Maryland Jockey Club

Over the years, Charles Town Races & Slots has lost numerous live racing days because of drainage problems on the track. A few too many raindrops or snowflakes produced a dangerous racing surface. That has not been the case in 2008. "I think we've only lost two or three days so far in 2008, and those dates will easily be made up later in the year when we go to a three-day-a-week schedule," said Richard Moore, director of racing at Charles Town. "It's been a mild winter but an improved racetrack surface has eased the weather concerns.

When he started the Cracked Claw Off-Track Betting Parlor and restaurant in 1994, proprietor John Poole was excited about the prospect of Maryland getting slot machines. The chance to wager on thoroughbred and harness racing paired with slot machines would attract many gamblers to the Frederick County facility. Back then, discussions were under way by Gov. Parris Glendening and lawmakers to place slots at the state racetracks as well as some designated off-track betting parlors in the Free State.

Charles Town Races & Slots will feature an abbreviated live thoroughbred racing schedule in October. "We'll run Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday for most of October, trimming the Wednesday card from the schedule," Charles Town racing secretary Doug Lamp said. "The only possible change in that schedule will be the week of Oct. 21, when we shut down for track maintenance. If all goes well, we should be able to resume live racing on that Thursday (Oct. 24). " Lamp said the October schedule had nothing to do with shortage of horses.

Charles Town-based jockey J.D. Acosta has come out of the starting gate in fine fashion. The 26-year-old jockey won 38 races at Charles Town Races & Slots in January, coming on the heels of a memorable December when he registered his 1,000th career victory. And thanks to the January riding clinic, he owns a comfortable lead in his quest to become the leading rider in 2008 at the West Virginia thoroughbred oval. Gerald Almodovar finished behind Acosta in the January standings with 15 wins.

Four West Virginia racetracks will use a percentage of their video lottery revenues toward paying off a state debt following a special legislative session called by Gov. Joe Manchin. The bottom line: Purses will be reduced at Charles Town Races & Slots - probably starting July 1. "The horsemen here at Charles Town get 14 percent of the revenue generated by the video lottery," said Don Combs, Executive Director of the Charles Town Division/Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association.

Three claims, three wins. That was the situation trainer Ronney Brown found himself in last Saturday night at Charles Town Races & Slots. "I claimed three horses, ran them all back the same night and all three won, that's pretty unusual," Brown said. The horses were Very Clever, Killarney Kutie and A Diller a Dollar. "I ran Very Clever and A Diller a Dollar at the same level and dropped Killarney Kutie a bit," Brown said. "And two of them - Killarney Kutie and A Dller a Dollar - got claimed right back.

By DON AINES Staff Writer Bally's Maryland Inc. is off and running in an effort to open an off-track betting parlor at the North Village Shopping Center this fall. "If everything gets approved, we would like to open in mid- or late October," said Bally's Maryland President Dennis Dowd. "We think that's realistic. " His company, a subsidiary of the Hilton Hotel Corp., submitted the application to the Maryland Racing Commission last week and it was discussed at that panel's Wednesday's meeting in Baltimore.

Management and horsemen at Charles Town Races & Slots have agreed on a live racing schedule for 2005. The contract was signed Thursday at the West Virginia thoroughbred oval. "I think both sides are satisfied," Charles Town director of racing Richard "Dickie"Moore said. "We'll offer a four-day-a-week schedule in January - Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday - and then add another day to the schedule in February. That will remain for the rest of the year. " The West Virginia Racing Commission has granted Charles Town 210 live racing dates for 2005 but Moore says a request will be made later in the spring to add 35 additional dates.

Two companies that make their money by offering the public a chance to bet on the horse races are battling over a proposal to put an off-track betting parlor in Hagerstown. But the arguments we've heard on this issue so far don't touch on a key issue raised recently by Sue Tuckwell, chairman of the Washington County Gaming Commission. The issue provoking the battle between Bally's Maryland, Inc., and the Maryland Jockey Club is simulcast racing, in which thoroughbred races from tracks around the nation are beamed to the parlor as they happen, so patrons can bet on them.

ANNAPOLIS - The Senate Budget and Taxation Committee rewrote Gov. Robert Ehrlich's slot machine bill Tuesday to reduce the amount of money going to track owners and to set aside more money for public schools. The bill that was approved on an 11-2 vote would provide about $700 million a year for public schools when all 10,500 machines are in operation at Laurel, Pimlico and Rosecroft racetracks. Track owners would get $594.8 million. The committee also set aside about $90.7 million for horse owners and breeders and about $72 million to help local governments where tracks are located deal with traffic congestion and other problems that would come with an expansion of legalized gambling.

