Raceway

Maryland Secretary of State John P. McDonough, who is spearheading efforts to keep Rosecroft Raceway open, said Wednesday that there are two or three potential parties who have expressed interest in buying the harness track that closed in June. McDonough said the unidentified potential purchasers would be willing to step up if real estate developer Mark Vogel, a former owner of the track, is not successful in re-acquiring it. A Delaware bankruptcy judge earlier this year rejected Vogel's deal to purchase the track, which filed for bankruptcy in June 2009.

Rosecroft Raceway, the bankrupt racetrack in Prince George's County, will close July 1 after running out of money to operate — in yet another setback for the ailing horse racing industry in Maryland. Rosecroft had been struggling for years as it saw a revolving door of owners, stopped running live racing and then lost the right to broadcast simulcast thoroughbred races. Earlier this year, the state legislature rejected a bill sought by the track to legalize poker and table games there.

The Maryland Racing Commission extended Rosecroft Raceway's racing license on Tuesday for 45 days through April 14 after a hearing at its regular monthly meeting at Laurel Park. The extension was 15 days shorter than Rosecroft had requested, and the MRC also asked the track to submit by March 31 qualified accounting information for January and February through its current accounting firm or through another firm that would have to be approved by the commission. The commission had expected the financial information before Tuesday's board meeting and even though Rosecroft president and acting CEO Kelly Rogers said he thought he had provided enough to meet the commission's request, MRC chairman John Franzone noted the commission's displeasure at not having received a full report.

In the latest twist for the bankrupt harness track, a former owner of Rosecroft Raceway said Tuesday that he has reached a tentative deal to buy back the financially beleaguered property and he wants to immediately start live racing again. Greenbelt real estate developer Mark Vogel - who owned Rosecroft for four years before financial troubles forced him to file for bankruptcy protection in 1991 - said he's willing to again take on the risk of trying to make the Prince George's County track viable.

FORT WORTH, Texas --Tony Stewart says he's racing in a different league from NASCAR's playoff contenders. Checker Auto Parts 500 Sunday, 3 p.m., Phoenix International Raceway, chs. 11, 4

Candidate forums scheduled by district Baltimore's League of Women Voters has scheduled candidate forums this month for each of the city's legislative districts. Candidates for the state Senate and the House of Delegates have been invited to the forums, and audience members will be permitted to ask questions. The forums include District 40: Thursday at Great Hall, Lovely Lane Methodist Church, 2200 St. Paul St. District 41: Friday at Forest Park Senior Center, 4801 Liberty Heights Ave. District 43: Wednesday at Good Samaritan Hospital, 5601 Loch Raven Blvd.

BERLIN -- A fast-moving fire aided by strong winds destroyed a barn and killed one horse at the Bally's Ocean Downs raceway yesterday, officials said. A security guard at the raceway saw the smoke and flames and alerted fire officials about 5:20 p.m. Almost immediately, trainers and other personnel moved to save the seven horses in Barn F, the most southern in a cluster of about a dozen barns on the grounds in Worcester County. Six horses were led out safely. One fought to stay; the horse's body was found later in the charred rubble.

LONG POND, Pa. - Elliott Sadler barreled down the 3,740-foot Pocono Raceway front stretch during practice for tomorrow's Pocono 500, his speed climbing to nearly 200 mph, but slowing to a more manageable 190 as he dived into the first turn. Sadler, who signed a three-year contract extension with Robert Yates Racing yesterday, had little to do as he whipped along. The only demands were to press the gas pedal and tap the brake. Gear shifting, something he had had to learn as a rookie here seven years ago, is for all intents and purposes passe.

The Maryland Racing Commission granted unanimous approval yesterday for the sale of Rosecroft Raceway to Georgia K. Angelos, wife of Peter G. Angelos, majority owner of the Orioles. Rosecroft Raceway, the struggling harness track in Prince George's County, has been mentioned prominently as a potential site for slot machines. With the debate over legalizing the machines expected to heat up again in the legislative session that opens today, Rosecroft's new ownership will likely assume a central role.

The owners of Rosecroft Raceway said yesterday that they have settled a debt with a former business partner - clearing the way for the sale of the harness track to the family of Baltimore trial lawyer Peter G. Angelos. The track, located just off the Capital Beltway in Prince George's County, has been eyed as a potential site for a lucrative slot machine gambling license if the General Assembly decides to allow slots in Maryland. Rosecroft's former business partner, Northwind Racing LLC, was holding a mortgage on the track, which has struggled financially in recent years.