For those who enjoy watching the races from lovely Laurel Park via HRTV or favorite online wagering website, you will see something new in the stretch to the Finish Line…. graphics. Much like the graphics you see during any football telecast that shows the first down yard marker and what down and yards to go, the Laurel Park simulcast feed to hundreds of outlets all over the globe will show a virtual Finish Line as well as distances to the wire during the stretch run.

The technology was developed by International Sound Corporation in conjunction with a third-party vendor. “It is similar to the first down marker in football but takes it one step further in the world of virtual advertising,” said International Sound executive vice-president Joe Gordon. “The advertising opportunities are unlimited. Having the ability to see your company’s logo during the race as the masses watch is better than running a commercial 15 minutes before the race. The tool is used in South America for soccer and is extremely successful.”

Mario Pino, was born on September 8, 1961, in West Grove, Pennsylvania. He won his first race on January 16, 1979, at the now defunct Bowie Race Course aboard Ed’s Desire. Over 33 years and 6,466 victories later, Pino sits at #11 on the all-time win list for thoroughbred jockeys in North America. A milestone he reached just 3 weeks ago when he won his 6,451st race aboard Came Acorkin at Presque Isle Downs (Erie, PA) on August 25th, surpassing Hall oF Fame rider, Sandy Hawley.

Being #11 is a nice, but the ultimate goal for Mario has been to be #10. That honor is currently held by Earlie Fires with 6,470 victories. Prior to Friday races, Pino sits just 4 career victories shy of #6471 to take his place as the 10th winningest jock of all-time. Having five (5) mounts on the Presque Isle Downs Friday evening card, he might get to #10 then, but what a 52nd birthday present it would be, if he could get win #6471 on Saturday, where he’ll have 8 tries to do it. Next stop for Mario… the Hall Of Fame!

UPDATED: On Friday evening Pino failed to get to the Winners’ Circle. So he remains 3 victories from tying (4 victories for sole possession) of 10th.

Throughout the Laurel Park Fall Meet, I’ll post full card selections only for Saturday race days. The weather forecast calls Partly Cloudy skies, which should result in a FAST MAIN TRACK and FIRM TURF.

Recapping Opening Day Laurel Park selections from Wednesday, September 5th had 7 winners (3 Top Selections; payoffs in BOLD) having $2 WIN pay-offs being $30.00 (1st race), $3.00 (2nd), $7.20 (4th), $10.00 (5th), $3.80 (7th), $4.20 (8th), and $12.00 (9th).

The BEST BET of the Day (1 1-0-0) got hammered at the betting windows early and often, opening up at 2-5 (down from 2-1 M/L), went off 4-5 favorite, and did not disappoint, winning by 2 lengths to return $3.80 to WIN $2.60 to PLACE and $2.60 to SHOW.

The LONGSHOT PICK (1 0-0-0) did not get much love early in the betting but did go off 8-1, down from his 12-1 M/L, but was no factor. Usually eager to get the early lead, he failed to get it even against rivals void of early speed, which had me tearing up pari-mutuel tickets before the field turned for home in this 5 furlong event. It was a slow death as he stalked the leader then threw in the towel with a furlong to run, finishing an uneventful 6th.

Selections for the Laurel Park, Saturday, Sept. 8th card are posted below. Due to a prior committment, no updates after scratches will be made. Therefore, a couple Also-Eligibles (AE) are among my selections, along with a alternate pick in case the AE or 1 any other pick from that race gets scratched.

Selections posted were handicapped based on making multi-race wagers such as DOUBLE’s, Pick-3’s and Pick-4’s using all three (3) listed for each race in each leg.

1st race – $8,000 Maiden Claiming for fillies and mares 3 y.o. and up – 6 furlongs
#4 – Malibu Fever (6-1)
#5 – Fancy Attitude (7-5)
#1/1A – Seekthe Wildlight / Yoshi’s Cat (8-5)

2nd race – $15,000 Claiming NW2L for fillies and mares 3 y.o. and up – 5½ furlongs
#2 – Medieval Cat (5-2)
#5 – Great Motion (3-1)
#3 – Marataya’s Tune (9-2)

3rd race – $16,000 Maiden Claiming for 2 y.o. – 6 furlongs
#4 – Broadruns Jewell (5-1)
#8 – Marry Me Do (5-2)
#3– Hero’s Notion (6-1)

4th race – $8,000 Maiden Claiming for fillies and mares 3 y.o. and up – 1 mile
#8 – No Peeking (7-2)
#6 – Gold Lark (8-1)
#4 – Imsobold (6-1)

