Rosecroft Raceway, the harness track in Prince George's County, is on the verge of going out of business, Tom Chuckas Jr., track CEO, told the Maryland Racing Commission yesterday at its monthly meeting at Pimlico Race Course.
Chuckas and other Rosecroft officials appeared before the commission asking for the right to offer simulcasting of thoroughbred races at Rosecroft without compensating the state's thoroughbred factions.
The right to "cross-breed" simulcasting, as it is called, is a familiar issue. It was debated at length in April and May as the centerpiece of Northwind Racing's application to buy Rosecroft.
Last month, the commission denied Northwind's application and reaffirmed its long-standing policy against cross-breed simulcasting.
Rosecroft resurrected the issue by filing an emergency request with the commission for a temporary, 90-day right to show and take bets on thoroughbred races from outside Maryland.
Chuckas said that if Rosecroft didn't receive some significant relief, then, "We're done. We're closed. We're finished."
The thoroughbred horsemen and breeders and the Maryland Jockey Club opposed Rosecroft's request for cross-breed simulcasting, just as they had opposed Northwind's.
They argued that granting Rosecroft the right to simulcast thoroughbred races without paying the state's thoroughbred factions would be a severe financial blow to the thoroughbred industry.
Commissioners did not rule on Rosecroft's request. Instead, they voted to take up the issue again next week at a meeting to be scheduled.
In the meantime, they said they would hire a financial expert to determine the impact of the simulcasting issue on the bottom lines of the standardbred and thoroughbred industries.
Since April 19, Rosecroft and the thoroughbred breeders, horsemen and track owners have been locked in a simulcasting dispute. Rosecroft has not offered thoroughbred simulcasting, and Pimlico and Laurel Park have closed at 6:15 p.m.
The dispute has cost the Maryland Jockey Club $1.6 million in revenues and Rosecroft $1.7 million in revenues. Last year, Rosecroft lost $1.4 million, Chuckas told commissioners.
"Everyone's a loser," Chuckas said. "We constantly fight among ourselves. No one wins."
In other action, the commission narrowly gave the go-ahead to Magna Entertainment Corp., parent company of the Maryland Jockey Club, to begin rebuilding the turf and dirt tracks at Laurel Park, despite strong objections by horsemen.
