Laurel Park

With a new long-term racing deal in place, increased breeding activity in the state and planned improvements to Maryland's two thoroughbred tracks, horse racing seems to be barreling toward a brighter future in a state where it had once been so important. Bettors have been slower to catch on, though. Total handle at Pimlico Race Course for the 36-day meet increased 12 percent to $188 million, the track announced Tuesday. But the per-day handle dropped 12 percent,  from $5.2 million to $4.6 million, thanks in part to seven racing days added so that the meet would span the entire length of the Triple Crown.

With a new long-term racing deal in place, increased breeding activity in the state and planned improvements to Maryland's two thoroughbred tracks, horse racing seems to be barreling toward a brighter future in a state where it had once been so important. Bettors have been slower to catch on, though. Total handle at Pimlico Race Course for the 36-day meet increased 12 percent to $188 million, the track announced Tuesday. But the per-day handle dropped 12 percent,  from $5.2 million to $4.6 million, thanks in part to seven racing days added so that the meet would span the entire length of the Triple Crown.

Horse racing Eighttofasttocatch wins at Laurel Park Eighttofasttocatch won the $75,000 Japan Racing Association Stakes for 3-year-olds and up Saturday at Laurel Park, covering the mile on the main track in 1 minute, 35.43 seconds. Comet of Love earned her 11th victory in 23 starts by taking the co-featured $60,000 Jameela Stakes for fillies and mares. … Apprentice rider Aparna Battula is expected to miss six to eight weeks after suffering a compression fracture in her back in a Friday spill.

The Kentucky Derby winner and oddsmakers' favorite for the Preakness Stakes isn't exactly a Maryland horse, but he's close - Orb is partially owned by a Baltimore County businessman, and his sire spent some time in Harford County. Attendance at Saturday's races might or might not set an all-time record, but it's bound to be close - top-flight music acts, it seems, are a bigger draw than BYOB debauchery. The weather may not be perfect, but it will be close - the latest forecast is for a high of 72 but with a slight chance of showers.

Live racing at Laurel Park is canceled for Friday and Saturday, the Maryland Jockey Club announced in a news release. Simulcasting at Laurel and Pimlico Race Course is open on Friday afternoon, but both tracks will be closed Saturday. The $70,000 Marshua Stakes, originally scheduled for Saturday, is moved to Monday.

Laurel Park's nine-race card was canceled Saturday because of the heavy snowfall. The decision was made 30 minutes before the 12:35 p.m. first post. "We were originally expecting one to two inches but the forecast changed," Maryland Jockey Club president Tom Chuckas said. The cancellation means the elimination of the national Magna 5 wager, which had been slated to start with Laurel's finale, the $70,000 Dancing Count Stakes. Laurel Park racing secretary Georganne Hale said the Dancing Count will not be carded this year.

Laurel Park Walkwithapurpose seeks fifth win in a row Multiple-stakes winner Walkwithapurpose has been installed as the even-money favorite to win today's feature at Laurel Park, the one-mile, $150,000 Caesar's Wish Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Walkwithapurpose has won four consecutive races, including the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship and the Wide Country Stakes at Laurel. Owned by Sagamore Farm, the daughter of Candy Ride is trained by Ignacio Correas . Jeremy Rose has been her jockey during the winning streak.

Laurel Park will not conduct live racing Wednesday because of the wintry mix that has hit the region, the Maryland Jockey Club announced in news release Wednesday morning. Laurel and Pimlico Race Course will be open for simulcasting. Live racing is expected to return to the Central Maryland track Thursday, with a nine-race card. First post is 12:35 p.m.

Live racing at Laurel Park is canceled today due to the weather conditions in the area. Training at Laurel and the Bowie Training Center is also canceled, but as of 5 a.m., Laurel and Pimlico Race Course will be open for simulcasting today. Live racing is scheduled to resume Thursday with post time set for 12:35 p.m.

Laurel Park canceled live racing after the second race Wednesday due to inclement weather, the Maryland Jockey Club announced in a news release. Laurel and Pimlico Race Course will remain open for simulcasting. Live racing is scheduled to resume Thursday with a 12:35 p.m. post time.