5th race – $25,000 Claiming NW2L for 3 y.o. and up – 5½ furlongs on TURF
#4 – Fearsome (7-2)
#12 (AE) – Public Secret (9-2)
#6 – Gottalovethedrake (10-1)
#9 – Pursuit Of Honor (7-2) — if #12 – Public Secret does not get in off AE List

6th race – $5,000 Claiming NW2L for fillies and mares 3 y.o. and up – 7 furlongs
#8 – Stone Maiden (8-1) $$$ LONGSHOT PLAY $$$
#7 – Let’s Get Lucky (2-1)
#6 – Tutu’s Angel (9-2)

7th race – $40,000 Optional Claiming N1X for 2 y.o. fillies – 5½ furlongs on TURF
#10 – Backyard Boogie (6-1)
#12 – My Crazy Livi (4-1)
#2 – Touring Hong Kong (6-1)

8th race – $15,000 Claiming for 3 y.o. and up – 1 mile
#6 – Outbacker (9-2)
#9 – Who Dat Boy (3-1)
#8 – Citizen Kat (2-1)

9th race – $32,000 Optional Claiming N3X for 3 y.o. and up – 6 furlongs
#7 – Adirondack King (6-1) $$$ BEST BET $$$
#3 – Regal Solo (3-1)
#4 – Streetsofbrooklyn (5-1)

10th race – $125,000 Japan Racing Assn. Stk 3 y.o. and up – 1 1/16 miles on TURF
#8 – Paris Vegas (12-1)
#5 – London Lane (10-1)
#4 – Tonto Fontenot (5-1)

11th race – $38,000 Maidens for fillies and mares 3 y.o. and up – 5½f on TURF
#1 – Ladida (6-1)
#11 (AE) – Citi Point (4-1)
#4 – Fridays Gift (5-1)
#7 – Coco Punch (12-1) — if #11 – Citi Point does not get in off AE List

GOOD LUCK!

Remnants of Hurricane Isaac streaked across the Timonium Fair Grounds just before call to the post for the final race of the meeting Monday afternoon, necessitating officials to cancel the race and end the program.

The 2012 meeting ended with a tie for training honors between Jamie Ness and Hugh McMahon. Both saddled five winners over the seven days of the stand. McMahon won a trainer’s bonus of $4,000 with points based on 1-2-3 finishers and number of starters. Ness ($3,000) finished second in the chase for the trainer’s bonus, while Charles Frock ($2,000) took third and Dale Capuano ($1,000) was fourth.

Travis Dunkelberger led the jockey standings with ten (10) winners, three more than Jonathan Joyce.

The 17-week (69 racing days) Laurel Park fall meeting begins Wednesday afternoon with a nine-race card, headlined by the $100,000 Jameela Stakes for Maryland-bred fillies and mares. The 6-furlong test, scheduled for the turf, drew a full field of 11 plus an also-eligible runner. First post is 1:10 p.m.

Opening day features free admission, a complimentary live program and $2 draft beers. Laurel will make extensive use of its turf course during the fall and plans to revive its 50-cent Jackpot Pick 5, which did well during a trial run this spring at Pimlico. Thanks to an influx of revenue from slot machines in Maryland, Laurel’s overnight purses will now average $240,000, up from $185,000 last year.

Recapping Closing Day (Monday 3rd) selections at the Maryland State Fair (Timonium) Meet had 7 winners (5 Top Selections; payoffs in BOLD) having $2 WIN pay-offs being $21.20 (1st race), $4.00 (2nd), $4.00 (3rd), $5.00 (4th), $11.60 (6th), $5.00 (7th) and $5.20 (8th).

The Best Bet was sent off the 3-2 2nd betting choice, quickly sprinted out to a clear lead and then coasted home to a 4 length victory returning $5.00 to WIN, $2.40 to PLACE and $2.20 to SHOW.
Best Bet pick scorecard from 6 Timonium selections: 3 WIN – 1 PLACE – 1 SHOW.

The Longshot Pick went off 6-1 and was never able to get involved with the early leaders, and simply chased his rivals in the 4 furlong dash to finish 4th.
Longshot pick scorecard from 6 Timonium selections: 1 WIN – 1 PLACE – 1 SHOW

SHOW Parlay Play of the Day #4 – Grandanna who also happened to be the BEST BET of the day won with authority but unfortunately a couple scratches cut the field down to 6, and with the 1-1 favorite running 2nd, the SHOW price payout was short ($2.20). So having $74 invested in the SHOW Parlay wager, the 10% ROI netted $7.40, increasing the final bankroll to $82.30 from the initial $40 investment over 6 days of racing (as one card was cancelled after the 3rd race).

