If you ask Parx Racing officials about Sal Sinatra, they talk proudly about how he managed to attract Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome to the Philadelphia-area track last September, generating overflow crowds and a record-shattering betting day.
"Biggest day they've had here at the track," said Joe Brauckmann, a racing official at Parx, the former Philadelphia Park. "They estimated 18,000 people were here. A lot of people took the accolades, but Sal was the guy."
Sinatra, 50, a Parx manager for 15 years, took over in December as vice president and general manager of the Maryland Jockey Club, which oversees the state's two largest tracks, Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park.
His highest-profile task will be the makeover of Pimlico, the faded North Baltimore track that hosts the Preakness, the second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown. Racing enthusiasts, horsemen and city officials have waited years for the track to be renovated.
A Maryland Racing Commission report to the General Assembly recently said the jockey club "will soon announce a major capital program for Pimlico and Laurel Park, with a budget of $250 million."
The report last month said the project "will be focused on substantially improving the Preakness experience in order to create a world class event, with the construction of state of the art suites, boxes, and premium dining areas."
Sinatra was more cautious. He said he and Tim Ritvo, chief operating officer of the Stronach Group, which owns the Jockey Club, "want to go through the whole season to make our recommendations. We want to do it right."
But Sinatra didn't quibble with the report's price tag, saying: "I'd have to think it would be at least that much to revitalize Pimlico."
Stronach tapped the New Jersey native partly for his ability to build audiences. According to former colleagues, California Chrome's race last September at the Pennsylvania Derby is a case in point.
The Pennsylvania Derby historically had been held on Labor Day weekend. Defying tradition, Sinatra delayed the race a few weeks and coupled it with the Cotillion Stakes to create a single, blockbuster day.
"His strategy was to take the race and use it as a launch for the Breeders' Cup" six weeks later, said Nick Black, another Parx official. "So he moved it to a later date. He had to do a lot of convincing."
The date suited the handlers of California Chrome, whose appearance generated significant buzz. The horse, which finished sixth (Bayern won), had earlier captured the first two legs of the Triple Crown before turning in a subpar performance at the Belmont Stakes.
Sinatra already has a mammoth event in Maryland — the Preakness. Among his priorities is to generate more interest in other Maryland races.
"Most people I've run into know the Preakness and are aware of Pimlico, but Laurel is an afterthought, and that needs to change," said Sinatra, who lives in Annapolis and is based at Laurel during the winter meeting.
Maryland's thoroughbred industry is benefiting from a slice of slot machine revenue set aside to bolster racing in the state. Slots were legalized in a 2008 referendum, and 7 percent of the revenue goes to subsidize racetrack purses and fund incentives for in-state thoroughbred breeding. Another 2.5 percent goes into a racetrack facilities fund.
The purse subsidies, amounting to $40 million last year, have "allowed for increased purses for owners and trainers, provided the financial stability for the race tracks to refurbish and repair their aging facilities and established a firm base for the breeders to develop and expand their programs," according to the racing commission's report.
But the subsidies by themselves are not enough to revitalize Maryland racing.
"Right now we're losing several million dollars a year," Sinatra said. "The Stronach Group can come in here and build on momentum, get people in the buildings, do more promotions, more advertising, more marketing."
Sinatra arrived after former Jockey Club president Tom Chuckas resigned last year. Ritvo said the company was satisfied with Chuckas' performance but that Sinatra could "help develop the everyday racing product and do a better job of trying to get more eyeballs on the product."
Sinatra already has begun tinkering with the racing schedule, aiming to attract more families.
Laurel Park recently dropped Thursdays from its winter meet and added Sundays.
"Sunday racing started on Super Bowl Sunday," said Sinatra, who recently answered a few questions from a Baltimore Sun reporter. "People are off and they can bring their families out and do a Sunday brunch."
We know Maryland racing was down in the 1990s. Where is it in its resurgence?
With the subsidies coming from the gaming, it takes anywhere from three to five years to really regain breeding programs, and that's what is really the backbone of the racing in every state. If there is uncertainty whether the money is going to go away, that really affects this. But right now I feel like everything is going in the right direction. We're competitive now in the Mid-Atlantic as far as levels of purses.
When can we expect to see the details of a makeover at Pimlico? Are you waiting until after the Pimlico spring meeting?
First I need to know what goes on there day-to-day. I need to look at where the dollars need to be spent.
But it's very important. If you look at the Stronach Group, you look at Gulfstream, you look at Santa Anita — they're both magnificent facilities. That didn't happen overnight. I know all eyes, all resources are now targeted to Maryland. If Tim [Ritvo] and I can right the ship, we can be the third of Stronach's triple crown.
How do you attract a younger audience to the tracks for events other than the Preakness?
I think we need to do a little more with social media for one. I taught at Widener University for a couple of semesters — racetrack management. And I learned what the youth doesn't know about racing.
From 18 to 21, you can actually come here and have a good time and bet a couple dollars. You've got to be 21 to go to that casino. We've got to maybe do a little work with some of the local colleges, back-to-school type events.
Once they've come and enjoyed themselves, whether they've picked winners or not, generally they will return. I still have students email their picks for Kentucky Derby. I haven't taught that class for six years. And they had no knowledge of racing.
Maryland racing officials just suspended three trainers for doping violations. Sometimes trainers say they get confused over what is allowable in a given state, but sometimes it's outright cheating. What do you think?
It was a rash of steroid positives. I don't know if they were cheating.
We're part of a uniform medication group. Most of us in the Mid-Atlantic have the same thresholds and the same penalties.
I'm hoping it's just an aberration. You're in gambling, where a lot of people try to keep up with the Joneses.
Should the Triple Crown events be spaced out so that the horses have more time to recover between races?
I'm a traditionalist. But my personal opinion is that, from a business standpoint, I'm open to anything. You want it to be a group decision of the three tracks.
twitter.com/sunjeffbarker
Sal Sinatra
Title: Vice president and general manager, Maryland Jockey Club
Age: 50
Residence: Annapolis
Education: Rutgers University (mathematics and statistics)
Birthplace: Newark, N.J.
Family: Single
Hobbies: Horse racing, golf