Pimlico Race Course Owners Sue American Casualty

Owners of the Pimlico Race Course have filed suit against their insurance company in an attempt to recover what they believe are covered damages. The Maryland Jockey Club of Baltimore City Inc. and Pimlico Racing Association, the track’s owners, are asking for in excess of $467,000.

The damages occurred almost exactly two years ago during the running Preakness, which is less than a week away. Hours before the 1998 race, a transformer serving the grandstand blew, causing a power outage, closing pari-mutuel windows and crippling the air-conditioning system.

American Casualty denied payment on the claim saying its policy covered loss by fire not electrical current. The lawsuit maintains that a fire in a transformer led to the outage.

In March, Pimlico representatives agreed to spend $1 million to update its electrical systems and correct fire-code violations discovered by Baltimore city inspectors.