Overview
- Maryland exercised its statutory right of first refusal on Thursday, June 18, 2026, matching Churchill Downs’ $85 million offer to purchase the intellectual property for the Preakness Stakes and Black‑Eyed Susan Stakes.
- The purchase will be financed with tax-exempt revenue bonds issued by the Maryland Economic Development Corporation that officials say will be repaid with roughly $6–7 million a year in Preakness-related revenue over 30 years.
- State leaders said the outright purchase replaces a prior plan under which a state-created nonprofit would have paid escalating perpetual licensing fees and called the bond plan preferable to that fee structure.
- Churchill Downs acknowledged the state’s action and said it will work with Maryland officials while racing groups and local stakeholders praised the move as a way to keep decision‑making and economic benefits in the state.
- The acquisition ties into a larger effort that includes rebuilding Pimlico and a planned purchase of Laurel Park to stabilize Maryland’s racing industry, though officials warned that shortfalls in Preakness revenue could require slot‑machine purse funds to backstop repayment.