A legislative committee in Maryland has placed a 45-day delay on the state’s purchase of Laurel Park to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the transaction, according to multiple news outlets. The Legislative Policy Committee imposed the delay on May 4, roughly two weeks after Gov. Wes Moore announced the $48.5 million purchase of Laurel and plans to convert the property into a year-round training facility. Laurel is acting as the host of the Preakness Stakes this year due to the renovation of Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore.  The policy committee held a meeting on Wednesday in which legislative leaders outlined their concerns about the purchase. The criticism touched on larger questions about the state’s involvement in racing altogether. “It just seems like other than the Preakness, it just doesn’t seem to have the support, you know, from the public at large, to survive,” State Treasurer Dereck Davis said at the meeting, according to reports. “But this isn’t football and this isn’t baseball or basketball. Those are really, whether we want to admit it or not, those are the pastimes in America and here in Maryland.” :: Get ready for Preakness with DRF past performances, picks, and betting strategies! In 2024, the state reached a deal with 1/ST Racing and Gaming, the owner of Pimlico and Laurel, to acquire the deed to Pimlico and issue nearly $400 million in bonds to tear down and renovate the track. Under the deal, the bonds will be repaid by subsidies the Maryland racing industry receives from casinos in the state. Although 1/ST retained the Laurel Park property in the deal, the state reached the agreement to purchase it after determining that plans to redevelop a farm outside of Baltimore into a training center would be “cost-prohibitive,” according to Gov. Moore. The state bought the farm for $4.6 million, using the bond funding. “By acquiring Laurel Park and establishing it as our statewide training hub, we are delivering a smarter, more cost-effective path to a world-class racing future,” Moore said in a release. “This agreement is cost-effective, creates a sustainable home for our horsemen, and ensures that the Preakness Stakes and Maryland racing remain global icons of excellence for generations to come.” The statement from Moore said the state would save $50 million overall under the new plan. Bill Ferguson, the president of the State Senate, told Maryland Matters, a local news publication, that the deal to buy the farm and Laurel Park deserves scrutiny. “As budgets get tighter, every dollar has to be scrutinized even further,” Ferguson said at a campaign event for reelection. “And so I think the legislature has an interest in really understanding the full game plan of where we are headed to make sure that we’re getting the best value for public investment.”  As leader of the Senate, Ferguson is a member of the Legislative Policy Committee.  On the day of the campaign event, Moore issued his endorsements for public office, and though both Moore and Ferguson are Democrats, he declined to endorse Ferguson in his reelection campaign. The two have clashed over congressional redistricting efforts over the past several months. :: Get Preakness Betting Strategies for exclusive wagering insights, contender analysis, and more