After a tenacious racing commission meeting this week, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley finally stepped in to help broker a deal for horse racing to continue next year at the state's two thoroghbred tracks.
The four-hour-long marathon session at the Maryland Racing Commission's monthly meeting Tuesday included a lot of finger pointing, MI Developments President Frank Stronach's stumbling excuses, personal attacks and ultimately no resolution. The commission once again shot down MID and co-owner Penn National's proposal for a 2011 racing schedule after the group proposed yet another anemic season of 77 racing days.
Throughout the month-long deadlock (which began when Penn and MID proposed a 47-day schedule in November), those in the industry were calling upon O'Malley to intervene and knock some sense into the track owners. It appears -- in the 11th hour of course -- he's answered that call.
The new settlement allows for 146 racing days and was approved by the commission Wednesday.
Here's the statement from Maryland Jockey President Tom Chuckas:
"This is a good day for the entire industry. I would like to personally thank Governor O’Malley and chief legislative officer Joe Bryce for their support during this process. This discussion provides a foundation for continuing efforts to create a long-term solution to restoring Maryland racing to prominence."
I rarely do anything to promote the airheady, superficial stepchild that is Southern California (to us crunchy granola-eating Northern Californians, of course). But I’ve got to give a shoutout to a D.C. architectural firm that’s in the running to design L.A.’s new football stadium. You know, if the third time’s a charm for the Angelinos.
Gensler is one of three firms selected as a finalist to design the new downtown stadium if the so-called Los Angeles Football Stadium group should succeed in wooing an NFL team there. Click here to vote on the three designs.
Maryland horse racing officials and advocates are ‘fed up’ with minority track owner Penn National Gaming and the company’s thoroughbred track ownership stake is in limbo after it backed a proposal to shred Maryland’s racing schedule.
Penn and majority owner MI Developments proposed an anemic, 47 racing days for 2011 — including the lucrative Preakness Stakes — that was unanimously shot down Monday by the Maryland Racing Commission and violently opposed by industry stakeholders. In striking down the schedule, the racing commission also revoked its preliminary approval for the joint venture’s racing license, meaning the ownership group doesn’t have the commission’s authority to run any races next year at Maryland’s tracks
By Liz Farmer, Examiner Staff Writer
Move over, EagleBank Northrop Grumman is now the main sponsor of the Districts rebranded Military Bowl, a move officials say will bring national recognition and boost attendance and spending for the college football game.
The financial details were not disclosed, but D.C. Bowl Committee Chairman Jeffrey Fried said the defense contractor has made a very large commitment, and it is tied to the USO, which supports U.S. troops abroad and is the games primary benefactor. The sponsorship agreement runs through 2013.
The nonprofit USO will receive proceeds from game revenue and Northrops sponsorship support. The company, which announced this year it was moving its corporate headquarters to Falls Church, is also providing services like transporting wounded soldiers to the December bowl.
The racing industry, in a state that is home to the second leg of the Triple Crown and a 250-year tradition of horse racing, by next year could be whittled down to a single racing meet.
Tom Chuckas, president of the Maryland Jockey Club, which operates Laurel Park, said the track "couldn't compete" with the casino planned by Baltimore developer David Cordish.
Cordish holds Anne Arundel County's only slots license, and Tuesday's county referendum vote approved zoning for his site 10 miles up the Baltimore-Washington Parkway from Laurel.
County voters approved the zoning at Arundel Mills mall by a preliminary 56 percent to 44 percent. Voters were asked in the Question A referendum to approve zoning awarded by the county council last year for Laurel Park racetrack and the potential casino site by the Arundel Mills mall.
Baltimore developer David Cordish holds the county’s lone slots license and plans to build a casino near the mall that he says would generate $400 million in revenue for the state once it is up and running.
Tuesday's vote on slots in Anne Arundel County has been one of the most contentious campaigns in recent memory, with both sides claiming the upper hand going into Election Day.
A vote for the Question A referendum by Anne Arundel residents would approve two slots zoning permits awarded by the county council last year: one near the Arundel Mills mall and another at Laurel Park, which is operated by the Maryland Jockey Club.
Baltimore developer David Cordish wants to build the state's largest slots casino near the mall and holds the county's lone slots license. The jockey club says that would destroy nearby Laurel's betting business and wants slots at the track.
It’s no”caught on tape” footage from the TV show “Cops” — but it’ll do for those who support a referendum that would allow a casino to be built at a mall in Anne Arundel County.
Early Saturday morning, a man was arrested after he was caught destroying Vote for Question A campaign signs at the Severna Park headquarters of Jobs & Revenue for Anne Arundel County (the supporters of a casino at the Arundel Mills mall).
Click here to see the surveillance footage from the arrest.
With less than two weeks to go before Election Day, Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold is appealing to county voters to approve zoning awarded by the county for a slots casino at the Arundel Mills mall.
A vote “yes” on the Question A referendum would allow the casino planned by Baltimore developer David Cordish to go forward. According to projections, analysts say the casino’s tax revenue could generate an estimated $30 million in direct aid to Anne Arundel County that pays for police, fire, schools and infrastructure in the area around the Mills.
