Mango

Pimlico management has spent about $300,000 renovating certain sections of its plant in time for today's opener.But much of the work will probably go unnoticed by fans, track general manager Jim Mango said yesterday."

If you've received Preakness tickets in the mail, you've als received an insert telling you that it will cost $2 every time you leave the infield.For the second year, officials at Pimlico Race Course are trying to restrict infield traffic. Grandstand general admission and infield admission are both $12 for the May 18 Preakness, but crisscrossing will cost extra."It's basically one-way to the infield," said Jim Mango, track vice president. "You can go in, but it will cost an extra $2 every time you leave."

LAUREL -- Management at Laurel and Pimlico race courses is expanding its commingling base and projects that within a year the local industry -- which includes the horsemen and management -- will benefit by an extra $2.5 million.Beginning with the Pimlico meet, which opens Sept. 10, entire cards from Maryland tracks will be simulcast to five new out-of-state plants.The new sites are The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, N.J.; Atlantic City (N.J.) Race Course; Canterbury Downs, Shakopee, Minn.; Les Bois Park, Boise, Idaho; and Fair Grounds RaceCourse, New Orleans.

Race tracks were bowing to inclement weather and closing everywhere Saturday morning, but Laurel Park never wavered.After track superintendent John Passero and his crew had labored on the racing strip all day, chief administrative officer Jim Mango decided quickly to open Laurel for business.As a result, the Maryland operation handled more than $3 million -- about $500,000 less than a normal Saturday -- and suffered only minimally after the winter's first snowfall.With simulcast partners Aqueduct, Philadelphia Park and Hawthorne (Chicago area)

Gary R. Scherr was having a perfectly good time at Pimlico Race Course the other day -- until he won $438 on the eighth race.When he got home Sunday night, Mr. Scherr said, he discovered that two of the $100 bills the track paid him were counterfeit.An occasional bettor at Pimlico, Mr. Scherr is used to losing. But not when he wins."I bet my good money and I get their bad money in return," Mr. Scherr, 35, said yesterday. "It's so hard to win anyway. Then to win and get counterfeit money -- it's terrible."

Gary R. Scherr was having a perfectly good time at Pimlico Race Course the other day -- until he won $438 on the eighth race.When he got home Sunday night, Mr. Scherr said, he discovered that two of the $100 bills the track paid him were counterfeit.An occasional bettor at Pimlico, Mr. Scherr is used to losing. But not when he wins."I bet my good money and I get their bad money in return," Mr. Scherr, 35, said yesterday. "It's so hard to win anyway. Then to win and get counterfeit money -- it's terrible."

A wagering foul-up at Laurel Park last week that infuriated bettors was, according to racing officials, an inadvertent human error.A horse presumably scratched from Friday's 10th race was reinstated with no announcement. Many bettors did not realize the No. 13 horse, Honey's Acallade, was running. Although she was 7-2 in the morning line, she paid a glaring $45.80 after winning by a neck.James Mango, Maryland Jockey Club chief administrative officer, and Kenneth A. Schertle, executive director of the Maryland Racing Commission, said this week that their investigations uncovered no fraud.

The Maryland Jockey Club's off-track betting network lost a member recently when The Shoals, located in Cambridge, closed for business."The owner [Charlene Burton] informed us last month that she was selling her motel and restaurant," said Jim Mango, chief operating officer. "She didn't own the land and they're going to develop that property for other purposes."Mango said the MJC is investigating other sites on the Eastern Shore, possibly in Cambridge or Salisbury. "We're certainly looking at the alternatives," said Mango.

What it is -- Wooden skewers seasoned with essential oils and flavors What we like about it --These skewers promise to deliver flavor quickly to the middle of your meat. The Honey Bourbon skewers announced their potency with a smoky-sweet aroma right out of the package, and they gave grilled chicken kebabs a nice tang. (We still longed for a flavorful sauce on the side, though.) The skewers also come in five other flavors: Citrus Rosemary, Mexican Fiesta, Garlic Herb, Thai Coconut Lime and Indian Mango Curry.

If there is one dish that I make more than any other during winter, it's chili. I've cooked traditional chili with ground beef as well as all manner of variations in which the customary meat has been replaced with ground turkey or with chunks of chicken. I've served chili for family meals with as much pleasure as I've offered it to company.And, along with all the different versions of this American classic, I've tried countless breads and salads as accompaniments. Corn bread baked with pepper jack cheese, crispy baked tortilla strips, spinach salad with orange and jicama, and mixed greens with grapefruit and red peppers in a cumin dressing are just some of the offerings served alongside bowls of chili at our house.