Throughout the Laurel Park Fall Meet, I’ll post full card selections only for Saturday race days. But one cannot resist capping an Opening Day card… even though the weather forecast may cause havoc with those races scheduled to be run on the turf. Selections for the Opening Day at Laurel Park, Wednesday, Sept. 5th posted below and on e-ponies.com are AFTER SCRATCHES were announced.

1st race – $8,000 Maiden Claiming for 3 y.o. and up – 6 furlongs
#4 – Black Seal (5-2)
#7 – Yield At The Bull (8-1)
#6 – Joribe (8-5)

2nd race – $5,000 Claiming for 3 y.o. and up – 1 1/16 miles
#1 – Poni Colada (7-5)
#4 – Blue Code (3-1)
#7 – Lusterdust (8-1)

3rd race – $5,000 Starter Allowance for 3 y.o. and up – 1 1/16 miles on TURF
#13 (AE) – Sacred Soul **** SCRATCHED *****
#5 – Pick Four (3-1)
#8– Unbridled Music (15-1)

4th race – $15,000 Claiming NW2L for 3 y.o. and up – 1 mile
#8 – Straight Talk (2-1)
#4 – Black Bullet (7-2)
#2 – Furman Bisher (15-1)

5th race – $40,000 Allowance N1X for 3 y.o. and up – 1 1/16 miles on TURF
#8 – Change Of Command (9-5)
#3 – Saintly Love (6-1)
#7 – Colonel Bill (3-1)

6th race – $7,500 Claiming NW3L for 3 y.o. and up – 5½ furlongs
#6 – Threeanddonedan (12-1) $$$ LONGSHOT PLAY $$$
#2 – Mr. Time To Go (4-1)
#5 – Billy Chapel (7-2)

7th race – $38,000 Maidens for 3 y.o. and up – 1 1/16 miles on TURF
#10 – Warrant (2-1) $$$ BEST BET $$$
#2 – Backdoor Strike (12-1)
#3 – No Delay (15-1)

8th race – $100,000 Jameela Stakes for MD bred fillies and mares 3 y.o. and up – 6f
#1 – Jazzy Idea (2-1)
#4 – Carol’s Love (8-1)
#11 – Bold Affair (5-2)

9th race – $25,000 Maiden Claiming for fillies and mares 3 y.o. and up – 5½ furlongs
#1 – Be Bop a Lula (5-2)
#9 – Rockfast (10-1)
#6 – Turnagain Bay (15-1)

Closing Day of the Maryland State Fair on Monday not only means the end to the annual 7 days of live racing, but no more racing in the Baltimore metro area until Spring of 2013, when Pimlico opens for their couple dozen or so days leading up to the 138th running of the Preakness Stakes (May 18th).

On Wednesday (Sept. 5th) Laurel Park opens with live racing scheduled every Wednesday thru Saturday, with two exceptions. Live racing will be conducted on Monday, October 8th (Columbus Day) instead of Wednesday, October 10th. And to take advantage of the fact many fans who take time off between Christmas Day and New Years Day, live racing will be held Monday, December 31st to bring the fall meet and 2012 to a close.

The Maryland Jockey Club will host more stakes races for higher purses this fall at Laurel Park, boosted by additional revenue from state casinos. The race course will host 32 stakes races over 69 days — for a total of five more races than it hosted last autumn. At least half of the prize money in stakes races come from the owners of the horses entered. Stakes races usually attract higher purse values.

The average daily purse at Laurel Park will also increase this fall. The average purse will bring in $240,000, up from $210,000 last year. The $30,000 increase is due mainly to revenue from slot machines in the state, the Maryland Jockey Club said.

The fall meet concludes on December 31st, which is highlighted by the 27th running of the Jim McKay Maryland Million Day on Oct. 6th.

Recapping Day 6 (Sunday 2nd) selections at the Maryland State Fair (Timonium) Meet had 7 winners (4 Top Selections; payoffs in BOLD) having $2 WIN pay-offs being $4.80 (1st race), $3.60 (2nd), $14.80 (3rd), $4.00 (5th), $6.00 (7th), $4.40 (9th) and $5.00 (10th).

