Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-16
80 Days Racing at Laurel
Slated Under Merger Plan
State Commission
Holds Hearing on
Proposal Monday
BY JOSEPH B. KELLY
Star Racing Editor

IASAAUJ AuJc Va IdClllS year
at Laurel and abandonment Of
the historic Pimlico track In Ball
timore are a distinct possibility
for 1858, if a plan now being
formulated by the Laurel and
Pimlico owners is successfully
completed.
Herman and Ben Cohen, Bal
timore builders who operate the
Maryland Jockey Club at. PIN
lico, would buy a half-interest
in Laurel for a reported SO mil
lion. conduct their annual 40
days of racing at the Laurel
track and sell the approximately
lis acres at Pimlico to COM
mercial interests, according to
an authoritative source high in
Maryland racing circles.
Backing up the information
was the statement of A. Gordon
Boone. Democrat, Delegate from
Baltimore County in the Mary
land House and majority leader,
that he understood legislation
would be introduced at the cur
rent General Assembly session
to provide the transfer of racing
from Pimlico to Laurel. Boone
said he did not know who would
introduce the bill.
Public Hearing Monday
Official confirmation and full
details Of the proposal are ex-
pected to be divulged at a public
hearing before the Maryland
Racing Commission Monday in
Baltimore. D. Eldred Rinehart,
chairman of the Racing Com
mission who earlier had re-
fused to say what Mondays
hearing was about. this morning
confirmed reports that it con-
cerned the proposed merger.
Any transfer of a racing
franchise in Maryland to an
other site or conducting a race
meeting for more than 70 days
at any one track would require
a revision in the State laws
governing the sport. The present
law permits each of the Mary
land mile tracks-Laurel, Bowie
and Pimlico-to operate for 40
days each year and forbids any
meeting to run more than ~
days.
John D. Schapiro, president of
Laurel, refused to comment on
Mondays hearing, explaining
that he was pledged to say moth
ing until the meeting. He did
Iconcede that Pimlico and Laurel
officials had met with the COM
mission yesterday and stated
that the report that Laurel was
buying out" Pimlico was errone-
GUS. He admitted, however, that
Pimlico and Laurel were involved
in an important deal.
Bowie Not Involved
Don Lillis. president of Bowie,
SAID his track was not involved
in the meeting and that Bowie
as yet had not been formally
invited to attend Mondays
hearing.
| Any bill designed to remove
racing from Pimlico and Balti-
more is certain to face a stiff
battle in the Legislature, even
| If it should have the backing
of the Racing Commission and
the tracks.
In 1919. when the Maryland
Jockey Club. then controlled by
Alfred G. Vanderbilt, operated
both Laurel and Pimlico, it at
tempted to have the law changed
to move the Pinlico dates to
Laurel. The bill died in the Leg
islature after the then Gov.
Lane withdrew his support.
At that time, the move to
abandon Pimlico caused strong
opposition from the Baltimore
citizens. who vigorously pro-
tested the closing of the Belve-
dere avenue track. Next to
Saratoga. Pimlico is the oldest
track in America, having been
opened on october 25, 1870.
No Date Changes Seen
There was no indication that
the traditio n-breaking plan
would change any of the racing
dates assigned this year. Bowie
is currently operating a il-day
meeting which ends on March
80. Laurel begins a 29-day stand
April / and Pimlico follows with
a l2-day meeting.
Fall dates also are scheduled
at Laurel and Pimlico.
If the merger of Pimlico and
Laurel is completed in time for
1858 racing. it would mean that
the time-honored Preaknes
Stakes, a national classic race
for 3-year-olds, would have its
last running at the Plmlico oval
on May is.
1t is assumed that under the
plan. Pimlico would run all of
its traditional stakes. including
the Preakness and the Futurity,
at Laurel in their customary or
der as in previous seasons.
The Cohen brothers, who won
controlling interest in the Mary
land Jockey Club, purchased
their stock from Vanderbilt in
1852. John Schapiro and his
father. Morris Schapiro, bought
See PIMLICO, Page Alb