Merz hired as Maryland Racing Commission executive director

Chris Merz, the former director of racing operations at Canterbury Park in Minnesota and a former racing secretary at Santa Anita Park, has been hired as the executive director of the Maryland Racing Commission, the state’s Department of Labor announced on Wednesday.

Merz, who previously worked in the racing offices at Pimlico and Laurel in Maryland and is a graduate of the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program, will head up the racing commission at a transitory time for the state’s racing industry. Last year, legislators passed a bill giving a state-owned company control of the racing industry, with racing eventually being consolidated at Pimlico once the racetrack is rebuilt and redeveloped in three years.

“Together with our industry stakeholders and horsemen, passionate bettors, and devoted fans, we will propel the sport into an innovative and sustainable future while also honoring Maryland’s rich racing heritage,” Merz said, in a release.

Merz will fill a position previously held by J. Mike Hopkins, who was with the commission for 40 years. Hopkins announced his retirement last year.

"The horse racing industry is rapidly transforming across the United States, and we look forward to Christopher Merz guiding Maryland racing through this next era," said Portia Wu, the secretary of the Maryland Department of Labor. “He is a talented leader who has returned to Maryland with a wealth of experience in new sports entertainment paradigms, business operations, and safety, all essential to the future success of horse racing in Maryland.”

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