The Best Bet was sent off the 3-1 3rd betting choice, took the early lead and held it until weakening the final furlong, to salvage 3rd, returning $2.60 to SHOW.
Best Bet pick scorecard from 5 Timonium selections: 2 WIN – 1 PLACE – 1 SHOW.

The Longshot Pick won “from Go to Whoa” in dominating fashion, but either the word was out on him OR there are plenty of my readers who took my advise. I like to think the latter, but I doubt that is why the Longshot pick was bet down to the 1-1 favorite and only returned $4.00 to WIN, $2.80 to PLACE and $2.40 to SHOW.
Longshot pick scorecard from 5 Timonium selections: 1 WIN – 1 PLACE – 1 SHOW

SHOW Parlay Play of the Day took the early lead and never looked back, even though the rains held off and the track was fast, scoring the victory as the 3-2 2nd choice, paying $5.00 to WIN and $2.60 to PLACE but the $2.40 to SHOW helped increase the SHOW Parlay bankroll by $12.40 to bring the bankroll total to $74.90 so we can “Let It Ride” on Closing Day of the Maryland State Fair.

For Maryland State Fair Closing Day of the meet at Timonium, (Monday, September 3rd) posted below reflect early scratches.

1st race – $10,000 Maiden Claiming for 3 y.o. and up – 4 furlongs
#5 – Money Drive (3-1)
#1 – Cross Rd Rocketman (7-5)
#3 – Absolute Russian (15-1)

2nd race – $4,000 Claiming for 3 y.o. and up – 4 furlongs
#3 – B L’s Noise (2-1) SCRATCHED
#8 – Big Champ (7-2)
#7 – Am So Happy (7-2)

3rd race – $5,000 Claiming NW3L for fillies and mares 3 y.o. and up – 4 furlongs
#6 – American Spice (5-2)
#2 – Riley’s Rampage (2-1)
#1 – Stormy Combo (3-1)

4th race – $5,000 Claiming NW3L for 3 y.o. and up – 1 1/16 mile
#1 – Wingo Star (2-1)
#2 – Red Thorn (8-5) SCRATCHED
#5 – Mo’s Bro (6-1)

5th race – $5,000 Claiming NW2L for 3 y.o. and up – 6½ furlongs
#5 – Airstream Driver (7-2)
#4 – High Gross (5-1)
#8 – Flankers Flag (4-1)

6th race – $5,000 Claiming NW2L for 3 y.o. and up – 4 furlongs
#1 – Faro Moro (9-2) $$$ LONGSHOT PLAY $$$
#4 – Private Person (3-1)
#3 – Love Those Cds (4-1)

7th race – $5,000 Starter Allowance for fillies and mares 3 y.o. and up – 4 furlongs
#4 – Grandanna (5-2) $$$ BEST BET $$$
#3 – You’re Kinda Neat (5-1)
#6 – Whatsnottolike (2-1)

8th race – $27,000 Allowance N1X for 3 y.o. and up – 6½ furlongs
#6 – Wolfcamp (5-2)
#1/1A – Talented Whiz / College Grad (2-1)
#2 – Silent Tap (5-1)

9th race – $27,000 Allowance N1X for fillies and mares 3 y.o. and up – 4 furlongs
#2 – Dazzling Display (7-2)
#7 – Give You Glory (5-1)
#4 – Love Like Ours (4-1)

10th race – $5,000 Maiden Claiming for fillies and mares 3 y.o. and up – 4 furlongs
#4 – Dear Rachel (9-5)
#10 – Coc Delite (30-1)
#6 – One Dancing Chic (4-1) SCRATCHED

SHOW Parlay available bankroll: $74.90 ($62.50 bankroll – $62 wagered + $74.40 returned)

SHOW Parlay Play of the Day: $74 on #4 Grandanna (7th race; 5-2) is M/L 2nd choice in a field of 7, has never been off the board in 6 tries at today’s distance. If the track comes up sloppy, her chances should increase as she’s 1 for 1 on an off track, while earning a career best Brisnet Speed figure to boot.

Hopefully Mother Nature will allow the sun to shine brightly on the final day of live racing at the State Fair, so enjoy the exciting chase scenes Maryland thoroughbred horse racing has to offer. Good Luck!

LAUREL, MD. 07-17-12—The Maryland Jockey Club (MJC) unveiled the 2012 Laurel Park fall schedule on Tuesday after reaching agreement with both the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and Maryland Horse Breeders Association. The schedule was approved by the Maryland Racing Commission hours earlier at its monthly meeting.

