Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association president Tim Keefe sent out the following letter to Maryland horsemen on Thursday:
Dear Horsemen,
As we get back into the swing of things with the return of live racing in Maryland after a two-and-a-half-month absence, the MTHA would like to sincerely thank the entire racing community for its patience and commitment under extremely difficult economic circumstances.
Please be confident, MTHA is working to ensure that Maryland-based owners and trainers have as many racing opportunities as possible while being mindful of the need to stretch purse funds as far as possible while revenue sources such as casino gaming, off-track betting and on-track betting are gradually restored.
After crunching our numbers with Maryland Jockey Club, we are pleased to be able to resume operations with the same purse structure for all overnight races throughout the rest of the summer while continuing running two days a week. Please know, the rumors of us being forced to cease racing the end of June are completely unfounded.
Additionally, Governor Hogan brought us some fantastic news by relaxing some restrictions in place and permitting Casinos to open June 19. Starting Saturday, MJC will be relaxing restrictions of owner's access to the backstretch as well as allowing all licensed personal access to the Backstretch. This is part of a gradual transition to more normal operations which we hope will lead to the opening of our facilities to the general public soon.
Maryland horsemen's resolve and fortitude has been remarkable, and we appreciate enormously your patience as we navigate these uncharted waters.
Again, thank you for staying the course, and success to all going forward. See you at the races.
Best of racing luck and be safe,
Timothy L. Keefe
President, MTHA
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