Sports shorts Preakness could move from Pimlico race track

Pimlico Race Course is all gussied up again this week, ready to host the Preakness on a day that will enable the 148-year-old track to survive another year.

Old Hilltop is showing its age, however, and it will cost more than a quarter-billion dollars to make it right. So while the group that owns and operates Pimlico promises the middle jewel of the Triple Crown will stay put through next year, there’s a chance that the 145th running of the Preakness in 2020 will be held within the state at newer, fresher Laurel Park.

Much depends on an ongoing study by the Maryland Stadium Authority. The initial phase of the investigation determined that it would cost between $250 million and $320 million to renovate Pimlico. The second phase of the study is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

“By then, we should know what the future holds,” said Tim Ritvo, chief operating officer of the Stronach Group, which owns Pimlico and Laurel Park.

MLB

CANO SUSPENDED » Seattle already knew Robinson Cano would be out of the Mariners lineup for several weeks, the result of a broken bone in his right hand. His absence will be longer.

The All-Star second baseman was suspended for 80 games on Tuesday for violating baseball’s drug agreement, becoming among the most prominent players disciplined under the sport’s anti-doping rules.

Major League Baseball’s announcement was a stunning development for a middle-ofthe-lineup stalwart and a club expected to contend for a postseason spot. Cano tested positive for Furosemide, a diuretic.