Saturday, May 18, 2002
Pimlico tightens security for Preakness
By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer
BALTIMORE — Pimlico Race Course increased security for the Preakness by adding police at the track and banning coolers, backpacks and thermos bottles from the grandstand and clubhouse Saturday.
The augmented security measures are “a sign of the times,” said Joe De Francis, Maryland Jockey Club president and the principal owner of the track.
Fans with tickets for the Preakness infield will be allowed to enter with coolers, backpacks and thermoses, but kegs of beer and wheeled carts are prohibited.
Beer, wine and soda will be permitted in all seating sections at Pimlico, but glass containers of any type are forbidden. All drink and food items must be carried in clear, plastic bags or see-through plastic containers.
All bags, purses and containers will be inspected at all entrances, and all vehicles entering the main gate on Preakness Day will be subject to search.
“In light of the tragedies of Sept. 11, every major sporting event has adjusted its security measures, and we are no different,” said Mike Gathagan, director of broadcasting and communications at Pimlico.
The new measures are unprecedented at Pimlico, but not as restrictive as those in place two weeks ago at the Kentucky Derby, where patrons were not allowed to bring coolers, backpacks or thermoses into any area of the facility, including the infield.
The security measures at Pimlico were devised after several meetings between track officials, Baltimore police, the state Office of Transportation and the FBI.
“Our goal and top priority is to allow all the people attending the Preakness to enjoy a safe and secure environment,” De Francis said. “The safety and security of our fans will always be our No. 1 priority.”
Baltimore city police will send additional personnel to the track, including officers in plainclothes.
The majority of the estimated 100,000 fans will gather in the infield, where few security changes have been made. Glass containers have never been allowed in the infield, but beer in cans is acceptable.
“Our goal is to create a safe and secure environment with a minimum of inconvenience and change from the past,” De Francis said. “The consensus was that banning beer from the infield was not a necessary step to take.”
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Pimlico tightens security for Preakness
