The People Who Make Pimlico Run

Long before the thoroughbreds head to the starting gate for racing's most glamorous event, a legion of Baltimore residents works tirelessly to get the Preakness ready for its close-up.

Photos by Lili Holzer-Glier

Outside Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course, a man stoops to sweep up a cigarette butt soaking in a puddle of spilled beer as a stretch limousine unloads a party adorned in feather hats and jewels. Pimlico is home to one of horse racing’s biggest events: the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes. Thoroughbred horses and their wealthy owners converge upon the peeling racetrack here every May, for the second leg of horse racing’s celebrated Triple Crown series. Such a well-heeled crowd demands a host of on-site services, from food and drink prep to laundry and security. In a city where the poverty rate is nearly 25%, many of these temporary service jobs are filled by Baltimore residents trying to make an extra buck.