Once fully operating, the casino is projected generate an estimated $400 million annually for the Maryland Education Trust Fund, which is dedicated to school construction.
The developer of a hotly contested casino planned near the Arundel Mills mall this week promised that if built, his casino would be a center for upscale dining that includes the likes of the Cheesecake Factory and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse.
At a news conference this week, developers from The Cordish Co. unveiled plans for the Maryland Live! Casino, which will also feature the well-known Baltimore eatery Obrycki’s Crab House and Seafood Restaurant and a new live music venue operated by Rams Head of Annapolis.
September football is returning to RFK Stadium next year -- and with it could come millions of dollars of spending in the region and much-needed revenue for the District.
The Washington Convention and Sports Authority board on Thursday approved a marketing contract to bring a match-up between two historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to D.C.'s RFK Stadium next Labor Day weekend.
Residents near the Laurel Park racetrack fired a shot Wednesday at the group trying to keep slots away from Arundel Mills mall in favor of having them at the track.
“Stop telling people that slots belong at Laurel, stop saying that a vote against Question A will move slots to Laurel, stop spreading lies about our neighborhood,” Christopher Masak, coordinator of the community group No Casino At Russett, said in a news release.
PERRYVILLE, Md. - Maryland's first casino opened three days early Monday morning, and even with the rainy day, thousands of people came to spend money at the highly anticipated destination.
Just don't expect them all to return.
"I'm not impressed whatsoever," said Marie Jones, who came from Baltimore. Jones declined to give her age.
By sheer numbers, the Hollywood Casino Perryville's first day was a success: Hundreds of cars crowded the parking lot, boasting license plates from mostly Maryland with the occasional Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia and D.C. plate. Inside the casino, a mostly retirement-aged crowd was nearly shoulder-to-shoulder in some corners, and three out of every four seats were occupied.
Floating above, the smooth tones of Frank Sinatra and his contemporaries provided
By Liz Farmer
Daily Record Business Writer
Officials at Rosecroft Raceway in Prince George’s County say the closed harness racing track may still have a chance to be reincarnated as a table games destination.
When the track closed July 1, owner Cloverleaf Enterprises Inc. said it would convert from a Chapter 11 bankruptcy to a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and auction off the track. Potential buyer Mark Vogel also said the track was losing too much money for him to keep investing and that he could no longer afford the monthly mortgage payments.
But now the Greenbelt-based developer says he is still making the track’s mortgage payments and is in talks with a few interested gaming partners and “in advanced discussions” with one.
By Liz Farmer
Daily Record Business Writer
An antitrust suit against the Maryland thoroughbred industry filed by the bankrupt owner of a Prince George’s County harness racing track is still alive.
A federal judge has ruled that Cloverleaf Enterprises Inc., which shuttered Rosecroft Raceway last month, has put forth enough evidence to allow the case to go forward. But U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett noted several times in his opinion that his ruling was based on whether Cloverleaf had enough of a claim to proceed.
He noted it is rare to dismiss antitrust cases before the discovery stage.
“An antitrust complaint should not be dismissed … ‘merely because the court doubts the plaintiff will ultimately prevail,’” Bennett wrote, citing a 1976 Supreme Court case against a private hospital in
By Liz Farmer
Daily Record Business Writer
In the wake of Rosecroft Raceway’s announcement that it will be closing July 1, supporters of the Fort Washington harness racing track are pointing fingers at Annapolis.
“They talk about ‘jobs, jobs, jobs,’ and when the Preakness and Pimlico were in trouble, the governor and others ran downstairs to save them,” Sen. C. Anthony Muse, D-Prince George’s, said Wednesday, referring to swift legislative action last year that protected the property and the state’s first right of refusal to the race.
“Here we have 200 jobs on the line and they have done absolutely nothing,” he said.
Kelley Rogers, president of Cloverleaf Enterprises Inc., which owns the race track that declared bankruptcy a year ago, said it was no longer financially viable to keep Rosecroft open.
By Liz Farmer
Daily Record Business Writer
ANNAPOLIS — After more than three days of closing arguments, the fate of a county-wide referendum on a slots casino next to the Arundel Mills mall is in a judge’s hands.
At issue is the validity of 22,967 signatures certified by the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections out of 40,408 collected during the petition drive by led by opponents of the casino, including the Maryland Jockey Club. The casino would be built and operated by Baltimore developer David Cordish.
PPE Casino Resorts Maryland LLC, a subsidiary of the Cordish Co., is suing the county board, challenging the process by which those signatures were verified.
In his rebuttal closing argument Thursday in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court, PPE attorney Anthony Herman explained why the company believes the board should have abided by the stricter county code regarding requirements for referendums and petitions.
Officials at Rosecroft Raceway in Prince George’s County say the closed harness racing track may still have a chance to be reincarnated as a table games destination.
When the track closed July 1, owner Cloverleaf Enterprises Inc. said it would convert from a Chapter 11 bankruptcy to a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and auction off the track. Potential buyer Mark Vogel also said the track was losing too much money for him to keep investing and that he could no longer afford the monthly mortgage payments.
But now the Greenbelt-based developer says he is still making the track’s mortgage payments and is in talks with a few interested gaming partners and “in advanced discussions” with one.