After a 15-week break, which will include seven (7) live days of racing at Timonium during the State Fair in late August and early September, live racing will resume at the major tracks two days after Labor Day. Racing will take place four (4) days a week through the end of the year on a Wednesday through Saturday schedule, holidays excluded.

The 69-day fall meeting, which begins Wednesday, Sept. 5 and concludes Monday, Dec. 31, includes 32 stakes races, 5 more than a year ago. The average daily purse will be increased from $210,000 to $240,000, thanks to revenue from slot machines in the state. Like the 60′s cartoon character Mighty Mouse, “revenue from slots” has (finally) come to save the day. In the cartoon below, the cats represent Delaware, West Virginia and Pennsylvania terrorizing and threatening to (financially) devour the MJC, Maryland horsemen, owners, breeders and track employees. Hopefully, it will only get better when a state special session approves the expansion of gaming in the state, in order to keep pace with surrounding states that already offer table games.

“It is important to have stakes races bolster our Saturday cards,” said Maryland Jockey Club president Tom Chuckas. “To build our business from a handle standpoint, races need to be more attractive to simulcast players. We are in the process of finalizing the promotional schedule for the fall, which we expect will bring more fans into the building.”

Headlining the stand will be the 27th running of the Jim McKay Maryland Million Day for the offspring of Maryland-based stallions on Saturday, Oct. 6 and the return of the Fall Festival of Racing three weeks later. That card will feature five stakes races on the turf as well as the $350,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash.

Laurel Park Fall Meeting Dates:

• September 5-6-7-8
• September 12-13-14-15
• September 19-20-21-22
• September 26-27-28-29

• October 3-4-5-6
• October 8-11-12-13
• October 17-18-19-20
• October 24-25-26-27

• October 31-November 1-2-3
• November 7-8-9-10
• November 14-15-16-17
• November 21-22-23-24
• November 28-29-30-December 1

• December 5-6-7-8
• December 12-13-14-15
• December 19-20-21-22
• December 26-27-28-29
• December 31

I’m extremely dissapointed at how much money leaves my beloved state of Maryland everyday.   I’ve consistantly been around the horse racing & gaming industry in this area for 10 years.  There has been a lot of change.  There are clean, classy establishments all over the mid-atlantic ready to take Marylanders’ action, but not here in Baltimore or our home state.  Marylanders are stuck with two rundown thoroughbred tracks and a few slot parlors where its man vs. machine.  This is why I take my action outside of state lines.  If the state lawmakers had any business sense, they would realize that it doesn’t have to be that way.

Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia all have live table games and slots to offer customers at their respective thoroughbred tracks.  I have frequented Pimlico and local underground poker games for the last 10 years and noticed that there are a lot less people gambling locally these days.  Most gamblers living west of I-83 are headed to Charles Town to get their horses, dice and poker fix while people living east of I-83 are headed to Delaware Park to willfully shred cash.   I myself have begun to frequent Delaware Park and enjoy the setting.  I willingly accept paying the ‘slap in the face’ $6 toll in Cecil County on a bi-weekly basis in order to gamble comfortably.  Rather than have to worry about eating mushy soup that will upset your stomach or a bag of potato chips from the snack bar @the Sports Palace inside Pimlico, I can enjoy a $17 Prime Rib dinner or an asian-style beef noodle bowl right down the hall from the poker room at Delaware Park.  Rather than play video poker against a machine in Perryville, I can play live poker against Joe The Plumber, Nick The Greek and Russian George at Delaware Park.  Rather than have to watch my back & my wallet as I walk through the parking lot at Pimlico, I can ride the shuttle bus back to my car from the DP side entrance.  Rather than have to fear being robbed or arrested at an underground poker club in Baltimore with an excessive rake, I can hang out in a safe, relaxing enviroment with a minimal $4 chop such as Charles Town, Penn National, or Delaware Park.  Have I listed enough reasons why gaming in Maryland sucks yet?

There is a way to fix the gaming industry in Maryland.  That way is to build a full-service thoroughbred track & gaming center in downtown baltimore.  This facility should include a state of the art track to support our beloved horse racing industry, as well as a full gaming center with restaurants, a spa, night clubs and a hotel all on site.  The gamblers in Maryland would be more inclined to play locally due to location.  Also, tourists will come thru Baltimore via I-95 and have a reason to stop and spend their money rather than bypass us to donate at Delaware Park or Charles Town instead.  Maryland racing will once again rise to the top with a premier venue to host a Breeders Cup as well as host the annual Preakness Stakes.  Tourism will increase bringing plenty of revenue to local businesses downtown.  Thousands of jobs will open up for qualified workers as well.  All of these reasons will greatly contribute to a more successful business enviroment in the area. 

