Maryland Racing Commission

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.

The Maryland Racing Commission passed a revised incentive program Tuesday meant to persuade thoroughbred breeders to operate in the state and owners of those horses to run on its tracks, but might have shattered the harmony achieved among the sports' stakeholders in recent months. Breeders, who have pushed for a stronger program to reward Maryland horses, hailed the new measure as the final step in rejuvenating the state's horse racing industry. Purses at Maryland tracks have been bolstered by slots revenue - rising from about $160,000 a day to nearly $300,000 since casinos began operating in 2010 - and are again competitive with those in nearby states that legalized gambling earlier.

In a pair of low-slung green stables manned by security guards and watched by 24-hour surveillance cameras, a pack of brawny young horses will be monitored, poked and assessed down to the blood in their veins. The horses set to race in the 138th Preakness are to be kept under a microscope from their arrival at Pimlico Race Course until they burst from their starting gates Saturday — not only to avoid injury but also scandal. "It's become more sophisticated," said David Zipf, 72, the Maryland Racing Commission's longtime chief veterinarian for thoroughbred racing.

In a pair of low-slung green stables manned by security guards and watched by 24-hour surveillance cameras, a pack of brawny young horses will be monitored, poked and assessed down to the blood in their veins. The horses set to race in the 138th Preakness are to be kept under a microscope from their arrival at Pimlico Race Course until they burst from their starting gates Saturday — not only to avoid injury but also scandal. "It's become more sophisticated," said David Zipf, 72, the Maryland Racing Commission's longtime chief veterinarian for thoroughbred racing.

Behind a door just off the paddock area of Pimlico Race Course , several jockeys are prepping for the day's races. They're handicapping the competition, comparing notes on horses and, in at least one case, going through a yoga sequence: reaching back to pull one leg high overhead in the Dancer's Pose, touching nose to knee for the Pyramid. Perhaps this is also happening in the men's locker room, but there's decidedly more stretching space here where the female jockeys suit up, shower and await their calls to the track.

Horse racing Maryland Racing Commission adds Quade Bruce Quade , 65, of the Eastern Shore was introduced at the Maryland Racing Commission's monthly meeting as the group's newest member. "Being on this commission is something I'm interested in, excited and passionate about," said Quade, who is semi-retired from the federal government, where he worked in intelligence and energy. He will serve a four-year term. … The commission will hold a meeting open to the public at 1 p.m. Wednesday to consider the application from Penn National subsidiary Prince George's Racing Ventures LLC for a racetrack license at Rosecroft Raceway.

The future of live thoroughbred racing in Maryland — along with the Preakness Stakes —is in jeopardy once again after a state commission on Tuesday rejected a proposed racing schedule contingent on several conditions that horse owners and breeders refused to accept. That means the Laurel Park racetrack could close its doors Jan. 1 unless a last-minute deal is reached between the horsemen and owners of the Maryland Jockey Club, which operates the tracks. Pimlico Race Course doesn't traditionally run races until the spring, when it puts on the Preakness, the second leg of racing Triple's Crown and the state's largest single sporting event.

Frank F. Favazza Jr., a general contractor who was a member of the Maryland Racing Commission, died of Parkinson's disease complications Wednesday at Lorien Mays Chapel Health Center in Timonium. He was 82. "He was a true American dream," said former Mayor Thomas J. D'Alesandro III, who was a close friend. "He started as a manual laborer and became one of the top general contractors in Maryland. " Born in Baltimore and raised in the Pimlico section of Northwest Baltimore, Mr. Favazza worked alongside his father at a produce store and with his mother at their Boarman Café on Reisterstown Road, where the Favazzas were known for their pizzas and other dishes.

Clinton Pitts Jr., an associate steward at Maryland's thoroughbred tracks, has submitted his resignation to the Maryland Racing Commission and is expected to take a new job as the Jockey Club steward at New York Racing Association tracks.Maryland Racing Commission chairman John H. Mosner Jr. confirmed yesterday that Pitts had submitted his resignation May 26, due to take effect Oct. 13.Pitts, who had been the administrative or chief steward at Laurel and Pimlico race courses, was reassigned to associate steward after he clashed with the racing board last fall.

Clinton Pitts Jr., an associate steward at Maryland's thoroughbred tracks, has submitted his resignation to the Maryland Racing Commission and is expected to take a new job as the Jockey Club Steward at New York Racing Association tracks.Maryland Racing Commission chairman John H. Mosner Jr. confirmed yesterday that Pitts had submitted his resignation May 26, due to take effect Oct. 13.Pitts, who had been the administrative or chief steward at Laurel and Pimlico race courses, was reassigned to associate steward after he clashed with the racing board last fall.

