On Monday, November 29, Maryland's racing commission rejected a plan from racetrack owners which would've seen a total of 47 race dates in 2011 -- roughly one-third of the schedule which was raced in 2010
. As of right now, there is no thoroughbred racing schedule in place for the 2011 season at Laurel Park or Pimlico Race Course.
"It's a very, very sad day for us to be effectively shutting down racing at all," an article by the Baltimore Sun quoted commission chairman Louis J. Ulman as saying before the panel's vote. "But 17 days at Laurel and 30 days at Pimlico is not racing in Maryland."
According to the article, officials with racetrack owners MI Developments and Penn National described that proposal as a "stopgap" measure to be put in place through at least the spring of 2011 while they work with the state's thoroughbred industry to devise a long-term plan for its operations.
Track officials declined comment after the Monday decision.
With no racing schedule in place, the Preakness -- the second leg of U.S. thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown -- is currently up in the air.
(With files from the Baltimore Sun)
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