Hopefully, with the cooperation of our state government, someone will step up to the plate and deliver a first class alternative to the more appealing out of state gambling venues.  My gut tells me this won’t be happening anytime soon and it will be more of the same for the gaming industry in Maryland.

MARYLAND RACING COMMISSION AGREES TO REVIEW TIMING OF SECRETARIAT’S 1973 PREAKNESS STAKES
New Evidence to Be Presented at June 19 Meeting

BALTIMORE, Md. (June 12, 2012) – Penny Chenery, the owner of Secretariat and Thomas Chuckas, the President of the Maryland Jockey Club have requested that the Maryland Racing Commission conduct a hearing to consider “compelling” evidence, based upon advances in modern video technology, regarding the long-standing controversy surrounding Secretariat’s winning time in the 1973 Preakness Stakes. The Commission has agreed to do so and it will consider the request at its upcoming meeting on June 19th at Laurel Park.
The electronic timer in use at Pimlico for the 1973 Preakness recorded a winning time of 1:55—a clocking that quickly became the source of controversy after two independent clockers from the Daily Racing Form had individually hand-timed the race at a much faster 1:53 2/5. In the days following the 1973 Preakness, the stewards at Pimlico, and later the Commission, concluded that there were “extenuating circumstances” attendant to the electronic timer’s recording.  As a result, the official time was subsequently changed to that reported by Pimlico’s official hand clocker — 1:54 2/5.
Had Secretariat’s time been officially recorded as 1:53 2/5 – the time still recognized today by the Daily Racing Form - he would have beaten Canonero II’s track record of 1:54 for the 1 3/16-mile distance, set during the 1971 Preakness Stakes. Instead, the Preakness wound up being the only ”jewel” of Secretariat’s three Triple Crown race victories in which he did not establish a new track record.
“For me, revisiting this dispute on a new day is matter of resolution – for historians, for sportswriters and for racing fans,” said Mrs. Chenery. “Their voices are supported by sound evidence, and they deserve to be heard.”
The Maryland Jockey Club, which operates Pimlico Race Course, agrees that the time has come to settle the issue.
“During the last 40 years, video technology has been accepted in other professional sports as a supportive mechanism for officials to ensure fairness and accuracy in their decisions,” said Maryland Jockey Club President Tom Chuckas. “It is important for horse racing and the record books to confirm the correct time in this historical race. It is the appropriate thing to do.”
In later runnings of the second leg of the Triple Crown, Tank’s Prospect (1985), Louis Quatorze (1996) and Curlin (2007) separately established the current, officially – recognized Preakness Stakes record time of 1:53 2/5. The track record at Pimlico for 1 3/16 miles is held by Farma Way with a time of 1:52 2/5 when he won the 1991 Pimlico Special.
The June 19 Maryland Racing Commission meeting will be held at Laurel Park beginning at 1:00 pm and is open to the public.

Pimlico Announces Final Spring Meet Handle Figures

BALTIMORE, 05-23-12—The Maryland Jockey Club concluded its spring meeting at Pimlico Race Course last weekend, posting average wagering figures which were 9% higher than the 2011 spring meet. The average daily handle went from $4.72 million to $5.17 million. The stand featured 29 live racing dates and 21 simulcast days.

“It is significant news that the live and export numbers increased from a year ago,” Maryland Jockey Club president Tom Chuckas said. “We finished strong as betting was up in May on nine of 11 days of live racing. Our handle improved $4.1 million on Preakness day and $3.1 million last Friday which helped the final numbers and I have to thank our racing office for carding two unbelievable cards.”

Attendance was up nearly 9% at Pimlico as the Preakness day crowd increased from 107,398 to a record 121,309. Performances by Grammy Award winner Maroon 5 and Billboard Music Award winner Wiz Khalifa in the infield plus the presence of Kentucky Derby winner I’ll Have Another in Baltimore for 12 days before the middle jewel of racing’s Triple Crown contributed to make it a must-see event.

“We continue to enhance the infield experience since changing the beverage policy after the 2008 Preakness and got lucky as Maroon 5’s popularity skyrocketed after we booked them,” added Chuckas. “I don’t think you can put a dollar figure on what it meant having trainer Doug O’Neill bring the Kentucky Derby winner here two days after winning the Derby instead of just three days before the Preakness. Their presence increased our visibility in the market as Doug and his team became part of the community leading up to the big weekend.”

