Maryland dispute goes on

The Maryland Racing Commission met for a second straight day on Wednesday but adjourned without resolving a simulcast dispute between Standardbred and Thoroughbred factions or an ownership issue at Rosecroft Raceway.

The commission set aside May 11 and 12 to conclude the hearing. The commission is considering Northwind Racing as the potential owner of Rosecroft. Greenwood Racing, which owns racetracks, offtrack betting sites, and a telephone-betting network, owns 90 percent of Northwind.

Meanwhile, the simulcast dispute continues between Thoroughbred and Standardbred interests, with Pimlico and Laurel Park closed at night and Rosecroft accepting bets only on harness races.

The fight is over money from simulcasting. The current and prospective owners of Rosecroft want to accept bets on Thoroughbred races from around the country without compensating the Maryland Thoroughbred interests. In protest, Thoroughbred horsemen pulled the plug on Thoroughbred simulcasts at Rosecroft as of Monday.