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MJC Issues New Statement on Laurel, Racing will Resume

The Maryland Jockey Club (MJC), which cancelled racing this weekend after two fatalities at Laurel Park Thursday, issued a new statement late Saturday regarding the status of the Laurel surface.

The statement appears in full below:

The Maryland Jockey Club has cancelled its Thursday, Apr. 27 racing program at Laurel Park due to insufficient entries. The racing office will be open and taking entries Sunday for the Friday, Apr. 28 program.

We acknowledge the recent statements in the press regarding the safety of our racing surface. However, we want to emphasize that 1/ST Racing and the Maryland Jockey Club prioritize safety above all else, and continually engage in proactive analysis of our racing and training surfaces. To this end, we have engaged the services of Dennis Moore, a renowned industry expert, who has been conducting routine testing of the Laurel Park racing surface for the past three days. Dennis, along with independent engineering experts, have performed a comprehensive battery of tests during this time, to ensure the safety of our racing surface.

Particle size distribution via the following methods:

Laser diffraction
Sieve and hydrometer
Orono Biomechanical Surface Test (ASTM Standard F3400)
Peak Vertical Load
Peak Fore-Aft Load
Peak Vertical Deacceleration
Ground Penetrating Radar
Percentage surface crossfall
Bulk Density
X-ray diffraction
Base inspection

The results of these tests were all within industry norms. Based on these tests and their professional knowledge, our track experts have advised that there are no issues with the track and that it is safe to race and train.

In addition, Dr. Jennifer Durenberger, Director of Equine Safety and Welfare with HISA, has at our request reviewed Laurel's fatality data and stated, “I've reviewed the data provided to me this morning by the Maryland Racing Commission and find a racing fatality rate at Laurel of approximately 1.3/1,000 starts since January 1st. By comparison, the Equine Injury Database shows a rate of approximately 1.98/1,000 at this same point (through Apr. 21) last year.” As stated the current fatality rate has decreased from last year at the same point.

Even though the track surface is within industry standards certain Horseman have determined not to submit entries for this Thursday's racing card. Hopefully after reviewing the facts live racing will proceed.

We hope that all stakeholders will be able to come to a consensus and adopt the enhanced veterinary and safety protocols that have been implemented with great success in California. MJC has made repeated requests of the horsemen and are still waiting for their approval to be able to move forward with their implementation.

While we all know that catastrophic injuries will not be eliminated completely it is clear from the above that our track is not the issue, and we urge the Commission and the MTHA to take advantage of the proven enhancements to improve horse safety.

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Turf Paradise Nears Sale for Development; Horsemen Eye Arizona Downs Revival

Turf Paradise in Phoenix is reportedly in the due-diligence phase of negotiations to be sold for development.

Racing is expected to continue only as a placeholder for several more seasons while new uses for the 67-year-old venue go through the planning, approval and construction stages.

The incoming owner of Arizona's primary commercial Thoroughbred track is expected to transition the property in pieces to “industrial and multi-family uses,” according to the online media outlet Axios Phoenix, which first broke the story Apr. 12.

Leroy Gessmann, the executive director of the Arizona Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (AZHBPA), told TDN in a Wednesday phone interview that a longer-term hope involves Arizona Downs, 82 miles north in Prescott Valley, being potentially sold to 1/ST Racing & Gaming, which might then pick up enough dates to sustain a circuit.

The possible sale of Arizona Downs to 1/ST Racing has been percolating since last year. 1/ST Racing owns Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields, Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park. The firm's chief executive officer, Aidan Butler, did not return a voicemail message seeking confirmation of 1/ST Racing's involvement prior to deadline for this story.

Arizona Downs didn't apply for a June-through-September race meet this year because of financial difficulties. That facility formerly ran as Yavapai Downs between 2000 and 2010. The ownership at that time then filed for bankruptcy.

“I understand that [1/ST Racing] has a contract with Arizona Downs, and they're kind of in the same stages,” Gessmann said. “They're going through their due diligence right now. I know [1/ST Racing] wants to continue racing at Arizona Downs. How it all ends up, we're all in kind of a holding pattern here to see how things develop.”

