Maryland Racing - Is it on life support?

[DickHertz]

I know the turf season and the move to Pimlico has helped entries, but how much longer can Marlyand racing continue if they don't get slots? Tracks like Presque Isle and Delaware have been struggling for entries, but at least they have the slots and won't be shutting their doors for racing anytime soon.

I know we stopped looking at Maryland because they make you pay $800+ for workman's comp even if you don't have any hired help (IE you needed to pay it if you hired a pony for the race).

Delaware park actually called us about racing down there (yes, they're even calling small six horse stables). I said "If you didn't need to have a 10 item checklist to run down there, we'd consider it."

So, I guess what I'm asking is five years from now...what will the Mid-Atlantic scene look like?

Philly Park, Presque Isle and Penn National will all be healthy because of slots - Penn National will likely have higher purses than Maryland if they don't get slots - Philly will be double what Maryland is.

Charles Town and Mountaineer should still be healthy.

Monmouth / Meadowlands will need to have slots legalized or get another subsidy from Atlantic City.

Delaware Park may have weaker purses because of the effect of slots in Pennsylvania...if Maryland gets them, then maybe Delaware becomes the track in trouble.

[RidersUP]

I guess if you know how much they charge for the workman's comp them I'm sure you have seen what they charge for a license in Maryland..even the renewals............

[Acertainsmile]

I tend to agree that Maryland racing is on life support...depending on what happens in Novemeber the plug may get pulled.

I think there will always be some sort of racing product here, but it will have no resemblance to what we have always been used to.

[DickHertz]

I guess if you know how much they charge for the workman's comp them I'm sure you have seen what they charge for a license in Maryland..even the renewals............

I believe if we raced in Maryland, we'd have to pay $1,075 ($275 for license and $800 for insurance). At least that's what it used to be a few years back. Crazy...just crazy. Not every barn has 30 horses...you'd think Maryland would realize that slots aren't the only reason some people don't run there.

[Laurierace]

I have a payroll of $11,855 and workmans comp of $4987. I did have a claim three years ago, I guess I am going to be punished forever.

[DickHertz]

It's outrageous. I guess my issue is we have no employees. Just me and my wife, yet we have to pay $800 to cover the freakin' pony person??? We have health insurance. Just plain dumb...I think Delaware is now the same way, but I heard it's more like $300 instead of $800.

[Laurierace]

Actually workman's comp doesn't cover the pony person assuming you are talking about taking your horse to the post in a race. It might be different in the morning. If you run your horse yourself you can bypass the workmans comp. They will be watching though so don't try to get a waiver and then hire someone to run the horse, and definitely don't put an exercise rider on in the morning unless you don't mind potentially losing everything you own.

[DickHertz]

Actually workman's comp doesn't cover the pony person assuming you are talking about taking your horse to the post in a race. It might be different in the morning. If you run your horse yourself you can bypass the workmans comp. They will be watching though so don't try to get a waiver and then hire someone to run the horse, and definitely don't put an exercise rider on in the morning unless you don't mind potentially losing everything you own.

When we ran there once in 2004 they said we had to pay the workman's comp to have a pony going to the post. I guess that's changed.

So, they don't consider exercise riders freelance workers? IMO, workman's comp should only cover employees on your payroll. SOme exercise riders will ride for several outfits every morning and since they are an independent contractor, the workman's comp should be on them. I dunno...maybe I'm in the minority.

[Acertainsmile]

We had a nightmare claim with a freelance excersise rider a few years ago... she had gotten on 8 horses ($80 bucks) over the course of a week... and tried to sue us over an minor injury that was her fault IMO.

We did win, but then I guess everyones WC went up the following year...I was floored when I saw our payment.

[Laurierace]

When we ran there once in 2004 they said we had to pay the workman's comp to have a pony going to the post. I guess that's changed.

So, they don't consider exercise riders freelance workers? IMO, workman's comp should only cover employees on your payroll. SOme exercise riders will ride for several outfits every morning and since they are an independent contractor, the workman's comp should be on them. I dunno...maybe I'm in the minority.

They will tell you that, but if you put up a stink they will let you slide without it. Its not something they just offer up. Its also not something you want to fudge imo.

[Showpony]

That is interesting. We are in the same boat. NO employees, and they always tell my husband he has too pay workmans comp when he "complains". So he doesn't race in MD anymore. He only has one or two so I guess it is no big loss to MD racing. I think they are shooting themselves in the foot.

[Laurierace]

I know a guy who runs without workmans comp every year. He runs the horse himself and gets the pony person to hold the horse while he saddles it. Otherwise I wouldn't have known it was possible either.

[DickHertz]

They will tell you that, but if you put up a stink they will let you slide without it. Its not something they just offer up. Its also not something you want to fudge imo.

I think the problem was they said we needed and we said "the horse is ok withouth a pony" and they said "we'll be watching to make sure."

The horse was fine, but Peter Sosa Jr. came back and said "I was too tired for the race because there was no pony." Why are jockey's in this country so wimpy. The half dozen times we've gone ponyless, the jockeys always complain even though the horses weren't bad.

[DickHertz]

That is interesting. We are in the same boat. NO employees, and they always tell my husband he has too pay workmans comp when he "complains". So he doesn't race in MD anymore. He only has one or two so I guess it is no big loss to MD racing. I think they are shooting themselves in the foot.

See, but there are hundreds of people like you (and us). It all adds up. Same thing witn Delaware, you need a checklist of things before you can run there. BTW, I heard Delaware is starting to allow outside trainers to claim beginning June 11 - the caveat is you have to have started a horse there and the horse is in jail there until the end of the meet...in other words, just wait till Oct/Nov to start claiming your winter horses.

[asanders]

Is it ever appropriate to speculate on the life/death of MD racing until you see the Preakness handle? Doesn't that usually tell you if it will limp through another year? I don't think there will ever be slots, and the slow painful death spiral will continue. I can't stand the sight of Pimlico on Preakness day. It is the only triple crown race which 90% of the attendees are probably too drunk to even notice when the race goes off. --but what a party! I don't think it does anything positive for racing (despite the fact that it pays purses for the year in MD --see above regarding death spiral).

Boy, I didn't realize I felt that negatively about it.

If the bullet had been bitten, Pimlico (because who in there right mind wanted to go there) closed, all effort (and the Preakness) put into Laurel, and a few political officials overcome, things would be different, but the DC disease of finger-in-the-wind politics keeps anything from getting better in MD racing. Honestly I can't figure why anyone breeds or runs there (although at the same time I am glad of it)

Was that a vent?

[Laurierace]

I couldn't disagree more. Pimlico is transformed from a ramshackle old warehouse to something truly magical on Preakness day. Sure there are a bunch of drunken idiots, but that is part of the fun. When the horses approach the gate for the cheap claimer at 10am the crowd roars as loud as they do for the Preakness. When Barbaro pulled up you could have heard a pin drop in a crowd of over 100,000.

[asanders]

OK, let's just say I was in a bad mood, or playing devil's advocate, and the Preakness is great (even though Pimlico is a ramshackle warehouse, they are drunken idiots, and they cheer the 10 am claimer because they are already drunk and some of them think it is the Preakness).

I'm still disturbed by the way Maryland Racing continues (like for the last 20 yrs) to cry for slots, and prop itself up with the Preakness, saying 'we know we're only keeping alive with the Preakness handle, but we just have to keep it going until we get slots...