Will Laurel drop Hoover race? Tribute to race fan seems safe for now

History has not been kind to J. Edgar Hoover.

Was he addicted to gambling and bet on fixed races arranged by the Mob?

Was he so corrupt that his name will be expunged from FBI headquarters in Washington?

If so, would Laurel-Pimlico track operator Joe De Francis scrap the stakes race annually run in his honor?

The 21st running of the J. Edgar Hoover Handicap is scheduled for Laurel Race Course on March 21.

Instead of honoring a legend, is the race now an embarrassment to the Maryland Jockey Club?

Hoover, who served as director of the FBI for 48 years under eight presidents, was also known for a long time as Maryland's No. 1 racing fan.

He frequented Pimlico, Laurel and Bowie race courses for 50 years, usually in the company of his longtime companion, assistant FBI director Clyde Tolson.

Snowden Carter, longtime turf writer for The Sun, recalls that at one time there were even a couple of popular horses running at local tracks named Director J. E. and Clyde Tolson.

But in a couple of recently published books, and on the PBS news show "Frontline," which aired Tuesday, a number of charges and tabloid-type indiscretions were reported about the late FBI director.

Chick Lang, former Pimlico general manager, was a friend of Hoover's and is the man who named the Maryland stakes in his honor.

"Racing owes Hoover a debt of gratitude," Lang said. "He genuinely liked the sport. When he'd come out to Pimlico, he sat in the Members Club, and I'd get a call saying, 'The director is aboard.'

"One time, he gave me a tie clasp with a miniature pair of handcuffs on it. He told me -- laughing -- that if I didn't pick better horses [for him], next time he'd bring a pair that fit

me."

De Francis said he saw part of the "Frontline" show and hadn't really thought about changing the name of the J. Edgar Hoover Handicap.

"I guess if some facts came to light, we would," he said. "When my father bought these tracks, the [Hoover] race came with them. It's been around for a long time. At this point, I just don't know what we'll do."

Changing federal tax laws

State lawmakers in Annapolis last week expressed puzzlement over the fact that racing leaders haven't tried harder to change federal tax laws that have hurt the horse racing and breeding industries.