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New Brand Identities Unveiled for Pimlico, Preakness Stakes

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Edited Press Release

New brand identities for Pimlico Race Course and the Preakness Stakes were unveiled Monday afternoon by Governor Wes Moore, the Maryland Stadium Authority and The Maryland Jockey Club (TMJC) ahead of the Preakness’s return to Pimlico in May 2027, it was announced via a joint press release.

The new logos were designed to honor the history of Pimlico, the Preakness and the Black-Eyed Susan while looking ahead to the future of Maryland racing. The marks feature symbols instantly recognizable and beloved by Marylanders and racing fans alike: the state’s iconic flag, Pimlico’s weathervane and cupola, and the black-eyed Susan, bringing together more than 280 years of history and fierce state pride.

“As Maryland steps into an exciting new era of horseracing, we’re transforming our Pimlico and Preakness branding to represent our state’s equestrian community and pay tribute to the industry’s rich history,” said Gov. Moore. “Through instantly recognizable and deeply meaningful symbols, we continue to leverage the race and course as cornerstones of Maryland’s culture and economy.”

“Preakness belongs to all Marylanders, and these new designs honor our past and reflect the pride and the limitless possibility we share in its future,” said First Lady Dawn Moore. “As we look toward its return to Pimlico, we have an opportunity to welcome more people into this cherished tradition–connecting the excitement of racing with the creativity, culture, and community spirit that make Maryland extraordinary.”

The new visual identities come at a transformative time for Maryland racing. In June, the state purchased the intellectual property rights to the Preakness Stakes, securing the future of the historic event in Maryland. Another critical development came in August, when TMJC renewed its media rights deal with NBC Sports and shifted the Preakness date back eight days to Sunday, May 23.

The state also recently approved the purchase of Laurel Park, which will become Maryland’s permanent training center, while construction continues on a rebuilt Pimlico Race Course that will offer year-round racing, entertainment, and community-focused events. The new facility will support over 500 jobs, and go from hosting approximately 15 racing days per year to more than 100 racing days annually.

“These logos capture everything we love about Maryland racing,” said Bill Knauf, president and general manager of TMJC. “They honor the traditions that built Pimlico and the Preakness, but they were made for what’s ahead, and they reflect the promise of this sport’s future right here in Maryland. This was a thorough, inclusive process that gave the racing community, our neighbors in Park Heights, and people across our state a real voice in the brand development.”

The post New Brand Identities Unveiled for Pimlico, Preakness Stakes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

‘This Is Our Moment’: In It for the Gold Heads To F-T November

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Like all buyers, the Country Life team had a shortlist when they went shopping for mares for their partnerships at the 2023 fall mixed sales, but they also had a budget.

“Obviously, it’s all day of staying at the sales and seeing if you can get them for the price range you want, but most of them sailed beyond that range,” said the farm’s general manager, Christy Holden, of that 2023 adventure. But as the day went on, still on that price list was a 9-year-old winning Speightstown mare, In It for the Gold, in foal to Authentic. “When she came up to the back ring, she was definitely still one that we thought we could target,” said Holden.

But then they saw her stunning foal, selling one hip earlier, and started to worry that the price would climb out of their reach. “I saw the Maxfield (weanling) walking in the back ring and he just blew our socks off,” said Holden. “So when he went to the ring and he sold for six figures right ahead of her, I kind of had my doubts whether we’d be able to afford her. Our price range was in that $50,000 to $100,000 range and darn if she just didn’t land there.”

That’s how Country Life Farm, with a limited budget, ended up owning the dam of the fastest 3-year-old in America, Englishman, for a mere $75,000.

Now 12, she will be offered in foal to Into Mischief as lot 202 at the Fasig-Tipton November Night of the Stars on Monday, Nov. 2.

“One of the things that makes the Thoroughbred industry great is stories like In It for the Gold,” said Fasig President and CEO Boyd Browning. “To see the Country Life operation, Mike and Josh Pons, who have been great supporters and great advocates for the Maryland racing and breeding industry for years, buy a mare like her and then have a horse like Englishman show up in the pedigree shows that the hard work pays off. The dedication pays off. They’re not the most glamorous and the richest and the most famous breeders in the world. But yet, they went, they bought a nice mare, and they got a fantastic update. It’s nice to see the hard-working men and women of our industry, the backbone of our industry, get rewarded with an amazing horse.”

