Pimlico stays open for winter training—after all

Impressive as it was, A Huevo’s De Francis Dash-G1 was not the most dramatic come-from-behind finish in Maryland this fall. The race to keep Pimlico race track open for winter training had far more money (not to mention human anguish) at stake and—partly because more players were involved—the outcome was less predictable.

Pimlico’s stable area was scheduled to close from November 30 to March 1. At least that was the plan announced in October—as a cost-cutting measure designed to save $600,000 to $700,000.

This was not the first time the Maryland Jockey Club, now under the primary ownership of Magna Entertainment Corp., has attempted to save money by temporarily closing Pimlico. The MJC maintains three stable areas year-round, at Laurel, Pimlico and Bowie Training Center, and the cost of operating all three has been a chronic thorn in the side of MJC president Joe De Francis.

The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, representing the state’s owners and trainers, has lobbied and negotiated whenever closing Pimlico has been raised as an option, and deals have been made to keep the track open. But no one was betting on horsemen’s chances this time.

And things might have turned out differently for 2003/’04, if not for the Maryland Racing Commission. A flood of trainers, stable employees and other interested parties appeared at the Racing Commission’s October meeting, and told their stories about what the temporary closing of Pimlico would mean to them.

Specifically:

1. Pimlico-based horsemen put out of business, encouraged to move out of state, or at the very least daunted by the hardships of commuting many extra miles each day.

2. Stables at Laurel and Bowie squeezed out of stall space by the influx of relocated Pimlico trainers. Horse population shrinks still further, with limited room for new owners or stables shipping in from out of state.

3. Pimlico backstretch workers made homeless, and Laurel/Bowie bunkhouses crowded beyond the max. And much more.

Track management voiced concerns over the related but separate issue of stalls allotted for horses who race out of state, or do not race at all. The MTHA offered no protest on behalf of horsemen who do not support the Maryland program, and in fact encouraged the track to weed out those who are not deserving of stalls.
The commission listened, but postponed action until its November meeting. And that’s where the storm erupted.

At the November meeting, commission chairman Tom Mc-Donough presented the issue in two parts. First, commissioners were asked to decide whether it was appropriate for them to review the situation. If they answered yes, then they were to consider what action might be appropriate.

Although horsemen had turned out, once again, in full force, they were allowed no opportunity to speak, and the commission quickly proceeded to vote, 6 to 2, not to consider the issue.

The commission’s unwillingness to hear testimony from the MTHA set off a firestorm within that organization. The horsemen’s group in Maryland gains its authority from the Racing Commission; it is the Racing Commission that appoints a particular group (in 1987 it accorded that status to the MTHA) to serve as horsemen’s official representative. That the commission relies upon the MTHA to represent horsemen in the state, but chose not to allow the MTHA to speak publicly on horsemen’s behalf, introduced a bitter edge to the proceedings.

McDonough’s reasoning? Closing Pimlico was a “business decision” for the tracks, and the commission best not interfere in the tracks’ business.
For horsemen, that only served to open new vistas of concern: What else could be considered a “business decision”—serving the tracks’ fiscal interest, while ignoring the potentially negative impact on horsemen?

The MTHA had urged the commission to consider the overall good of Maryland racing—as well as the fact that, taken together, owners and trainers have a financial investment in the business far exceeding that of track owners.

Against this backdrop, the MTHA board of directors met at its regularly scheduled meeting on November 12. Incensed by the commission’s apparent bias, the MTHA drew a line in the sand: No Pimlico/no incoming simulcasts.

MTHA directors voted 11-1 to withdraw horsemen’s consent for Maryland tracks to receive simulcasts from out-of-state tracks. Since wagering on out-of-state races now constitutes approximately 80 percent of its business, Maryland racing would effectively have been shut down.
Miraculously, within a week the MJC and MTHA had come to an agreement.
Pimlico will remain open for winter training.

The agreement also calls for the MTHA to support requirements for trainers to have a specified number of starts per stall. (Not a problem for the MTHA.)
And the MTHA was able to gain ground on another point that’s important to horsemen. The 2004 Pimlico Special will be funded with $600,000 from the Purse Account, only if the legislature approves additional revenue for purses in 2004; otherwise the race will be funded from other sources, or cancelled.

It was a bold move on the MTHA’s part, but for many people who earn their living on the Maryland backstretch it was equi-valent to a Grade 1 victory.