The entrance to Shamrock Farm. (MTHA Photo)
Ownership Transfers for Maryland’s New Training Facility at Shamrock Farm
By Maribeth Kalinich
Will Marylanders soon see progress with the new proposed training facility at Shamrock Farm?
The title/deed for the property was formally transferred to the Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA) on October 6, 2025, with a purchase price of $4.48 million for the 332-acre farm.
In May 2025, the Maryland Board of Public Works approved the funding for the acquisition of the property.
Originally, this project was under the now defunct and thoroughly audited Maryland Thoroughbred Racing Operating Association (MTROA). It is now being handled by the MSA.
The site was chosen from half a dozen locations that were surveyed and reviewed including the former Bowie Training Center and Laurel Park.
Currently, the facility includes a six-horse stallion barn with attached breeding shed, a twenty-eight-stall foaling barn, a barren mare/sales/lay-up barn with a six-horse exerciser, yearling barn, and numerous run-in sheds in the pastures.
The planned facility will include multiple barns for stabling 800 horses and a one-mile dirt training track designed to replicate the racing surface at Pimlico. Additional planned features include modern veterinary and administrative buildings, and on-site housing to support backstretch workers.
Construction is expected to begin as early as 2026 following the completion of the design and permitting process.
According to the plans published in the MTROA’s report only 110 acres of the 332 acres will be developed because of sloping terrains.
A $110-million allocation was approved last year by the state legislature to fund construction.
Carroll County has committed $1.5 million toward site infrastructure improvements hoping to underscore strong local support for a project. However, there is a bit of local criticism by those in the community including a Facebook group that opposes the project.
Neighbors are still criticizing the development based on traffic and utilities that would need to be connected to the property to sustain the estimated 800 horses daily.
The property would need to have a water source whether by a new well or hooking up to public water. And a new septic system and drain field will have to be installed.
One of the concerns neighbors have had Is the amount of construction traffic that will precede the daily traffic of an operational training center.
Shamrock is located on a two-lane rural road with a double yellow line and no shoulder area at all.
While the facility is close to some major roadways trucks and trailers will still have to navigate rural road Woodbine Road.
Shamrock Farm was established in 1948 by the late Art Rooney of the Pittsburgh Steelers and ownership remained with the Rooney family.
As a long time, racing enthusiast supporting Maryland tracks, Mr. Rooney soon discovered the rolling hills of Carroll County as the perfect location for laying-up his racehorses when the tracks closed in the winter. When it came time to retire the Stakes Winning colt, Christopher R, Shamrock Farm joined the ranks as one of Maryland’s most influential breeding farms. It was then in 1977 that Jim Steele took over managing the farm and added other stallions to Shamrock’s roster such as the good broodmare sire, Dancing Count, Thirty Eight Paces, and Preakness winner Aloma’s Ruler.
Since the farm was acquired back in 1948 two adjacent farms were purchased, that once increased the total size to approximately 640 acres.
Many items from the historic farm were offered for auction in March 2025.
Pimlico Race Course
The demolition at Pimlico Race Course is near completion with the only structure still standing on the 90-acre property being the two-story Stronach Chalet sitting in the infield.
MSA is tasked with selling the bonds to fund the $500 million project but to date there is no update on the status of the bonds.
No formal plans, budget or construction schedule have been released by MSA.
