Maryland Jockey Club | Horse Racing Free Tips

Tracks Cancel Friday Cards, Cite Poor Air Quality

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) canceled live racing Friday at Belmont Park due to a rapid decline in air quality late this morning, the organization said in a release midday.

After horses were in the paddock for the first race, the decision was made in consultation with the New York State Equine Medical Director, NYRA management and veterinary staff in order to ensure the safety of all participants.

The indoor facilities at Belmont Park and Aqueduct Racetrack remained open for simulcasting. Live racing is scheduled to resume on Saturday at Belmont Park with a 10-race card with first post at 1:05 p.m. ET.

Earlier Friday, Woodbine Entertainment canceled their Friday card due to poor air quality, the track said in a release.

Environment Canada's air quality index for Toronto was listed as 'High Risk' and was expected to remain at that level throughout the day. Woodbine's decision to cancel came through consultation with the HBPA and was consistent with the AGCO's air quality guidelines.

Woodbine said they would continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as required. The next card of live racing, which includes five graded stakes races on Canada Day, is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at 1:10 p.m. ET.

Also, poor air quality in the Mid-Atlantic region caused by smoke from Canadian wildfires, forced the Maryland Jockey Club to cancel Friday's live program at Laurel Park, the organization said in their own release.

The entire 10-race program has been moved, as is, to Thursday, July 6 with a post time of 12:25 p.m. ET. Laurel would remain open for simulcasting and live racing is set to resume Saturday.

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6-Mo. Extension to Maryland Racing Agreement; Details Not Disclosed

Tuesday's Maryland Racing Commission (MRC) meeting yielded the news that the state's horsemen, breeders, and the operator of Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park have agreed on yet another six-month extension agreement to keep racing going after a 10-year deal expired at the end of 2022.

The placeholder agreement will go into effect for the final six months of 2023, and it follows a similar six-month extension reached earlier this year that is set to sunset June 30. The eventual goal is to come up with a longer-term contract.

Mike Rogers, the president of the racing division for 1/ST Racing, which owns the Maryland Jockey Club, which in turn owns both Pimlico and Laurel, led off his monthly presentation with the announcement of the agreement with the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA) and Maryland Horse Breeders Association.

But when commissioner Robert Lillis asked Rogers to elaborate on a June 6 news story published in Maryland Matters that dealt with the MTHA agreeing to use purse money to subsidize operations at the two tracks, Rogers balked at answering.

“I don't think I'm at liberty to talk about the details of the extension agreement. I'm not authorized to talk about those terms,” Rogers said.

At that point, MRC chair Michael Algeo stepped in to clarify that he didn't feel the parties were required to disclose such details at this time, because the announcement of the agreement extension was not a matter that the commission had to act on or vote on that afternoon.

But another commissioner, George Mahoney, wanted to know, “At any stage, will the Maryland Racing Commission be privy to the terms of the six-month agreement?”

Rogers replied that, “I would have to defer to our lawyers on that. I don't know what the disclosure requirements are on that.”

Alan Foreman, an attorney who serves as the legal counsel for the MTHA, then offered to give an explanation from the horsemen's perspective.

“In fairness to all the parties, and in response to commissioner Lillis's question, the horsemen and the tracks and the breeders have been a party to a 10-year agreement that expired at the end of 2022 in which the horsemen and breeders [already] were helping to subsidize the operations of the racetracks,” Foreman said.

“That was no secret. That was the agreement entered into with the commission back [in] 2012 to stabilize the industry,” Foreman said.

“What the parties have done is to extend the [expired] agreement [from] January to June 30, and the extension now through Dec. 31 is under almost identical terms,” Foreman said.

“So there's nothing new here. It's what's been continuing since the beginning of the 10-year agreement, and ultimately, if and when there's a longer-term agreement, that issue will be addressed. So the so-called subsidy from the horsemen and breeders is not a new item,” Foreman said.

Algeo, a retired Maryland Circuit Court judge, then weighed in again.

