When the governor and the legislature saved Maryland horse racing
again this past spring, everybody knew it wouldn't be for the last time.
But the deal was supposed to buy a few years, if not crowds at the
tracks.
It didn't even do that. Frank Stronach, the aging Canadian tycoon who owns the Maryland Jockey Club, is threatening to slash the racing schedule unless he gets concessions.
For
the crisis to be resolved, policymakers and horse breeders will need to
understand what Stronach wants. Also, Frank Stronach needs to
understand what Stronach wants. At the same time, Stronach will have to
keep his word.
Betting on any one of those things is a long shot. Box them into a
trifecta, and you get an idea of the odds facing Maryland's thoroughbred
racing.
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