honor of hosting the U.S. House of Representatives for a day for entertainment reasons. The U.S.House of Representatives witnessed “The Great Race” between the three best racehorsesin the country on October 27, 1877. The House of Representatives has notadjourned for an entertainment event since this race in 1877. This historic locationis the result of Governor Bowie and his friends’ idea at a dinner partyin 1868.