In the first week of her reporting internship for a horse-racing newspaper, Gabby Gaudet nervously approached one of the most celebrated figures in the sport. "Can you tell me how you first got involved in the game?" she asked Kelly Breen, who trained the winner of the 2011 Belmont Stakes. "Terrible question. Get back to me when you think of a better one," he replied.  She flinched but thought fast. "How about if I ride your horse?" she asked. He said yes, they fell to talking, and the story she wrote ran above the fold in The Saratoga Special.

Et cetera Tesio, Shine Again will be run today at Pimlico Pimlico Race Course will feature two stakes today, the $75,000 Federico Tesio for 3-year-olds and the $50,000 Shine Again for Maryland-bred fillies and mares. The Tesio is a prep for runners with an eye on competing in the Preakness on May 18. Ten runners are entered. Pimlico handicapper Frank Carulli has named Abstraction, who broke his maiden March 13 at Fair Grounds, as his 7-5 morning line choice. Trainer David Carroll has worked his charge three times at Churchill Downs in anticipation of this start.

Pimlico Race Course Press box renamed to honor former Sun reporter Kelly Before Sunday's first race, the Pimlico Race Course press box was renamed to include Joe Kelly , who covered horse racing for nearly 70 years before his death in November at age 94. Kelly began his career at The Baltimore Sun in the 1940s, then moved in 1955 to The Washington Star, where he spent the next 26 years. After retiring, he became the publicity director for the Maryland Million and was Pimlico's historical consultant until his death.

Pimlico Race Course Eighttofasttocatch, Bold Affair, Jewel of a Cat win stakes races Eighttofasttocatch took the lead 10 jumps out of the gate and led the rest of the way to win the $91,750 Henry S. Clark Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on Saturday. Winning for the first time in four tries at Pimlico, Eighttofasttocatch carried Forrest Boyce (Garrison Forest) for the first time to a widening five-length victory in 1minute, 43.91 seconds for the 11/16-mile distance.

Horse racing Retired Hall of Fame trainer Kelly dead at 93 Hall of Fame trainer Thomas J. Kelly died Friday morning at St. Catherine's West Rehabilitation Hospital in Hialeah, Fla., after a brief illness, according to his son, Timothy D. Kelly . He was 93. Kelly, who was born in Pikesville, conditioned 65 stakes winners, including Plugged Nickle, 1980's champion sprinter who won that year's Grade 1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Racetrack,...

"Gone Ridin' " reads the sign on Joe Aitcheson's door, beneath a wooden silhouette of a horse's head. "Be Back. Maybe. " It's an apt howdy-do from Aitcheson, 84, the winngingest steeplechase rider of all time. A member of the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame, he lives in a retirement community in Westminster, surrounded by keepsakes of a 21-year pro career in which he won a record 440 timber races and a record seven North American championships between 1961 and 1970. If they tallied the number of bones broken by jockeys, Aitcheson would likely hold that record, too. His knack of bouncing back from falls is legend.

On Jan. 1, apprentice rider Trevor McCarthy rode four winners on opening day of the Laurel Park winter meet. On Thursday, the 18-year-old visited the winners' circle three times on opening day of the Pimlico Race Course spring meeting. McCarthy was first aboard Christmas Flys ($6.40-third), Go Allie ($12-fourth) and Granted Ruler ($12.60-seventh). "It is something about opening day," said McCarthy, who finished second in the Laurel standings with 51 victories. "I didn't get leading rider at Laurel but I did win four races twice and had my first career stakes race.

Et cetera Ortiz, McMahon win meet titles at Laurel The Laurel Park winter meeting ended Saturday with apprentice rider Yomar Ortiz and veteran trainer Hugh McMahon winning individual titles. The 50-day stand began Jan. 1. Ortiz topped the jockey standings with 57 first-place finishes, six more than fellow apprentice Trevor McCarthy . The 21-year-old had 16 multiple-win days during the meet, including four three-win afternoons. "It was a battle until the end," Ortiz said.