FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT: Carole Everett, 410-230-8800

#3876 GRP

Maryland Lottery to Sponsor Historic Pimlico Special
Race Will Feature Nine Runners Friday Afternoon

(Baltimore) - The Maryland Lottery is again teaming up with the horseracing industry by sponsoring another exciting race during the prestigious Preakness weekend. Last year, the Lottery presented the inaugural Barbaro Stakes race.  This year, the Lottery will sponsor the $250,000 Pimlico Special on Friday, one day before the 133^rd running of the $1 million Preakness® Stakes, the middle jewel of the Triple Crown. Friday’s race will be televised live on ESPN at 4:40 p.m.

“The Lottery is thrilled to sponsor the Pimlico Special,” said Lottery Director Buddy Roogow.  “The Preakness is such an important event in Maryland’s tradition and the Lottery is honored to be a part of it.”

Along with sponsoring the Pimlico Special, the Lottery will also be on-site Friday and Saturday at Pimlico.  Patrons can stop by the Lottery booth to play their favorite games, learn about current Lottery initiatives, and spin the wheel for prizes.    

The Maryland Lottery Pimlico Special returns after a one-year hiatus.  It is the second most prestigious race on the Maryland racing calendar, trailing only the Preakness.  Introduced by Alfred Vanderbilt in 1937, the Pimlico Special was the first major stakes race in the United States by invitation only. The 1938 running played host to one of America’s most historic moments when Seabiscuit upset War Admiral in the famed match race. The long-awaited winner-take-all showdown was named “Race of the Century” by Sports Illustrated in 1999 and forever immortalized in the movie Seabiscuit in 2003.

“I think the Special is a very important part of Preakness weekend,” said Chris Dragone, Maryland Jockey Club president and general manager. “Having the Maryland Lottery associated with the Special proves the importance of our sport and this race in particular to the state.”

 

###