In It for the Gold will sell through John Stuart’s Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services, a fitting reward for having helped to select the mare. They will also sell her 2026 weanling colt by Tiz The Law as lot 57.

“She’s a special mare because she’s got arguably the fastest horse in America as a foal,” said Stuart. “And, boy, you like to be around nice horses. He’s so fast, but we were impressed with him as a baby. We bought this mare for Country Life Farm and right in front of her was the baby who was Englishman and he was fancy. He brought $240,000 and so the mare looked like great value at $75,000 right after it, but he was a pretty horse. Obviously, he’s run to his looks as the fastest one-turn horse in America right now.”

Englishman winning the H. Allen Jerkens | Tod Marks

In an unfortunate irony, Country Life sold the Authentic colt in September, a few days before Englishman made his ‘TDN Rising Star’ presented by Hagyard debut. But after Englishman won his first two races in dominant fashion, Country Life owner Josh Pons knew that the 2026 mating for In It for the Gold was critical.

“We book most of the mares in late October, November, early December, but with Englishman’s scintillating debut, she became a mare that we felt like, let’s just wait and not book her and see what happens to Englishman,” he said. As it turned out, it was a slow burn.

“Englishman went out of training for five months and returned at the Fair Grounds, and then, in his second start in March, he did the same thing,” recalled Pons. “He just blazed from start to finish. So now, it’s time to make a decision.”

The Ponses turned to their longtime friends and partners at Spendthrift Farm, for whom they had launched the stud career of Malibu Moon.

“I called Ned Toffey and Ned said, ‘I hope you’re calling me to ask could we do a foal share or a mare share for Englishman’s mom.’ Ned and I are good friends and I said, ‘yeah that’s pretty clairvoyant.’”

Pons polled the 10 partners in the mare, each of whom had paid $7,500 to buy into her, and they were, said Pons, “just so floored that they could buy into a mare at $7,500 apiece in 10 shares, and all of a sudden, you’re talking about breeding to the seven-time leading sire. I mean, we went from first grade to high school and college in two leaps.”

Said Holden, “It just shows that anybody can get there or can have something special if you dig through and use everything at your disposal to really look at the pedigrees and find those nuggets and maybe you can mine gold.”

Coming up to the sale, said Mike Pons, “the partners, some of them are levitating watching Englishman run. It’s the thrill of not only our lifetime, but theirs as well. And that’s the whole idea of the partnership business–to share some of that with folks. These are change-your-life moments.”

The clues were there all along, says Browning.

“When you really study the pedigree of In It for the Gold and Englishman, it becomes apparent how and why she was able to produce a horse of this quality. Her dam (All Due Respect, by Value Plus) was a really, really good stakes-winning race horse and Grade I performer from the Unbridled’s Song sire line. Durable, hard-knocking, answered the bell every time that she ran. Her broodmare sire, Speightstown, is one of the top broodmare sires in the world. Interestingly, he’s the broodmare sire of 11 Grade I/Group 1 winners to date, and such horses as Vekoma, Aloha West, and Deterministic.”

Mike Pons said that the mare is passing that on. “In It for the Gold passes that speed gene onto her babies,” he said. “Just like a good sire does that, a good mare does that. And it’s wonderful when you see it.”

The Pons brothers chose the November sale due to their long relationship with Fasig-Tipton and Browning, who support the Midlantic region with an annual 2-year-old and yearling sale.

“For a farm like ours to sell a dozen yearlings every year requires some loyalty and they send their whole staff up,” says Josh Pons. “There are 15 or 20 A-teamers from Fasig-Tipton who show up to sell horses for $10,000. That’s a big deal to us.”

The November sale may be even a bigger deal for the Country Life team, fighting to stay relevant in a smaller marketplace where everything is just a little more personal.

“I can’t imagine what I’m going to feel like seeing her go through the ring because they’re my mamas and they’re my babies and I’m hands-on,” said Holden. “It’s bittersweet to see them go, but I also know that if you want to stay alive in this business, you’ve got to pick your moments, and this is our moment.”