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.

Behind a door just off the paddock area of Pimlico Race Course , several jockeys are prepping for the day's races. They're handicapping the competition, comparing notes on horses and, in at least one case, going through a yoga sequence: reaching back to pull one leg high overhead in the Dancer's Pose, touching nose to knee for the Pyramid. Perhaps this is also happening in the men's locker room, but there's decidedly more stretching space here where the female jockeys suit up, shower and await their calls to the track.

Last April, The New York Times reported on a startling spike in the deaths of horses running at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens. The investigation found widespread use of drugs to prop up horses that were worn out, broken down or otherwise unfit for the contests in which they were entered, contributing to a 100 percent increase in the horse fatality rate in the first few months of the year. Why were horse owners suddenly taking those kinds of risks? The answer was simple: money. A slot machine gambling parlor opened at Aqueduct in late 2011, subsidizing a massive increase in the purses paid to winning horses and creating financial incentives for owners to take advantage of a lax regulatory structure.

Minutes before Tuesday's meeting of the Maryland Racing Commission, officials representing tracks and horsemen from throughout the state staked out space in a darkened lounge at Laurel Park. They shuffled through paperwork, then wrote quickly on the last page of the document and passed it to the next person in line. This was not a discreet ceremonial signing of the 10-year racing deal meant to bring stability to an industry that has repeatedly relied on government help. That deal, announced Friday, was already in place and was the subject of resounding praise.

The Maryland Racing Commission set a Nov. 30 deadline for the completion of what could be an unprecedented 10-year deal to outline the future of horse racing in the state . It will come and go without signatures on the contract. "I wouldn't read anything negative into that," said Alan Foreman, lawyer for the state's horsemen. There's no impasse, he said, on any significant part of the agreement. Mike Hopkins, executive director of the racing commission, said he has spoken to members of the board, including chairman Bruce Quade, and they are satisfied with the progress made so far. They expect a deal to be finalized before their final meeting of the year on Dec. 18. Tom Chuckas of the Maryland Jockey Club, owner of Laurel and Pimlico, struck the most measured tone saying "when it is appropriate, we will make an announcement.

After a vigorous discussion, the Maryland Racing Commission approved the first raise in 12 years for losing jockeys during Tuesday's regular monthly meeting at Laurel Park. All losing riders -- those who finish out of the top 3 spots in a race -- will now make $75 per mount instead of a sliding scale that started at $45. The commission debated whether $75 was a large enough increase but passed the raise with an amendment requiring the board to reassess the amount of the raise, based on available funding numbers six to 12 months after it goes into effect Jan. 1. The $75 plan was proposed by the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association by unanimous approval of its board.

On Feb. 2, 1961, at 1 p.m., a train carrying fans to Bowie Race Course derailed near the race track, killing six and injuring more than 200. Undaunted, a number of passengers scrambled over the dead and wounded, smashed windows and hurried on foot to Bowie, in 15-degree cold, to place their bets before the first race. One man walked to the track with a broken collarbone. Another limped out of the woods nearby carrying a bag of money and one of his shoes. "I saw people with blood all over them, standing there (at the mutual windows)

Allan Levey, a member of the Maryland Racing Commission, said the board will meet Tuesday evening in Baltimore to vote whether to grant the Cracked Claw restaurant in Urbana an off-track betting license.Levey chaired a meeting in Frederick on Wednesday night and heard "mostly opposition" from a number of county residents about the location of the proposed parlor.Levey also said that three of the county commissioners and two state legislators from the jurisdiction also have voiced opposition to the Cracked Claw site.

Secretariat wins again. More than 39 years after the super horse won the Preakness on his way to a Triple Crown, the Maryland Racing Commission ruled Tuesday that he had set what was then a track and is still a race record, covering the mile-and-three-sixteenths in 1:53. Secretariat now holds the race record in all three Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont) events. "It's nice to finally have this recognized, because the sport depends on accuracy," said Secretariat owner Penny Chenery, who helped pushed for the adjustment.

Kent Desormeaux, who was taken off his mounts Friday at Belmont after failing a Breathalyzer test, will not ride Sagamore Farm's Tiger Walk in the Preakness. Sagamore manager Tom Mullikin said Ramon Dominguez will get the ride. "We just can't have that," Mullikin said Friday after watching Sagamore filly Millionreasonswhy finish second in the eighth race. "We're trying to be professional. We don't need those distractions. " Dominguez is tied for the best winning percentage among all jockeys this year (with Javier Castellano, at 25 percent)