The much-publicized demise of the Charles Town, W.Va., racetrack lasted less than three months.
Management of the half-mile oval, about 90 minutes west of Baltimore, announced yesterday that it plans to offer an expanded multi-card simulcasting program six days a week starting Feb. 24 and will resume live racing on March 10.
The track held its last live races Dec. 11 and closed in late December for simulcasting, purportedly because it was losing too much money.
Maryland racing cards figure prominently in Charles Town's rebirth. According to an agreement reached with Laurel/Pimlico management, Laurel's live cards will be one of six main simulcasting signals that Charles Town will offer its fans.
"We are sending them our signal on a trial basis. If we find it cannibalizes betting at the Cracked Claw [the Maryland OTB outlet near Frederick], then we'll stop it," said Laurel/Pimlico president Joe De Francis. "That is one of the stipulations in the contract. We can cease the arrangement at any time by giving 48 hours' notice."
Charles Town spokesman Paul Espinosa said his track, which management said had lost more than $1 million last year, was able to reopen after it began negotiating with a newly-organized horsemen's group called the Charles Town Horsemen's Association. The CTHA agreed to major cost-saving concessions, such as closing adjacent Shenandoah Downs as a training center.
Although the former group representing horsemen, the Charles Town division of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, is still in existence, Espinosa said that the group backed down from its stance opposing certain conditions, such as the simulasting of dog racing at the track, and has given its permission for the facility to reopen.
Espinosa said that from three to four simulcasting signals will be offered every day except Tuesday.
Live racing will be offered on Friday and Saturday nights during the first two weeks of its schedule. Then the track plans to go to a four-day live-racing schedule starting March 22, running cards on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights and on Sunday afternoons.