tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post9091243334361536381..comments2024-02-27T17:43:37.207-05:00Comments on View From the Racetrack Grandstand: Classified ThoughtsThat Blog Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15487597769210721585noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-46464443869321763122012-11-12T11:38:34.949-05:002012-11-12T11:38:34.949-05:00(continuing)
Delaware passed slots legislation in...(continuing)<br /><br />Delaware passed slots legislation in 1996.....West Virginia followed suit, and much later, Pennsylvania passed slots legislation. Prior to the slots legislation in neighboring states, Maryland was a strong racing state in terms of both harness and thoroughbred racing. Now, tragically and sadly, Maryland is trying to play catch up having given its neighbors a 15 year head start. This is a sad commentary on Maryland's political leadership, though the current governor, Martin O"Malley, has worked very hard to address the failings of his predecessors and a legislature prone to inactivity and quarrelling. At least the historically strong thoroughbred industry seems to be re-awakening.....but the harness industry on the Western shore especially, seems to be in very, very serious trouble.<br /> <br />What would change the situation dramatically would be a bold step by the State of Maryland and the City of Baltimore to build a new racetrack for racing near the site of the new Baltimore casino. This would give Maryland a unique product, and a unique position in the sub-New York battle for the entertainment dollar. Historic Pimlico will not last much longer, and the harness industry literally has no where to go. In Maryland, it seems that it always takes an absolute catastrophe to get political leaders to look ahead. Maybe they will see what is happening....but I am not very hopeful. <br />Billnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-32480092807629812412012-11-12T11:37:40.980-05:002012-11-12T11:37:40.980-05:00The closing of Freestate Raceway in Laurel, Maryla...The closing of Freestate Raceway in Laurel, Maryland, known as Laurel Raceway when it opened in 1948 (I think), set harness racing on the Western Shore of Maryland (i.e. the Baltimore/Washington suburbs) on a path that I don't believe is fixable....save a miracle by the politicians in Baltimore and Annapolis. This fateful decision placed all harness racing on the Western shore at Rosecroft, a once beautiful racetrack in a depressed area at the far western edge of Prince Georges County. Closer to prosperous Virginia suburbs, that"s for sure, but a pretty long and arduous drive for Maryland harness fans in the suburbs of DC between Washington and Baltimore, and north of Washington towards Pennsylvania where, just for one example, the famous Yankee slugger Charlie Keller ran an outstanding breeding operation for many years, and amazingly, even now, a champion trotter named GooGooGaa Gaa has emerged farther east from Frederick in the countryside north of Baltimore. Aside from moving away from a substantial number of fans, a consolidation in one county (and closing Freestate which just happens to be in Howard County, one of the more prosperous counties in the United States) is not helpful in Annapolis, where broader support involving more county delegations is often critical to achieving any form of success. Frankly, the only harness racing presence in the Maryland suburbs between Washington and Baltimore that I know of is a wooden cut out replica of a harness driver and horse erected at the north edge of the area where Freestate once stood....an area that is now a Car Max and a Toyota dealer. I guarantee you that most people, if they even see this harness driver and horse, probably have no idea what this is all about. <br /> <br />You are correct that there are more chapters that need to play out, but I suspect that the hullabaloo over Option 7, with opposition to a casino at National Harbor (not Rosecroft) funded by Penn National Gaming, operator of thoroughbred racetracks in West Virginia and Pennsylvania (and maybe elsewhere, I don't really know) , has likely poisoned the atmosphere for resurrection of harness racing at Rosecroft. Political support seems to have emerged for a multidimensional gaming operation at the National Harbor Resort, which, with the sudden departure of a proposed Disney attraction a year or so ago, is apparently in danger of becoming a huge white elephant on the bank of the Potomac River between Rosecroft and Virginia. Millions of dollars were spent lobbying on both sides of Option 7.....Penn National had announced they will close Rosecroft if they do not receive approval for a casino at the racetrack. The likelihood of a casino at Rosecroft seems highly unlikely at this juncture. So, at this point, it is really a West Virginia/Pennsylvania based casino company, which owns and operates Charles Town racetrack and casino in West Virginia, that is waging this battle. I suspect that more Maryland and Washington DC money was spent at West Virginia's Charles Town, than at Dover, Harrington, and Delaware Park. But, I don't really know and I haven't seen data on this. Your overall point is still absolutely correct.....West Virginia and Delaware will not benefit from Maryland's emerging casino operations. <br /> <br />Billnoreply@blogger.com