The post ‘This Is Our Moment’: In It for the Gold Heads To F-T November appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

New Brand Identities Unveiled for Pimlico, Preakness Stakes

---

Edited Press Release

New brand identities for Pimlico Race Course and the Preakness Stakes were unveiled Monday afternoon by Governor Wes Moore, the Maryland Stadium Authority and The Maryland Jockey Club (TMJC) ahead of the Preakness’s return to Pimlico in May 2027, it was announced via a joint press release.

The new logos were designed to honor the history of Pimlico, the Preakness and the Black-Eyed Susan while looking ahead to the future of Maryland racing. The marks feature symbols instantly recognizable and beloved by Marylanders and racing fans alike: the state’s iconic flag, Pimlico’s weathervane and cupola, and the black-eyed Susan, bringing together more than 280 years of history and fierce state pride.

“As Maryland steps into an exciting new era of horseracing, we’re transforming our Pimlico and Preakness branding to represent our state’s equestrian community and pay tribute to the industry’s rich history,” said Gov. Moore. “Through instantly recognizable and deeply meaningful symbols, we continue to leverage the race and course as cornerstones of Maryland’s culture and economy.”

“Preakness belongs to all Marylanders, and these new designs honor our past and reflect the pride and the limitless possibility we share in its future,” said First Lady Dawn Moore. “As we look toward its return to Pimlico, we have an opportunity to welcome more people into this cherished tradition–connecting the excitement of racing with the creativity, culture, and community spirit that make Maryland extraordinary.”

The new visual identities come at a transformative time for Maryland racing. In June, the state purchased the intellectual property rights to the Preakness Stakes, securing the future of the historic event in Maryland. Another critical development came in August, when TMJC renewed its media rights deal with NBC Sports and shifted the Preakness date back eight days to Sunday, May 23.

The state also recently approved the purchase of Laurel Park, which will become Maryland’s permanent training center, while construction continues on a rebuilt Pimlico Race Course that will offer year-round racing, entertainment, and community-focused events. The new facility will support over 500 jobs, and go from hosting approximately 15 racing days per year to more than 100 racing days annually.

“These logos capture everything we love about Maryland racing,” said Bill Knauf, president and general manager of TMJC. “They honor the traditions that built Pimlico and the Preakness, but they were made for what’s ahead, and they reflect the promise of this sport’s future right here in Maryland. This was a thorough, inclusive process that gave the racing community, our neighbors in Park Heights, and people across our state a real voice in the brand development.”

The post New Brand Identities Unveiled for Pimlico, Preakness Stakes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

‘This Is Our Moment’: In It for the Gold Heads To F-T November

---

Like all buyers, the Country Life team had a shortlist when they went shopping for mares for their partnerships at the 2023 fall mixed sales, but they also had a budget.

“Obviously, it’s all day of staying at the sales and seeing if you can get them for the price range you want, but most of them sailed beyond that range,” said the farm’s general manager, Christy Holden, of that 2023 adventure. But as the day went on, still on that price list was a 9-year-old winning Speightstown mare, In It for the Gold, in foal to Authentic. “When she came up to the back ring, she was definitely still one that we thought we could target,” said Holden.

But then they saw her stunning foal, selling one hip earlier, and started to worry that the price would climb out of their reach. “I saw the Maxfield (weanling) walking in the back ring and he just blew our socks off,” said Holden. “So when he went to the ring and he sold for six figures right ahead of her, I kind of had my doubts whether we’d be able to afford her. Our price range was in that $50,000 to $100,000 range and darn if she just didn’t land there.”

That’s how Country Life Farm, with a limited budget, ended up owning the dam of the fastest 3-year-old in America, Englishman, for a mere $75,000.

Now 12, she will be offered in foal to Into Mischief as lot 202 at the Fasig-Tipton November Night of the Stars on Monday, Nov. 2.

“One of the things that makes the Thoroughbred industry great is stories like In It for the Gold,” said Fasig President and CEO Boyd Browning. “To see the Country Life operation, Mike and Josh Pons, who have been great supporters and great advocates for the Maryland racing and breeding industry for years, buy a mare like her and then have a horse like Englishman show up in the pedigree shows that the hard work pays off. The dedication pays off. They’re not the most glamorous and the richest and the most famous breeders in the world. But yet, they went, they bought a nice mare, and they got a fantastic update. It’s nice to see the hard-working men and women of our industry, the backbone of our industry, get rewarded with an amazing horse.”