“If I could kind of frame the issue so we make certain it's very clear, at this juncture this is not being presented today for the commission to motion, to rule on it, or to discuss,” he said.

“I mean, quite obviously, at least I'm not going to approve anything without knowing what's in the agreement,” Algeo said. “And so, we don't know what's in the agreement, so there's nothing for us to address.

“My understanding [is] that this is a courtesy on behalf of the Maryland Jockey Club and the horsemen and the breeders to indicate that they have extended it, which they have done, by the way, frequently… If it was required for us to approve that now, to address it, then obviously we would have to know the contents of the agreement.”

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Laurel ‘Tweaks’ Have Quelled Track Safety Concerns

Concerns over the safety of the troubled main dirt track at Laurel Park have quieted since racing was halted there Apr. 21-28. Mike Rogers, the president of the racing division for 1/ST Racing, which owns both Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, told the Maryland Racing Commission (MRC) Tuesday that several “tweaks” to the maintenance routine represent the only significant changes to the surface since racing resumed Apr. 29.

The tone was noticeably less tense and in-person attendance was diminished during the MRC's regular monthly meeting at Laurel May 2. Those dynamics stood in contrast to when the commission met one week previously on Apr. 25 for an emergency session to address five recent main-track equine fatalities at Laurel, including two that occurred there Apr. 20.

Last week, the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA) and the management team at 1/ST Racing announced an “access agreement” that allowed for the MTHA's preferred track maintenance consultant, John Passero, to be retained to perform testing. Passero used to be the MJC's superintendent several decades ago, and the horsemen had previously lobbied for his inclusion as a consultant during the winter of 2021-22, which was when the last significant spate of equine deaths occurred over the Laurel dirt.

On Tuesday, Rogers said track executives and the horsemen “definitely appear to be on the same page right now…. Clearly, both sides are feeling that the track is in [such] a safe place that horses are able to run on it. I think Mr. Passero's quote said, 'If I owned a horse, I'd have no issues racing it.'”

Rogers acknowledged the two sides initially had differences: “Our group took the position that we felt the track was safe,” he said. “I know the horsemen took a different position. So we allowed an access agreement with Mr. Passero to come to the track. So Mr. Passero came on the grounds, and he recommended a couple of tweaks–slowing the tractors down; I think he had them go the opposite way in one direction, which I think our gentlemen were actually doing already anyways.

“But I think he increased the number of times that they go in reverse around the course. So it was kind of little tweaks of the harrows. We were kind of using what's called drag harrows in the morning and position harrows in the afternoon. And Mr. Passero recommended that we stay with the drag harrows in the morning and afternoon. So a couple of little tweaks here and there, and our crew felt that his recommendations made sense and we adopted them.”

In response to a question from a commissioner, Rogers confirmed that the work was being conducted over the entirety of the track and was not confined to a single problem area. He also said that 1/ST Racing hasn't nixed a single one of Passero's ideas.

“As of now, none of [Passero's] recommendations were a cause for concern on our side,” Rogers said. “As of right now, we've adopted all of his recommendations [and] we recognize that he has a lot of experience.”

Unlike last week's meeting at which several horsemen's representatives spoke about the situation, none were called upon to speak by the MRC and none asked to speak during public commentary.

In response to another MRC question, Rogers said Passero's work would not extend to Pimlico for the upcoming GI Preakness S. meet there May 11-29.

“His access agreement runs [until] June 30, and the access agreement is for Laurel only,” Rogers said.

Laurel's main track was closed for five months in 2021 for an emergency rebuild from the base up. But eight horses died from fractures while racing or training over that new track between Oct. 3 and Nov. 28, 2021, leading to weeks-long halts in racing through early the winter of 2022.

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Laurel Track Woes: Passero To Consult, Pimlico Move On Hold For Now

The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA) and the management team at 1/ST Racing announced an agreement Tuesday morning that will allow for the MTHA's preferred track maintenance consultant, John Passero, to be retained to perform testing that will hopefully lead to the latest round of fixes in a years-long series of safety woes that have plagued Laurel Park's main dirt track.