When he started the Cracked Claw Off-Track Betting Parlor and restaurant in 1994, proprietor John Poole was excited about the prospect of Maryland getting slot machines. The chance to wager on thoroughbred and harness racing paired with slot machines would attract many gamblers to the Frederick County facility. Back then, discussions were under way by Gov. Parris Glendening and lawmakers to place slots at the state racetracks as well as some designated off-track betting parlors in the Free State.

The Maryland State Racing Commission has approved a ban on anabolic steroids for race horses and - pending approval from state lawmakers - it will go into effect at the start of the Laurel Park meeting in January, 2009. "We've been working on this issue for quite awhile, even before the controversy involving Big Brown in the Kentucky Derby," said Michael Hopkins, executive director of the commission. "We had some studies done on proper screening methods and other issues and I think we're ready to move on. This will be good for Maryland racing.

Despite a 10-horse starting gate, a 12-4 exacta is, indeed, possible these days at Charles Town Races & Slots. Richard Moore, the director of racing at the West Virginia thoroughbred oval, offered an explanation. "When a race is drawn, any number of horses can be entered as long as they have the proper qualifications," Moore said. "Ten horses would be the maximum starting field, but horses referred to as 'alternates' would also be considered in an event of scratches. " The thoroughbreds are assigned post positions and other horses are drawn into the race pending any scratches.

Over the years, Charles Town Races & Slots has lost numerous live racing days because of drainage problems on the track. A few too many raindrops or snowflakes produced a dangerous racing surface. That has not been the case in 2008. "I think we've only lost two or three days so far in 2008, and those dates will easily be made up later in the year when we go to a three-day-a-week schedule," said Richard Moore, director of racing at Charles Town. "It's been a mild winter but an improved racetrack surface has eased the weather concerns.

Charles Town-based jockey J.D. Acosta has come out of the starting gate in fine fashion. The 26-year-old jockey won 38 races at Charles Town Races & Slots in January, coming on the heels of a memorable December when he registered his 1,000th career victory. And thanks to the January riding clinic, he owns a comfortable lead in his quest to become the leading rider in 2008 at the West Virginia thoroughbred oval. Gerald Almodovar finished behind Acosta in the January standings with 15 wins.

Lenny Hale, a veteran thoroughbred horse racing official, is the new executive director of the Charles Town Division/Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association. "There's work to be done," Hale said. "The HBPA is a good organization, but we need to get stronger. We need to get (horsemen and management) reunited. The motto of the national HBPA is 'horsemen helping horsemen.' We have to get back into that. " Hale welcomes a a return to the racetrack. His introduction to thoroughbred horse racing includes obtaining a trainers' license at Charles Town in 1967.

Charles Town Races & Slots will feature an abbreviated live thoroughbred racing schedule in October. "We'll run Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday for most of October, trimming the Wednesday card from the schedule," Charles Town racing secretary Doug Lamp said. "The only possible change in that schedule will be the week of Oct. 21, when we shut down for track maintenance. If all goes well, we should be able to resume live racing on that Thursday (Oct. 24). " Lamp said the October schedule had nothing to do with shortage of horses.

Maryland-based rider Rosie Napravnik is an Eclipse Award nominee for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey in 2006 and the 18-year-old jockey could join some select company. Nine jockeys from the Free State have won the award for top bug rider: Chris McCarron (1974), Ronnie Franklin (1978), Alberto Delgado (1982), Allen Stacy (1986), Kent Desormeaux (1987), Mike Luzzi (1989), Mark Johnston (1990), Jeremy Rose (2001) and Ryan Fogelsonger (2002). "It's an honor to be nominated," Napravnik said from Laurel Park Friday.

J.D. Acosta was the leading rider at Charles Town Races & Slots in 2006. "Very happy," the 25-year-old Acosta said. "I've been among the five leading riders (in the year-end standings) ever since I came here four years ago, but this is my first title. " Acosta rode 1,050 horses in 2006 and won 166 times, placed in 151 races and showed 134 times. He finished in the money in 43 percent of his rides. What was the key to his success? "Riding good horses for good trainers," Acosta said.

CHARLES TOWN, W.VA. charlestown@herald-mail.com To protect the hundreds of horses that race at Charles Town Races & Slots, track officials have imposed their own quarantine on the animals in an attempt to thwart any spread of equine herpes, which has surfaced among racehorses in Maryland. About a week ago, owners of the Jefferson County thoroughbred track banned any horses from coming to the track from other racing facilities, said John Finamore, senior vice president of regional operations for Penn National Gaming Inc., which owns the track.