Resolution of racing dates allows Virginia to move forward.

The war is over, and reconstruction has begun. For the first time in three years, the turning of the calendar to January 1 did not signal a new round of hostilities over racing dates for the so-called Maryland/Virginia racing circuit.

The once-burning issue of when Virginia will race, and consequently when Maryland will shut down, became a non-issue in February 2002, when the organization representing Maryland's owners and trainers, the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA), signed an agreement with the Maryland Jockey Club (MJC), which owns and operates Laurel Park and Pimlico and also is hired to operate Virginia¹s Colonial Downs.

The agreement, which will remain in effect through early June 2006, covers a number of items, two of which essentially defused the volatile debate regarding the summer racing schedule: Laurel Park and Pimlico are committed to running at least 220 days of live racing each year, and the MTHA will support whatever dates the MJC chooses to shut down in order to accommodate live racing at Colonial Downs.

In place of the long, drawn - out discussions of the last two years, there was barely a murmur over this year's schedule.

The Maryland Racing Commission, which delayed final action on racing dates until months after the season had begun in 2001 and 2002, approved the 2003 schedule at its meeting last October.

Colonial Downs's 2003 meeting, to consist of 30 days from June 13 through July 22, was approved at the November meeting of the Virginia Racing Commission.
The opportunity to race in early summer is considered crucial by many Virginia horsepeople, who have seen significant gains in business at Colonial Downs since the switch was made from fall to summer for 2001 and 02.

And now that its favored spot on the calendar apparently is secure, at least for the next several years, Virginia's racing industry has finally begun to move forward (dare we say it) in a spirit of relative unity.

A major source of contention, between those who favor lots of racing dates (and lower purses) vs. shorter meetings (and higher purses), has evolved into a middle ground, at least for the time being. Approximately 30 days, with purses averaging $200,000 a day, is a formula supported by horsemen and track operators and, with some reluctance, by the racing commission.

Naturally, everyone wants Virginia's Thoroughbred industry to grow‹that means a larger and more enthusiastic fan base, a larger horse population, more breeding farms, etc., etc.
And the focus, among industry leaders, is now on expanding Virginia's off-track betting network. There is room for immediate expansion, since existing state law allows for six OTB sites, and so far Colonial Downs has built only four. But these things are never easy. Any Virginia jurisdiction that is considering an OTB site must conduct a referendum on the issue. And campaigning for these local elections is a costly enterprise.

That's where the new spirit of cooperation comes into play. Virginia's horsemen, through their official representative, the Virginia Horsemen¹s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA), have joined with Colonial Downs and the Maryland Jockey Club in an initiative that, it is hoped, will lead to construction of additional OTBs. The three groups have agreed to a contract that is to be presented to the racing commission this month.

Included in the contract is a proposal that horsemen share expenses for additional OTBs.
Horsemen and race tracks piecing together a vision of the future?

That, in itself, is progress.