Ravens Insider: Lamar Jackson hosts day of racing, fun and charity at Pimlico Race Course

ExtremeRavens · May 10

Before the 150th Preakness Stakes, there was another big horse racing event in Baltimore.

The National Thoroughbred League began its 2025 season Saturday at Pimlico Race Course, with the New York Knights capturing the Pimlico Cup.

The NTL is a 10-team thoroughbred racing league entering its third season with teams from Maryland, Philadelphia, California, New York, New Jersey, Nashville, San Francisco, St. Louis, Phoenix and Miami. Ravens quarterback and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson is the lead owner of the Maryland Colts.

On Saturday, Jackson served as the host as three NTL races, each worth $75,000 in purse money, featured 3-year-olds and upward. New York won Pimlico’s sixth race with Addy’s Laddy T N T, ridden by 17-year-old Yedsit Hazlewood and trained by Jose Corrales, finishing the 6-furlong event by 1-1/2 lengths. King’s River (Nashville) rallied from off the pace to take the seventh race at 1 1/8 miles on turf, and betting favorite Cactus tracked and pounced his way to victory for Miami in the final race.

All 10 teams entered one horse from their roster in each participating race, and the team with the most points for the year wins the overall NTL Championship. Last year, the Philadelphia Stallions, owned by NBA Hall of Famer Julius Erving, won the title.

Kids race in a horse balloon race started by Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is one of the owners of the National Thoroughbred League’s Maryland Colts. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)

1 of 8

Kids race in a horse balloon race started by Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is one of the owners of the National Thoroughbred League’s Maryland Colts. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)

Expand

Jackson became involved in the organization to help launch the Forever Dreamers 8 Scholars program, a fully funded apprenticeship that gives high school seniors in Park Heights a chance to work in Maryland’s thoroughbred industry. A cohort of eight high schoolers (in honor of Jackson’s No. 8) will spend their senior year working various jobs that include horse training, veterinarian duties and sales work, which also has the backing of Gov. Wes Moore and his wife, Dawn.

“When they graduate, hopefully a bunch of these local residents will have jobs waiting for them,” NTL co-founder Randall Lane told The Baltimore Sun last month.

Forever Dreamers held a kickoff fundraiser on Friday night at The Horse You Came In On Saloon in Fells Point, which helped cover costs for Baltimore Community Day on Saturday as Pimlico hosted thousands of local children. It was an all-day party at Pimlico with celebrity meet-and-greets, a kids’ “hippity hop” race over the historic Pimlico track, live music and an appearance by Moore, who gave the “riders up” call alongside Jackson. The winner of the “hippity hop” race got to meet Jackson and take a photo with him near the track.

NTL plans to also host events at Parx Racing, Fairmount Park, and Kentucky Downs this year with the hope of expanding its audience, particularly younger fans.

“By having more big event weekends and running teams that people can follow and star horses under each team on a regular basis, we think that we can bring a lot of new fans to thoroughbred racing,” Lane told Daily Racing Forum.

Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon.

View the full article

Sign In

Ravens Insider: Lamar Jackson hosts day of racing, fun and charity at Pimlico Race Course

Recommended Posts

ExtremeRavens

Join the conversation

Browse

Activity