Moore to name Park Heights developer first woman to lead racing commission

Nicole Earle’s elevation to lead the Maryland Racing Commission puts a Park Heights developer at the center of the state’s most consequential racing and redevelopment decisions. Her chairmanship lands just as Baltimore and state officials are trying to turn Pimlico Race Course into a ship-in venue, keep the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, and tie that plan to reinvestment in Park Heights.

Gov. Wes Moore announced that Earle will begin serving as chair on June 10, 2026, making her the first woman and first African American to lead the commission. George Mahoney will step down as chair but remain on the nine-member body. The commission is appointed by the governor and oversees thoroughbred, standardbred and pari-mutuel wagering in Maryland.

That authority reaches far beyond a ceremonial title. The commission handles licensing, rulemaking, purse and admission regulation, appeals hearings, tax and fee collection, and oversight of the state’s equine drug-testing lab. In practice, the chair sits at a critical intersection of sport, state regulation and public investment, with the power to affect how quickly major racing projects move and how strictly they are held to account.

Earle brings deep ties to Baltimore development. She is president and CEO of Dominion Real Estate and Dominion Community Development Corporation, and the governor’s office said she has financed and managed more than $1 billion in real estate projects focused on economic growth, affordable housing and community revitalization. Dominion describes her as a minority-owned, female-led Baltimore developer with nearly three decades of experience in development, finance and construction.

Her appointment comes as the state pushes ahead with a major restructuring of Maryland racing. Officials have said Laurel Park is being acquired and repurposed as the state’s primary thoroughbred training center, with about 1,100 stalls available for that work. At the same time, the long-term plan calls for Pimlico to be rebuilt through a $400 million redevelopment that the Maryland General Assembly backed in 2024 by authorizing the Maryland Stadium Authority to issue $400 million in bonds. The Board of Public Works later approved demolition and redevelopment work.

For Baltimore, the stakes are tied to more than the future of a racetrack. State leaders have framed the Pimlico project as a way to generate year-round economic activity and revive Park Heights, where housing, community investment and the fate of the historic track have long moved together. Earle’s background in real estate and neighborhood investment could shape how the commission weighs that transition, from project timelines and racing integrity to the broader question of whether the promised jobs and redevelopment reach the communities most affected by the overhaul.