Castellano, Ness, Midwest Thoroughbred, Inc. Capture Spring Meet Titles

The eight-week Pimlico spring meeting ended Saturday afternoon with Abel Castellano, Jamie Ness and Midwest Thoroughbred, Inc. winning individual titles. The 29-day stand began at the historic home of the Preakness Stakes (G1) on March 30.

Castellano won the first race of the meet and never looked back, dominating the rider standings with 41 victories, 22 more than Horacio Karamanos. The 28-year-old rode winners for 14 different trainers, including 23 for Ness. The duo teamed up for six multiple win days, including four on May 11.

“I am so happy with the way the meet went,” Castellano said. “My agent Kevin Witte put in a lot of hard work and I wouldn’t have won the meet without him. I was winning races nearly every day (24 of the 29 days) as trainers gave me an opportunity to show them what I can do.”

Castellano arrived in Maryland as a 19-year-old and has been a consistent top five rider in the state since. He captured his first career riding title during the 2003 fall meet at Laurel Park and waited nearly nine years for his second.

“I was very young when I won that first title and almost expect it to happen all the time,” added Castellano, who has 73 winners in Maryland this year, three more than reigning champion Sheldon Russell. “Now I am married with two kids and another on the way and have more responsibility. I am taking things more seriously-putting in more work in the mornings. When the big-name riders came in last week and asked who the leading rider was, it made me happy that they knew I was.”

Ness saddled 24 winners from just 65 starters during the stand, 13 more than Dane Kobiskie and Hugh McMahon. Ness leads the nation with 178 winners through May 22, including 47 in Maryland.

“Riding for Jamie Ness is the best,” said Castellano. “I know that every horse is at 100 percent and riding horses like that increases your confidence. I work a lot of horses for him in the morning and love having the opportunity to ride for him.”

Midwest Thoroughbreds topped the owner standings at Old Hilltop, finishing first 24 times from 64 starters, all with Ness.

-mjc-

I’ve attempted to put events I’ve attended into words for years.

Baltimore Ravens football games, University of Maryland football and basketball games, a multitude of local hoops and lacrosse games and even a press conference or twenty have quickly turned into 600-1400 words worth of type off my fingers.

Almost every time I’ve written something, even the columns I’ve been particularly pleased with, I’ve looked somewhere else on the web and thought to myself “damn, that person can WRITE” after reading what they had to say about the same event.

Such was the case again this weekend. I had already decided my Monday morning column would be related to the 137th running of the Preakness Stakes, but I hadn’t exactly decided what angle I was going to take. It only took me a trip to my friend Kevin Van Valkenburg (of ESPN The Magazine/Hug It Out Radio fame and late Baltimore Sun)’s Facebook page for me to once again utter the phrase.

It wasn’t because of something KVV had written this time though. It was one of his colleagues’ stories he had linked, and it made me say “damn, Jeff MacGregor can WRITE.”

MacGregor scribed this exceptional postscript to an incredible victory from Kentucky Derby champ I’ll Have Another, celebrating the excitement of an underdog champ at the coming buildup to a Triple Crown chance in the context of a fledgling sport.

Many commenters on ESPN.com and throughout social media however were turned off by the nature of MacGregor’s tone, most notably this line…

“None of which matters, because horse racing is dead.”

MacGregor didn’t really say anything we haven’t already accepted as fact, we’ve just been more apt to use a kinder term like “struggling” or “suffering” instead of flat out placing the industry in a black bag and shipping it to the morgue.

Horse racing HAS been troubled for some time. The depth of the fall has been particularly evident in the state of Maryland, where “the sport of kings” has been all but nonexistent for years. Sure, the industry shines for a few days each spring at Pimlico and each fall at Laurel Park, but even on the brightest day the problems in the industry are obvious.

Unlike some, I have no interest in fighting with MacGregor. I think he’s absolutely right. I just feel as though the potentially monumental turn for horse racing in the next month can be celebrated whether or not the sport is staring into the face of imminent doom.

I’ll Have Another’s charge to the wire Saturday was breathtaking. 14 days earlier we had no way to know that an unknown trainer (Doug O’Neill) and jockey (Mario Gutierrez) had a longshot in position to track down the exceptional favorite (Bodemeister) trained by the Hall of Famer (Bob Baffert) and ridden by a Hall of Famer (Mike Smith) as well. On Saturday we knew it was possible but found it no less amazing.

