Preakness to be held at Laurel Park

The 151st Preakness Stakes is being run at Laurel Park on Saturday, May 16, 2026, instead of its usual home at Pimlico Race Course. The Maryland Jockey Club and Preakness organizers said the move was required because Pimlico is closed for a major redevelopment project. Laurel Park, in Laurel, Maryland, is hosting the second leg of the Triple Crown for the first time in more than a century, according to Preakness officials. The change has shifted race-week logistics for horsemen, broadcasters and fans, while state officials have said the event is expected to return to a rebuilt Pimlico in 2027. ### Why is the race at Laurel Park this year? Preakness.com said Preakness 151 was moved because Pimlico Race Course is undergoing a major redevelopment and will be closed for construction. Gov. Wes Moore’s office said in a statement that the 2026 race would be held at Laurel Park before returning to a “reimagined and modernized” Pimlico in 2027. May 12 marked the official explanation from race organizers that Laurel would serve as a temporary home. (preakness.com) Preakness officials said the 2026 running would be the 17th time the race had been held away from Baltimore and Pimlico, and the first time in well over a century. ### Where exactly is Laurel Park, and what is different for fans? (preakness.com) Preakness.com lists Laurel Park’s address as 198 Laurel Race Track Road, Laurel, Maryland 20725. CBS Baltimore reported that the venue change has altered basic planning for attendees, including parking, entry and event-day movement around the grounds, because the race is being staged at a different facility than the one most Preakness fans know. (preakness.com) WBAL-TV reported on May 15 that this year’s event would be “unlike any other” because it is taking place at Laurel during the Pimlico renovation. The station’s guide focused on tickets, access and race-day arrangements tied specifically to Laurel Park. ### How does the switch affect horsemen and the field? (preakness.com) The Associated Press reported that the 151st Preakness field was set to run at Laurel Park without the Kentucky Derby winner in the race. AP also reported that the temporary venue still drew a full stakes program and a field that included horses, trainers and jockeys adapting to Laurel rather than Pimlico. (wbaltv.com) Brittany Russell, one of the best-known trainers based at Laurel, told AP in a separate report tied to her entrant Taj Mahal that the race is being run at her home track. That has made Laurel familiarity part of the conversation for local connections, even as the Preakness remains a national event with shippers arriving from outside Maryland. (apnews.com) ### What did organizers change for the weekend schedule? The Preakness Stakes FAQ says Black-Eyed Susan day was scheduled for Friday, May 15, 2026, and the Preakness for Saturday, May 16, 2026. Laurel Park’s 2026 live racing schedule, approved by the Maryland Racing Commission, had already reserved Saturday, May 16, for the Preakness at Laurel. Yahoo Sports and other race-week guides published ahead of Saturday’s card laid out revised Laurel-based post times, television windows and on-site planning for the weekend. (lpm.org) Those guides reflected the practical changes created by the one-year move, including different travel assumptions and venue operations. ### Is this a one-year move or a longer relocation? (preakness.com) Gov. Wes Moore’s office said the 151st Preakness at Laurel is scheduled to be followed by a return to Pimlico in 2027. The state statement tied that timeline to Maryland’s acquisition of Laurel Park and the broader plan to secure the future of thoroughbred racing in the state. (sports.yahoo.com) Saturday, May 16, is the key date for the temporary shift, with Preakness 151 set for Laurel Park and organizers directing fans to official race information through the event FAQ and race-day guides. (preakness.com) (governor.maryland.gov)