Maryland lawmakers have proposed a new authority with vast powers over Thoroughbred racing in the state and the fast-tracked measure is expected to be approved and sent to Gov. Wes Moore, Maryland Matters reports.
Under the bill, a proposed nine-member Maryland Thoroughbred Operating Authority would be established to oversee the stalled plans for improving the Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park and to be a seamless transition to running those tracks, should the owners shut down racing July 1, the day after an agreement for operations expires between racetrack ownership company The Stronach Group, which operates racing as the Maryland Jockey Club, and the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association.
Senate Bill 720 was passed by the Senate in less than a day, then sent to the House of Delegates, referred to the House Ways and Means Committee, made the subject of a Friday morning hearing, voted out of committee, and sent back to the floor of the House unamended, nearly guaranteeing its passage.
The authority “would be a vehicle, in the event we need to prop up a new ownership group here in Maryland for day-to-day racing and training,” William H. Cole IV, a member of the Maryland Stadium Authority board, which oversees the tracks' redevelopment, told the Ways and Means Committee on Friday.
The Stadium Authority's cost estimates for the redevelopment project have nearly doubled in the three years since the legislature first authorized the sale of bonds for work at Pimlico and Laurel Park.
The new nine-member authority would have one member from the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association; one from the Maryland Horse Breeders' Association; and three others who have relevant industry, business or government experience. One of the five would serve as chair. The five unpaid members would be appointed by the governor with advice and consent of the Senate.
To read the full story at Maryland Matters, click here.
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