What’s old is new again.

After long planning to “rotate” the racing oval at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, that is, rebuild it in a different orientation, state officials now expect to do so. that the trail remains where it is when the historic site is rebuilt in the years to come.

The track’s layout has been the subject of heated debate in recent years, as various projects to renovate the dilapidated but historic Park Heights Racetrack have started and stopped. A consultant’s report submitted in January to the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority favored rotating the track as “the most efficient use of available land,” and the authority previously said it planned to reorient the track oval as part of the renovation.

Now those responsible have changed their position. Racing authority chairman Greg Cross told the authority at a regular meeting Friday that leaving the track where it is now would reduce construction time and reduce construction costs.

“Sometimes the more you study something, the more you come back to where you started, and it seems like that’s where we’re going to land,” Cross said. He noted that the decision was not final, however, as the design continues to be studied.

A vocal group of auto racing fans has long advocated for preserving the oval’s location, a nod to the history of Old Hilltop, which opened in 1870.

Leaving the oval where it is will prolong the “schematic design process,” Cross said, since officials were considering the swing track. But it “simplifies the project,” he said, expressing confidence that Pimlico would be rebuilt by spring 2027.

“While it’s still a very complex project – I don’t want to sell it short, its timetable is very aggressive, the stadium authorities are doing a good job on it – it makes it more likely that it on schedule, rather than less likely,” Cross said. “So sometimes you have to take a step back to speed up.”

The authority also approved Friday the number of race days Maryland will host next year.

Historically, the state has seen approximately 175 days of thoroughbred horse racing between its two operational mile-long tracks at Pimlico and Laurel Park in Anne Arundel County, as well as at the park’s smaller track state exhibitions.

But as Maryland makes sweeping changes to the industry, including the installation of a state-created non-profit operator instead of a private Canadian companythe Stronach group, will only see 127 days of racing next year, compared to 159 this year.

While Pimlico is being renovated, in-state races — including the 2026 Preakness — will be moved to Laurel Park.

But next year, the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium will host seven days of racing, and Pimlico will host six days, including what will be the 150th running of the Preakness. The current plan calls for Pimlico to be demolished after this event.

THE state to pay $400 million for Pimlico rebuild and building a training center elsewhere in Maryland.