Florzell “Georgie Boy” Daniels of Harrington, Delaware, has been named 2012 Groom of the Year in the annual competition sponsored by Hanover Shoe Farms and Harness Tracks of America (“HTA”). In nominating the 83-yearold Daniels, Michel Ridgely Jr., a Maryland Racing Commission employee, and Jackie MacLeod, a trainer and driver, noted that despite his age, Daniels “goes about his work as if he were 23 years old instead of 83.”

A resident of Harrington, Delaware, Daniels works on the mid-Atlantic circuit of racetracks that includes Harrington Raceway, Rosecroft Raceway, Ocean Downs, Dover Downs, and Harrah’s Phildadelphia. Travel to one track
or another is a way of life, and one to which Daniels is well-suited. “His horses enter the paddock clean and shining like a new car,” says Ridgley. “And [Daniels] himself is meticulous – he is as neat as a pin – everything from his hat to his boots resembles a man who takes pride in his  appearance. The horses he cares for take on the same appearance; from mane to tail, his horses are groomed as finely as possible.

“It’s more than just appearance that stands out about Georgie’s horses. It is their demeanor. They appear calm and ready for what is expected of them in the coming race. This calmness is something that comes from Georgie. He is always easy going, always  with a smile on his face and only a kind word to speak. He is always ready to assist his fellow horsemen and horsewomen and is loved by many who have had the pleasure to work around him.”

Daniels, who served in the U.S. Air Force in the late ‘40s and early ‘50s, has been grooming horses professionally since 1958. As a Black man who grew up in the South in a time when race was a significant issue, Ridgley says that “Georgie has seen the world at its worst and at its best. But none of the worst soured him; he loves life, he loves people, he loves animals, most of all horses.”

And so at 83, Daniels continues to groom horses. His devotion to their care is
unwavering. In closing their letter nominating Daniels, Ridgley writes, “I hope you will consider this man for Groom of the Year. He is not only the best groom I have ever witnessed, he is the essence of the goodness of harness racing.”

The Groom of the Year judges, all of whom have experience as grooms, obviously agreed. Yet they noted that while Daniels was singled out for recognition as the annual award winner, all those who were nominated exhibited tremendous dedication and devotion to caring for the sport’s four-legged participants.

In addition to a $500 cash award, Daniels will receive an original oil painting of
himself with his favorite horse, Southern Nero.

Harness Tracks of America, Inc. Press Release

Fort Washington, MD — Live racing will return Saturday (March 9) to Rosecroft Raceway with several significant changes, most impressive of which is an average daily purse schedule that will be $50,000 per card, an increase of 33 percent from the last race meet which ended Dec. 22, 2012.

“The infusion of funds from gaming throughout the state is the largest reason for the change, along with a managed approach to increasing purses to allow local horsemen to compete and continue to upgrade their racing stock going forward,” said Rosecroft Racing secretary Mike Wandishin.

The condition sheet for the March 9 and 12 race dates is now available at www.rosecroft.com and features several changes including:

• Any race with a minimum of seven separate Maryland preferred (defined as a Maryland owned, sired, trained or foaled horse) betting interests will be closed to those Maryland preferred horses
  Any closed Maryland preferred race with eight or more separate betting interests will compete for a 10 percent premium to the advertised purse
• Any non-Maryland preferred horses that did not start at Rosecroft in their last start may not be eligible to enter a race lower than the non-winners of $3,000 in last three starts condition
• The lowest money conditioned event (non-winners of $750 in last three starts) requires a horse to have finished at least fifth in one of its last five pari-mutuel starts. This condition will carry the lowest purse on the condition sheet at $3,000
• A winners over $4,000 in the last three starts event will be carded for both Maryland preferred horses (with a $7,000 purse) and for open participants (with a $6,000 purse.) A separate winners over event will be written for male and female pacers as well as trotters.

As was the practice last meet, entry preferences in all races will be granted to any horse that is Maryland owned, sired, trained or foaled.

Horsemen are advised to download and submit to the racing office the 2013 Rosecroft racing applications as soon as possible. The applications can be found in the Horsemen’s section of the track’s website.

“The updates to our condition sheet provide several additional opportunities to showcase Maryland horses and horsemen,” said Wandishin. “The new condition sheet should be much cleaner and easier for all horsemen to follow and provide ample opportunities for a competitive racing program.”

Rosecroft will conduct qualifiers on Saturday (Feb. 23) and Friday (March 1) at 12 noon. Entries for qualifiers will close at 3 p.m. the day prior. Any horse that raced at Rosecroft in December 2012 and was not placed on the Judges list will not have to qualify for their first start in 2013 at Rosecroft. All other horses are subject to the 30 day rule.

THOROUGHBRED SIMULCASTING RETURNS TO ROSECROFT RACEWAY ON JANUARY 1

(Fort Washington, MD – December 18, 2012) Thoroughbred simulcasting will return to Rosecroft Raceway on January 1, 2013 for the first time in nearly three years under an agreement announced today at the monthly Maryland Racing Commission meeting at Laurel Park.

The agreement between Rosecroft Raceway, Cloverleaf Standardbred Owners’ Association, Maryland Standardbred Breeders’ Association, Maryland Jockey Club (MJC), Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and the Maryland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association allows for full, cross breed simulcasting to commence at the start of the new year. Rosecroft will have the right to import all interstate Thoroughbred signals as well as simulcasts from the two MJC tracks (Laurel and Pimlico) while the MJC tracks and their off-track betting locations will be permitted to resume interstate Standardbred simulcasts and to simulcast live racing from Rosecroft Raceway.

“We are pleased to bring Thoroughbred simulcasting back to Rosecroft and think this will be beneficial to the entire racing industry in the State of Maryland,” said Christopher McErlean, Vice President of Racing for Penn National Gaming, Inc., parent company of Rosecroft Raceway.

The last Thoroughbred simulcast signal taken at Rosecroft was in December 2009.

The new simulcast schedule for Rosecroft Raceway will be posted at www.rosecroft.com before Christmas. Rosecroft’s fall Standardbred meet ends Saturday, December 22. The track has already been approved for a 54-night live racing schedule in 2013.