By T. D. Thornton
Any Maryland-bred horse that wins the GI Preakness S. would get a $500,000 bonus paid from a racing incentive fund of transferred state lottery marketing money if a bill introduced last week in the Maryland House of Delegates becomes law.
A Maryland-bred horse that earns a minor piece of the Preakness purse could collect $100,000, and the same special fund would grant $500,000 toward the purse for a race similar in scope to the former GI Washington, D.C., International that was held at Laurel Park between 1952 and 1994.
Maryland Jockey Club Vice President and General Manager Sal Sinatra said the MJC did not lobby for and was not involved in the crafting of the proposed legislation, which is titled “The Maryland International and Preakness Stakes Incentive Act of 2016.” A phone message left earlier in the week at the office of the bill's sponsor, Delegate Jay Walker, was not returned in time for deadline for this story.
The $1.1-million amount of the new bonuses would be transferred from the state lottery's marketing expenses into an existing “special fund” comprised of pari-mutuel fees, taxes and uncashed tickets. If the added money goes unused for racing purposes, it reverts to the lottery, according to the draft of HB965.
Next up for the bill is a March 4 hearing.
Eight Maryland-bred horses have won the Preakness, the last being Deputed Testamony in 1983. @thorntontd
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