“There’s no way this can happen again.”

You definitely heard me make the argument for Bodemeister throughout the week. “There’s no speed horse to take Bodemeister out to a dangerous speed this time. The race is 1/16 of a mile shorter. There are nine fewer horses to crowd things at the front and push the favorite too much early. There’s just no way things can shape up for I’ll Have Another as perfectly as they did in Louisville.”

Maybe I’m not the person to say this.

I probably won’t make it out to the Preakness Crab Derby. I doubt the Preakness Frog Hop is part of my week. I didn’t get to the Preakness Hot Air Balloon Festival. I’m going to miss my first Black-Eyed Susan Stakes in years. I don’t intend to get to Power Plant Live to see Buckcherry or Mr. Greengenes or Foxy Shazam.

Hell, I’m even thinking about going to Annapolis Saturday to check out Maryland-Johns Hopkins and Loyola-Denver in the NCAA Tournament at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. I don’t know if my girlfriend will go for it, but I’ve been leaning in that direction.

If you’re not aware, I made it down to Louisville again this year for the Kentucky Derby. (And how could you possibly NOT be aware when you were checking out pictures like the one below from the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs on my Facebook page during the trip?)

You fear that the rest of my column is going to be about how the Preakness isn’t nearly as good as the Kentucky Derby. Don’t. Everyone on the face of the planet knows that Preakness week isn’t Derby week. Despite how much breath you think I waste every afternoon during “The Reality Check” on AM1570 WNST.net, I don’t intend to waste more space here.

I don’t think Preakness week should be like Derby week. I think Preakness week should be the crowning moment of the entire calendar annually in Charm City.

At least…I wish it would be.

Drew Forrester and I used to try to figure out a way to correctly define the relationship between Preakness and the city of Baltimore when we would chat on “The Morning Reaction.” We would throw out terms like “the single biggest annual sporting event in the city” or “the most significant event the city hosts” or “the most important date on the sporting calendar every year” but never settled on one in particular. The truth is that based on attendance, Preakness is annually the single biggest event of any kind in the city. Economically, the Maryland Jockey Club has stated in the last two years that the event has an economic impact of $40-$60 million annually for the city and state.

Baltimore Orioles Opening Day has a significant economic impact for the area. Baltimore Ravens playoff games have significant economic impact for the area. The same can be said for the occasional NCAA lacrosse Final Four events. None have the impact of Preakness.

I wrote a similar column to this last year. Some of you were going to point that out. I’ll keep you from having to do just that by linking to it here. I hope you take a look if for no reason than to re-read the words of Newark Star-Ledger columnist Jerry Izenberg, who in 2010 described the relationship between Preakness and Baltimore so well the words should be engraved at Old Hilltop.

A year ago I was angry about how insignificant I felt Preakness had become in Baltimore. I’m not angry this year. I’m wishful. I wish it mattered more. I wish I was preparing to go out to Pimlico every afternoon this week to broadcast live. I wish my friends from around the country were calling me to let me know when they were getting in. I wish I had someone to blame for any of it.

I could blame the job the Maryland Jockey Club has done running the event and both Pimlico and Laurel Park. I could blame the city and state for not offering the level of support necessary to make the event the best it could possibly be. I could blame the sport of horse racing which has failed greatly to fully adapt to 2012 and in many ways still lives in 1942. I could blame us as Baltimoreans for spending too much time worrying about Washington’s pro hockey team and not enough time worrying about our own greatest event. I could blame area media for not treating the event with a level of reverence befitting an event that still annually involves the possibility of a Triple Crown winner.

(For years, the only conversation related to Preakness in Baltimore surrounded the concern that the race might leave the state for Florida. With that dialogue all but useless, area media members have been able only to fall back on “can (insert Derby winner name here) win the Triple Crown?”)

I’m going to talk to jockeys and trainers and horse analysts this week on my show. I’ll ask Kent Desormeaux (he’ll be riding Tiger Walk Saturday) about what it would mean to deliver a Preakness title to a Maryland group (Sagamore Farm). I’ll ask O’Neill about how the limited schedule for the Derby champ could keep his champ fresh for the second jewel. I’ll ask Mike Smith if a better ride aboard Bodemeister would mean the Bob Baffert horse would be coming to Baltimore with a chance to make history.

I’ll talk about horse racing like it mattered here. I’ll talk about the importance of the event to the city.

I wish I wouldn’t be the only one.

Carry on.

-G