The relationship between the Arizona racing community and Jerry Simms, Turf Paradise's owner for 23 years, has been acrimonious. An extraordinarily long pandemic closure, multiple racetrack safety issues, and prolonged fights over off-track betting privileges, simulcast signals, and how the horsemen's purse money can be used have roiled in the courts and at racing commission meetings.

Simms has been quoted in the press since 2020 as saying that he operates Turf Paradise at a “huge negative” financially. He quipped to Axios Phoenix this week that “I'd rather spend time with my grandkids” than continue running the track.

Axios Phoenix reported that James Watson, the managing partner of CT Realty out of Dallas and Newport Beach, California, said he's “under contract” with Simms to purchase the property. Neither Simms nor Watson would provide Axios Phoenix with details of their negotiations, citing a confidentiality agreement.

Gessmann told TDN it's evident by what's happening around the track that the deal is getting nearer to closing.

“Mr. Watson is going through his due diligence,” Gessmann said. “The last couple weeks there have been companies here inspecting things, doing ground tests, and I know they're also working on rezoning possibilities.

“Our understanding is it's going to be developed in stages, and they're going to race for one to two, [maybe] three more years depending on the development process,” Gessmann continued. “With both parcels of land, I think they're right at 200 acres. There's a lot of empty ground here. They're going to start with the empty ground and then work towards the racing operation, I guess.

“We hope Mr. Watson will continue racing for a couple of years until we can make other arrangements,” Gessmann said.

“The horsemen are somewhat excited, yet also disappointed,” Gessmann said. “We're excited that Mr. Simms is moving on and relinquishing his hold in Turf Paradise. However, Mr. Watson is unsure on the future of racing, which is a possibility we all knew when it went up for sale, that it could get sold to a land developer.”

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Johnson Wins Preakness Art Contest

Justin Johnson has been named the winner of the second annual Preakness Art of Racing contest. Johnson's original illustration titled “The Face of Victory” was selected by a panel of judges from among the 207 submissions, each of which depicted the extraordinary elements of Thoroughbred horse racing and the Preakness S.

The winning artwork was announced at a ceremony in the Brown Center at the Maryland Institute College of Art. In attendance were Senior Advisor of Art & Culture for the City of Baltimore Tonya Miller, MICA dignitaries, Park Heights Renaissance representatives and 1/ST RACING leadership. Participating artists also attended.

As the winner of the second-annual competition, Johnson receives a $4,000 stipend and two tickets to Preakness 148. In addition, his work will be reproduced on a curated collection of Preakness 148 merchandise that will be available for purchase online and onsite during Preakness weekend. Proceeds from the sale of merchandise will be used to support the activities of the Park Heights Renaissance as it pursues affordable housing for families and provides employment opportunities for the people of Park Heights.

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Bruno Mars to Headline Preakness Live

Grammy Award winner Bruno Mars will be among the events highlighting this year's Preakness LIVE, which will follow the 148^th edition of the GI Preakness S. at Pimlico May 20. Mars previously performed at the Preakness 11 years ago. Preakness LIVE will feature a full day of live music and entertainment beginning at 10:30 a.m., including performances by Grammy nominated musical duo Sofi Tukker, DJ Chantel Jeffries and Martin 2 Smoove.

Preakness LIVE will also feature Baltimore's art scene with the return of the infield art garden featuring unique works by local artists using shipping containers as a canvas, provided by Ports America Chesapeake and in partnership with the Mayor's Office of Art & Culture. An installation of selected works of art from the Preakness Art of Racing in collaboration with Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) will also be on display.

The winning artwork of The Art of Racing will be reproduced on a curated collection of Preakness merchandise available for sale during Preakness 148, the proceeds of which will be used to support the activities of Park Heights Renaissance, a non-profit organization that provides employment opportunities and pursues affordable housing for members of the Park Heights community.

This year the inclusion of local culinary offerings will extend beyond Preakness LIVE with catering partners Baltimore's Atlas Restaurant Group and the woman-owned Maryland based brand, Ridgewells. Hiatus Cheesecake founded by Baltimore's Matthew Featherstone will provide desserts for Preakness 148 guests.

Tickets for Preakness LIVE, including for the fan favorite Mug Club and limited availability VIP experiences are on sale now and can be purchased at www.preakness.com/preakness-live with General Admission starting at $59.

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