In It for the Gold will sell through John Stuart’s Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services, a fitting reward for having helped to select the mare. They will also sell her 2026 weanling colt by Tiz The Law as lot 57.

“She’s a special mare because she’s got arguably the fastest horse in America as a foal,” said Stuart. “And, boy, you like to be around nice horses. He’s so fast, but we were impressed with him as a baby. We bought this mare for Country Life Farm and right in front of her was the baby who was Englishman and he was fancy. He brought $240,000 and so the mare looked like great value at $75,000 right after it, but he was a pretty horse. Obviously, he’s run to his looks as the fastest one-turn horse in America right now.”

Englishman winning the H. Allen Jerkens | Tod Marks

In an unfortunate irony, Country Life sold the Authentic colt in September, a few days before Englishman made his ‘TDN Rising Star’ presented by Hagyard debut. But after Englishman won his first two races in dominant fashion, Country Life owner Josh Pons knew that the 2026 mating for In It for the Gold was critical.

“We book most of the mares in late October, November, early December, but with Englishman’s scintillating debut, she became a mare that we felt like, let’s just wait and not book her and see what happens to Englishman,” he said. As it turned out, it was a slow burn.

“Englishman went out of training for five months and returned at the Fair Grounds, and then, in his second start in March, he did the same thing,” recalled Pons. “He just blazed from start to finish. So now, it’s time to make a decision.”

The Ponses turned to their longtime friends and partners at Spendthrift Farm, for whom they had launched the stud career of Malibu Moon.

“I called Ned Toffey and Ned said, ‘I hope you’re calling me to ask could we do a foal share or a mare share for Englishman’s mom.’ Ned and I are good friends and I said, ‘yeah that’s pretty clairvoyant.’”

Pons polled the 10 partners in the mare, each of whom had paid $7,500 to buy into her, and they were, said Pons, “just so floored that they could buy into a mare at $7,500 apiece in 10 shares, and all of a sudden, you’re talking about breeding to the seven-time leading sire. I mean, we went from first grade to high school and college in two leaps.”

Said Holden, “It just shows that anybody can get there or can have something special if you dig through and use everything at your disposal to really look at the pedigrees and find those nuggets and maybe you can mine gold.”

Coming up to the sale, said Mike Pons, “the partners, some of them are levitating watching Englishman run. It’s the thrill of not only our lifetime, but theirs as well. And that’s the whole idea of the partnership business–to share some of that with folks. These are change-your-life moments.”

The clues were there all along, says Browning.

“When you really study the pedigree of In It for the Gold and Englishman, it becomes apparent how and why she was able to produce a horse of this quality. Her dam (All Due Respect, by Value Plus) was a really, really good stakes-winning race horse and Grade I performer from the Unbridled’s Song sire line. Durable, hard-knocking, answered the bell every time that she ran. Her broodmare sire, Speightstown, is one of the top broodmare sires in the world. Interestingly, he’s the broodmare sire of 11 Grade I/Group 1 winners to date, and such horses as Vekoma, Aloha West, and Deterministic.”

Mike Pons said that the mare is passing that on. “In It for the Gold passes that speed gene onto her babies,” he said. “Just like a good sire does that, a good mare does that. And it’s wonderful when you see it.”

The Pons brothers chose the November sale due to their long relationship with Fasig-Tipton and Browning, who support the Midlantic region with an annual 2-year-old and yearling sale.

“For a farm like ours to sell a dozen yearlings every year requires some loyalty and they send their whole staff up,” says Josh Pons. “There are 15 or 20 A-teamers from Fasig-Tipton who show up to sell horses for $10,000. That’s a big deal to us.”

The November sale may be even a bigger deal for the Country Life team, fighting to stay relevant in a smaller marketplace where everything is just a little more personal.

“I can’t imagine what I’m going to feel like seeing her go through the ring because they’re my mamas and they’re my babies and I’m hands-on,” said Holden. “It’s bittersweet to see them go, but I also know that if you want to stay alive in this business, you’ve got to pick your moments, and this is our moment.”

The post ‘This Is Our Moment’: In It for the Gold Heads To F-T November appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.