Horse thieves: seizing the Preakness.

• Author: Winkler, Jeff
• Position: Citings - Preakness Stakes - Brief article

FOR MORE than a century, the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore has hosted the Preakness Stakes, one of the most prominent horse races in the country. In March, Magna Entertainment, the Canadian company that owns the race and racecourses, filed for bankruptcy. By the end of April, Maryland had passed emergency legislation authorizing the state to seize both the race and the venue to prevent the event from leaving the state.

Maryland pols are still bitter over the loss of the Baltimore Colts football franchise in 1984, when the state tried to use eminent domain to keep the team but acted too late. Not wanting a repeat of the Colts fiasco, legislators...