Q&A With MJC Regarding New Barn Construction

As the first new 150-stall barn at Laurel Park nears completion and those at the Bowie Training Center move closer to being relocated, Stronach Group C.O.O. Tim Ritvo and MJC Vice President and General Manager Sal Sinatra provided answers to many questions horsemen may have about the changes.

When do you expect the first 150-stall barn to be completed at Laurel Park?

SINATRA: “The target date is the first of April. With the weather, the last snowstorm, we might be a tad behind.”

When will the second 150-stall barn be started?

SINATRA: “The land is being cleared now. The plan right now is to start building in May.”

What about tack rooms, wash stalls and everything else that goes into that project being completed?

SINATRA: “We are looking to purchase external tack rooms, completed buildings that will be dropped outside the barns. We’re pricing them now and I suspect they’ll be delivered within two weeks of purchase. By the time the barns are completed and I get the COs [Certificates of Occupancy], they’ll be there. Before we can finish the wash stalls and showers, the structure needs to be completed and the pipes need to be run to connect with the sewage system. But it all has to be done by the time the barns are occupied and our date for completion is the first of April or a week from that date.”

When will Bowie close?

RITVO: “We don’t even like using the word closed. We like to think of it as a remodel. We have to scale back operations, look at the facility and decide what to do with it.”

If stabled at Bowie, when will trainers have to move and will they get stalls at Laurel?

SINATRA: “Everyone will have to be relocated by mid or the end of April and everyone will be stabled at Laurel or Pimlico. [Racing secretary] Georganne [Hale] has just told everyone where they’re going.”

Will a trainer’s employees be able to relocate to the track where their horses are stabled?

RITVO: “Yes, we are going to make sure all grooms have rooms where their horses are stabled. We’re working to make sure of that. We’re working closely with the Assistance Fund, to make sure all the grooms find rooms. However, there are some grooms at the barns who don’t have jobs. To have lodging [at Laurel or Pimlico] people have to be working on the racetrack. They have to be on someone’s badge list. In the case of those not working, we will work with the Assistance Fund or have someone come in and help them find housing elsewhere.”

If a trainer’s stall allocation has been reduced, why would that happen?

RITVO: “The only reason the number of stalls could be reduced is for poor performance or because horses haven’t run. We’re not reducing stalls. We need as many horses as possible, but if a trainer has sore horses or horses that are laid up, we think they should go to farms. Again, we want good horses and we want trainers to grow their businesses. We want to grow and expand the schedule. We want people to live and work here year-round. To do that, we have to grow the field sizes, the fan base and the handle.”

If a trainer doesn’t get as many stalls as he/she wants, is there an opportunity to advocate for the number of stalls the trainer believes is needed?

RITVO: “Absolutely. Anyone who doesn’t like what they have can come in and have the right to make their case. I am happy to arbitrate any disputes. My door is always open.”

If a trainer is based at Laurel, will he/she be able to secure additional stalls if their operations grow?

RITVO: “Yes. We’re encouraging people who are here to grow their stables and we would like more and more horses coming in. We’re not looking to reduce the fleet, we need a bigger fleet.”

Is there a future for the Bowie Training Center?

RITVO: “Possibly, everything is on the table. Once we have Bowie cleared out, we’ll look at the facility and decide what works best. We’re looking at every economic model. We want what’s good for the horsemen, the breeders and the Maryland Jockey Club. We are all partners. We want Maryland racing to be healthy, to grow and prosper. We need to fix the model, because the current economic model isn’t working. Maryland needs the Preakness to be healthy. It isn’t going anywhere. But everything is on the table and we don’t want to get into details and speculation. A lot will be decided soon.”