The agreement, which was announced at an emergency meeting of the Maryland Racing Commission (MRC) Apr. 25, put off for the time being any action by the commission that would have mandated shifting racing to Pimlico Race Course some 30 miles north in Baltimore. 1/ST Racing owns both tracks under the corporate name Maryland Jockey Club (MJC).

Five horses have had to be euthanized this month at Laurel, including two who raced there Apr. 20. After last Thursday's fatalities, 1/ST Racing initially announced that racing would be canceled indefinitely, then later tried to fill an Apr.27 card that was abandoned when horsemen withheld entries. Management has maintained that the track is safe, while the horsemen have disagreed, at one point calling the situation a “catastrophic emergency.”

Passero used to be the MJC's track superintendent several decades ago, and the horsemen had lobbied for his inclusion as a consultant during the winter of 2021-22, which was when the last significant spate of equine deaths occurred over the Laurel dirt.

At that time, a Maryland racing commissioner described Passero during a public meeting as having the confidence of “rank-and-file horsemen” while noting that Passero felt “frustrated” when his input as a consultant “was not being heeded” by track executives.

Both in the past and for the present problems, 1/ST Racing has relied upon its own consultants, most notably Dennis Moore, known for his longtime track superintendent work at Santa Anita Park, another track in 1/ST Racing's corporate portfolio.

Craig Fravel, 1/ST Racing's chief executive officer, told commissioners during Tuesday's meeting that the negotiations with horsemen yielded “basically an access agreement for the MTHA to retain their consultant, John Passero, to come to the racetrack to perform whatever tests [and] evaluations [that] he feels are necessary to inform himself and his client [that could lead to] possible improvements to the racing surface.”

Fravel noted that Passero will be employed by the MTHA, and that the exact scope of his work is not defined by the agreement. Whatever data Passero uncovers will then be analyzed by track management, the horsemen, and the commission to determine the next steps.

Tim Keefe, the president of the MTHA, said he expected Passero to begin work as soon as Wednesday, Apr. 26.

Alan Foreman, an attorney who represents the MTHA, said, “We'll collectively assess his findings. Any work that needs to be done, our hope is that it is a relatively quick fix, and that we will be back to racing as quickly as possible.”

Fravel was asked directly by a commissioner about the possibility of relocating the current Laurel meet to Pimlico, which is scheduled to race May 11-29 for its GI Preakness S. meet.

“We're going to approach all of these questions in good faith,” Fravel said. “We're not taking anything off the table, but we need to let this process unfold,” before having discussions about moving to Pimlico.

MRC chairman Michael Algeo made it clear that the commission's top priority is safety.

“Racing will not resume here until this commission says it can resume,” Algeo said. “This is uncharted territory for the commission. This was not a hearing that we anticipated. It's not a hearing that we wanted. But I have emphasized throughout my time as chairman and member of this commission that we needed cooperation, communication and compromise.

“We cannot afford to get this wrong. We have to get it right,” Algeo underscored.

Algeo noted that the MRC has a regularly scheduled monthly meeting for next Tuesday, May 2, at which it could take next steps, unless sooner action is warranted. Although his tone was generally terse, Algeo added that he was “optimistic” the testing and the fixes could proceed as swiftly as possible.

Pimlico hosted an extended meet through the summer of 2021 the last time Laurel's track needed extensive repairs.

After years of freeze/thaw and drainage troubles, Laurel's main track was in such bad shape in the spring of 2021 that Laurel ceased racing on it Apr. 11, 2021, to begin an emergency rebuild from the base up. The project was repeatedly delayed and had its scope expanded, and it ended up taking five months before racing could resume instead of the initially projected one month.

When racing resumed in September 2021, the main track had no apparent safety issues. But the onset of cold weather revealed problems with seams in the base of the homestretch, then the cushion atop that layer needed substantial reworking to give it more body and depth.

Eight horses died from fractures while racing or training over Laurel's main track between Oct. 3 and Nov. 28, 2021, leading to weeks-long halts in racing through early the winter of 2022.

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