ANNAPOLIS — The Preakness Stakes has a new look to go with its new owner and its new home.
Gov. Wes Moore, the Maryland Stadium Authority and The Maryland Jockey Club on Oct. 19 unveiled new brand identities for Pimlico Race Course, the Preakness Stakes and the Black-Eyed Susan. The logos draw on the Maryland flag, Pimlico’s weathervane and cupola, and the black-eyed Susan, the state flower.
The rebrand is the latest step in the state’s takeover of Maryland’s signature race. The state finalized a deal to buy the rights to the Preakness for $85 million this summer, and in August the race moved to a Sunday date for 2027. According to the governor’s office, the Preakness returns to a rebuilt Pimlico in May 2027, on Sunday, May 23.
How the logos were made
The design firm CTP, which has horse racing experience, led the work over nearly 10 months, according to the release. The process drew input from state and Baltimore officials, Thoroughbred owners and breeders, Maryland Jockey Club staff and board members, and advocates from the Park Heights neighborhood around the track.
Moore said in the release that the new marks are meant to be instantly recognizable symbols of Maryland’s equestrian community. First Lady Dawn Moore said the Preakness belongs to all Marylanders. Bill Knauf, president and general manager of The Maryland Jockey Club, called the process inclusive, and Maryland Stadium Authority Chairman Craig Thompson said the logos put Maryland and Park Heights at the center of the race’s identity.
The bigger rebuild
Behind the logos is a far larger public investment. The General Assembly authorized the Maryland Stadium Authority in 2024 to issue $400 million in bonds to redevelop Pimlico. Construction is ongoing, and the release does not give a completion date. When it is finished, the state says the track will host more than 100 racing days a year, up from about 15, and become the permanent home of Maryland Thoroughbred racing, with year-round racing and community events.
The state has also approved buying Laurel Park, which will become Maryland’s permanent training center, according to the release. The purchase had been paused by a legislative panel in May.
The governor’s office puts the economic stakes at more than 28,000 jobs supported by Maryland’s Thoroughbred industry and an estimated $3 billion in economic impact. The rebuilt Pimlico is expected to support more than 500 jobs. Through the state’s ENOUGH Initiative, Park Heights Renaissance has received nearly $3 million for revitalization in the neighborhood around the track.
The Preakness has also faced pressure from outside Maryland. Earlier this year, Churchill Downs and Belmont left the Preakness and Pimlico out of a new race series, a move that put more weight on the state’s plan to rebuild the race’s standing on its own.
