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The highlight of the Maryland racing season begins each spring with the commencement of live racing at historic Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness Stakes. The 2012 season, which opened March 30 and will run for eight consecutive weeks, continues a tradition in the state that dates all the way back to 1870. Maryland is one of the oldest racing states in the country and the Pimlico spring meet is its top attraction. Live racing will be conducted each Thursday through Sunday at Pimlico with the Preakness Stakes, which can attract in excess of 100,000 fans on-track, set for March 19. Though Maryland racing has fallen on tough times in recent years, track officials sounded optimistic leading up to the Pimlico spring meet. After spending the last three months at Laurel Park, many are excited for the move to Pimlico, which means warmer weather and the Preakness are right around the corner. “I really think we are going to have a big meet,” said Pimlico Racing Secretary Georganne Hale. “We have more horses stabled here and trainers were not running towards the end of the Laurel meet in anticipation of Pimlico. Everybody gets excited when we have a change of scenery. We get to use the turf course each day, which only helps entries.” Including the $1 million Preakness Stakes, Pimlico has scheduled 22 stakes races with purses totaling $3.426 million for its spring meet. The vast majority of those races, 16 in all, will be run during Preakness Stakes weekend. “There is a special feeling about Pimlico because of the third Saturday in May,” said Maryland Jockey Club president Tom Chuckas. “But the entire meet is important to us. We continue to improve the promotions during the meet and made it a priority to update the racing experience with higher purses on Preakness weekend, which should bring better horses to Baltimore.” There are a nice mixture of promotions designed to enhance the on-track experience for this year's Pimlico spring meet. For instance, on Saturday March 31 Pimlico Open House will feature free admission, discounted concessions and meet-and-greets with various personalities from the world of Thoroughbred racing. There will also be various contests, drawings and tours of the track. Additionally, each Sunday with the exception of Easter and Mother's Day, Pimlico will host a $24 brunch in the track's Terrace Dining Room with a good view of the track. In the week leading up to the Preakness Stakes, fans can also take part in Sunrise at Old Hilltop. The promotion will allow fans to watch Preakness contenders during their morning workouts on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday before the Preakness, as well take a tour of the stable area. On Preakness day itself, Pimlico will once again host the popular InfieldFest featuring major music acts and limitless beer refills. The day prior to the Preakness, which features the Black-Eyed Susans for 3-year-old fillies, is also a special day at Pimlico.
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