William Rickman

Patrons of Maryland horse tracks and off-track-betting centers can watch and wager on races from Keeneland beginning today. The MidAtlantic Cooperative, a group of 17 tracks including Pimlico and Laurel Park, reached an agreement yesterday with Keeneland that will allow the Keeneland signal to flow into Maryland betting facilities. The mid-Atlantic tracks had refused to simulcast Keeneland races after Keeneland lowered its takeout, cutting into the receiving tracks' profits. Martin Lieberman, executive director of the cooperative, declined to reveal specifics of the deal.

Gov. Martin O'Malleyexplained his headlong push for expanded gambling in Maryland as an attempt to end debate on the issue once and for all - at least for as long as he is governor. But the legislature may have sabotaged that hope through an amendment that gutted Mr. O'Malley's effort to ban campaign contributions from gambling interests. There can be no doubt about the gambling industry's influence in Annapolis after the legislature passed an expansion plan that is more lucrative for the casinos than the state by a ratio of 13-1.

The House of Delegates added an amendment to a fast-moving racetrack subsidy bill that prohibits any of the money from being used for political donations. Del. Luiz Simmons, a Montgomery County Democrat, offered the amendment . "When we are handing out public money like Baskin-Robbins ice cream, we ought to make certain the money is used for the purpose that is intended. " The bill would divert $1.2 million from slots revenue to Ocean Downs, a racetrack and casino location on the Eastern Shore as long as it has 40 live racing days.

The House of Delegates added an amendment to a fast-moving racetrack subsidy bill that prohibits any of the money from being used for political donations. Del. Luiz Simmons, a Montgomery County Democrat, offered the amendment . "When we are handing out public money like Baskin-Robbins ice cream, we ought to make certain the money is used for the purpose that is intended. " The bill would divert $1.2 million from slots revenue to Ocean Downs, a racetrack and casino location on the Eastern Shore as long as it has 40 live racing days.

A former owner of Ocean Downs decided yesterday to regain control of the harness track on the Eastern Shore, a move that would block Delaware Park owner William Rickman Jr. from expanding his holdings. The board of directors of Cloverleaf Enterprises Inc. voted at 2:30 p.m. yesterday to regain Ocean Downs by exercising a first right of refusal, said John P. Davey. He is the lawyer for Cloverleaf, which owns Rosecroft Raceway, the harness track in Prince George's County. Cloverleaf will borrow $5.1 million from the Maryland Jockey Club to complete the deal.

The Maryland Racing Commission gave preliminary approval yesterday to a bid by William Rickman Jr. to build a horse track in Western Maryland, acting after the Maryland Jockey Club agreed to drop its opposition. Rickman, owner of Delaware Park and Ocean Downs, presented the commission with a $20 million line of credit for Allegany Racing Association, the entity composed of Rickman and his father, William Rickman, that proposes to construct the track in eastern Allegany County. Representatives of the Maryland Jockey Club stopped fighting the proposal after Rickman secured the line of credit from the Wilmington Trust Co. in Delaware.

William Rickman Jr., owner of the Delaware Park horse track and slots emporium, has apparently succeeded in gaining his long-desired foothold in Maryland racing. Rickman is proceeding with plans to buy Bally's at Ocean Downs, a harness track on the Eastern Shore, after the owners of Rosecroft Raceway - in concert with Joseph A. De Francis and the Maryland Jockey Club - abandoned efforts Thursday to keep Rickman out of the state. "It boiled down to how many dollars do we want to throw down the toilet just to keep him out," De Francis said yesterday.

Maryland's House of Delegates narrowly approved a bill Saturday that would provide $1.2 million to the owner of a racetrack and casino on the Eastern Shore, setting aside objections from some lawmakers who called it a giveaway to the "one percent. " The bill would divert revenue earmarked for enhancing racing purses to provide operating assistance for the Ocean Downs Race Track, so long as the track has 40 live racing days. It is owned by William Rickman, a politically connected developer.

Gov. Martin O'Malleyexplained his headlong push for expanded gambling in Maryland as an attempt to end debate on the issue once and for all - at least for as long as he is governor. But the legislature may have sabotaged that hope through an amendment that gutted Mr. O'Malley's effort to ban campaign contributions from gambling interests. There can be no doubt about the gambling industry's influence in Annapolis after the legislature passed an expansion plan that is more lucrative for the casinos than the state by a ratio of 13-1.

