Pimlico Race Course, which opened Oct. 25, 1870, and is the second-oldest track in the country, has a new logo as its 2012 live racing season approaches.
The Maryland Jockey Club released the logo, which combines two elements, Feb. 21.
The first element is the cupola weather vane, one of the most iconic features at Pimlico. Since 1909, as soon as the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) has been declared official, a painter applies the colors of the victorious owner’s silks and the number of the winning horse onto the weather vane that sits atop the cupola in the Preakness winners’ circle.
The second element is a simple typography of the name Pimlico, which forms at the base of the building when both elements are combined.
“We wanted a fresh look before returning (in late March) for the spring meet,” MJC president Tom Chuckas said. “The great Alfred Vanderbilt once said Pimlico ‘is an accepted American institution, devoted to the best interests of a great sport, graced by time, respected for its honorable past.’ Pimlico is steeped in tradition, and we feel the new logo properly celebrates one of the most historic racetracks in the world.”
The 2012 spring begins March 30, with the Preakness scheduled for May 19.
Chuckas said Laurel Park, the MJC track that celebrated 100 years of racing in 2011, will have a new logo before the end of this year.