FREDERICK - The Maryland Racing Commission has granted the first new license to operate a horse track in the state in more than 50 years. At a final hearing in Frederick, the commission gave the go-ahead yesterday to William Rickman Jr. and his father, William Rickman Sr., to build a small track in Allegany County. The Rickmans, who own racetracks in Maryland and Delaware, must obtain numerous county and state permits before beginning construction. Once that permit process is completed - it could be lengthy because of opposition by Allegany County residents - the track would be built within two years, Rickman Jr. said.

Maryland's House of Delegates narrowly approved a bill Saturday that would provide $1.2 million to the owner of a racetrack and casino on the Eastern Shore, setting aside objections from some lawmakers who called it a giveaway to the "one percent. " The bill would divert revenue earmarked for enhancing racing purses to provide operating assistance for the Ocean Downs Race Track, so long as the track has 40 live racing days. It is owned by William Rickman, a politically connected developer.

Like many horse racing tracks across the country, the Ocean Downs harness track on the Eastern Shore is hemorrhaging money. It lost an average of $2 million annually for the past five years. Ocean Downs' owner, William Rickman, wants the state's help. He is pushing a bill, scheduled for consideration Wednesday by a Senate committee, that would allow the state's two harness tracks to keep using a share of the purse money generated from Maryland's casinos to support daily racing operations.

Powerful interests that stand to benefit the most from Gov. Martin O'Malley's plan to legalize slot-machine gambling have contributed nearly $1.25 million to state candidates and political parties since 2003, and spent $2.6 million on State House lobbying fees during the past two years, according to a Sun analysis. Gambling supporters have poured at least $135,000 into the campaign accounts of O'Malley and Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown, records show. Former Republican Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., an avid slots supporter, received about $131,000 during the same period.

In Louisiana and New Jersey, casino owners and gambling industry representatives are barred from donating money to political campaigns. At least eight other states also restrict donations from the industry. But in Maryland, where state legislators brag of the strictest ethics regulations in the nation, gambling businesses face no special restrictions as they invest millions in the political process to expand their operations with slot machines at racetracks and possibly casinos at tourist sites.

FREDERICK - The Maryland Racing Commission has granted the first new license to operate a horse track in the state in more than 50 years. At a final hearing in Frederick, the commission gave the go-ahead yesterday to William Rickman Jr. and his father, William Rickman Sr., to build a small track in Allegany County. The Rickmans, who own racetracks in Maryland and Delaware, must obtain numerous county and state permits before beginning construction. Once that permit process is completed - it could be lengthy because of opposition by Allegany County residents - the track would be built within two years, Rickman Jr. said.

Patrons of Maryland horse tracks and off-track-betting centers can watch and wager on races from Keeneland beginning today. The MidAtlantic Cooperative, a group of 17 tracks including Pimlico and Laurel Park, reached an agreement yesterday with Keeneland that will allow the Keeneland signal to flow into Maryland betting facilities. The mid-Atlantic tracks had refused to simulcast Keeneland races after Keeneland lowered its takeout, cutting into the receiving tracks' profits. Martin Lieberman, executive director of the cooperative, declined to reveal specifics of the deal.

Two titans of the region's horse-racing industry, William Rickman Jr. and Joseph A. De Francis, will clash over the license to build a horse track in Western Maryland. Rickman, a Montgomery County developer and owner of the Delaware Park horse track and slots emporium near Wilmington, Del., has said for months he wants to build a track in Allegany County. He said he will complete a deal tomorrow to buy 112 acres midway between Hagerstown and Cumberland -- without an option in case his bid for the license fails.

The Maryland Racing Commission gave preliminary approval yesterday to a bid by William Rickman Jr. to build a horse track in Western Maryland, acting after the Maryland Jockey Club agreed to drop its opposition. Rickman, owner of Delaware Park and Ocean Downs, presented the commission with a $20 million line of credit for Allegany Racing Association, the entity composed of Rickman and his father, William Rickman, that proposes to construct the track in eastern Allegany County. Representatives of the Maryland Jockey Club stopped fighting the proposal after Rickman secured the line of credit from the Wilmington Trust Co. in Delaware.