Freestate Raceway

{{Short description|Defunct horse racing facility in Maryland, US}} {{Infobox venue | name = Freestate Raceway | nickname = | image = | image_caption = | address = | location = | coordinates =  | type = Horse racing | event = Standardbred | built = 1948 | opened = 1948 | renovated = | expanded = | closed = 1990 | demolished = 1990 | owner = Dick Hutchinson (1948–unknown) Dick Hutchingson, Jr. (unknown–1976) Greta, Joseph Shamy (1976–1979) Frank DeFrancis (1980–1989) | construction_cost = | former_names = | seating_type = Grandstand | seating_capacity = | website = }}

'''Freestate Raceway''' (originally '''Laurel Raceway''' from 1948 to 1979) was a horse racing track in Maryland. It opened in 1948 and closed in 1990.

== History == thumb|Harness racing === Laurel: 1947–1979 === In September 1947, a meeting was held about bringing a harness racetrack to Maryland, specifically Prince George's County and Howard County.<ref>{{Cite news | title=Harness Race Hearing Set | newspaper=The Baltimore Sun | date=September 11, 1947 | page=11}}</ref> Rosecroft Raceway was chosen for the Prince George's County license, and Freestate was chosen for the Howard County one.<ref>{{Cite news | title=Rosecroft Harness Race Season Opens Thursday | newspaper=The Baltimore Sun | page=S6 | date=May 22, 1949}}</ref> Freestate was originally called Laurel Raceway from its opening to 1979. In 1948, Freestate Raceway began its first horse racing season. It was founded by Dick Hutchinson.<ref>{{Cite news | last=Austin | first=Dale | date=July 19, 1981 | title=Freestate Races to the Front in Maryland Trotting | newspaper=The Baltimore Sun | page=C14}}</ref> Freestate was the first track to allow pari-mutuel wagering on a harness race.<ref>{{Cite news | title=Richard Hutchison, 69, Founder, Former Owner of Laurel Raceway | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=August 28, 1987 | page=B6}}</ref> According to the United States Trotting Association, the racetrack broke several records in its inaugural season, including opening night attendance (12,000), total mutual handle ($3,703,949), and highest attendance (16,000).<ref name="history">{{Cite web | url=http://www.mi-harness.net/trks/laurelrcwy.html | title=Laurel Raceway – Freestate Raceway | publisher=Mi-Harness.net | accessdate=May 25, 2012 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The owners hosted the Howard County Fair on the grounds in 1948 and 1949 which allowed an exception in post-war rationing of roofing materials that were restricted for agricultural uses only. The fair featured "The Great Zacchinni" human cannonball act.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|title=Human cannonball was big attraction at Howard County Fairs held at Laurel Raceway|author=Kevin Leonard|date=7 August 2015}}</ref> The owners of Freestate decided to increase the purse money, the number of seats, and several other things to greatly improve the racetrack for the 1949 season.<ref name="history" />

Operations at the track ended in 1975, followed by a fire that destroyed the clubhouse and grandstand in March 1976.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Washington Post|title=Fire Destroys Track Buildings|date=2 March 1976}}</ref> Hutchingson's son, Dick Hutchingson, Jr., sold the racetrack to Greta and Joseph Shamy in April 1976.<ref name="freestate">{{Cite news | last=Trilling | first=Michael | date=June 22, 1980 | title=Freestate Harness Starts Up | newspaper=The Washington Post | page=E14}}</ref> Later, the Vice President of the track Mike Brown was indicted for arson at the clubhouse.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Washington Post|title=Md. Jury Indicts Ex-Executive for Racetrack Arson|date=1 September 1976}}</ref> The racetrack was estimated to be in $6 million in debt in 1979, and in the same year, Joseph Shamy was arrested in 1979 for "raiding the track's treasury to pay personal debts."<ref name="freestate" /> Shamy was convicted of racketeering and embezzling $1.2 million from the track which defaulted on a $4.5 million loan from the National Bank of Washington and payments to riders.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Washington Post|title=Laurel Harness Dates Revoked|date=19 December 1979}}</ref>

=== Freestate: 1980–1990 ===

The following year Frank DeFrancis purchased the racetrack from National Bank of Washington.<ref name="opener">{{Cite news | last=Johnson | first=Ted | date=May 8, 1980 | url=http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/iao59a00 | title=Freestate at Laurel Prepares for Opener | newspaper=Harness Horse | accessdate=June 3, 2012}}</ref><ref name="DeFrancis death">{{Cite news | last=Marrapese | first=Nancy | date=August 20, 1989 | title=Frank DeFrancis Dies at 62 | newspaper=Boston Globe | page=76}}</ref> The first thing DeFrancis did was change the name to Freestate Raceway.<ref name="freestate" /> Before Freestates first meet under DeFrancis, he did a lot of work to track, including fixing up the grandstand, creating a driver's lounge, and promoting under the slogan "Where Fun Comes in First".<ref name="opener" /> After losing money for the first few years, DeFrancis persuaded the Maryland General Assembly to lower the tax on the track's handle.<ref>{{Cite news | last=Fowler | first=Glenn | date=August 20, 1989 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/08/20/obituaries/frank-j-defrancis-is-dead-at-62-lawyer-and-horse-racing-leader.html | title=Frank J. DeFrancis is Dead at 62; Frank J. DeFrancis Is Dead at 62; Lawyer and Horse-Racing Leader | newspaper=The New York Times | page=1 | accessdate=July 30, 2012}}</ref> Starting in 1982, Freestate Raceway began to host the Potomac Stakes, Maryland's most successful race. Each time this race happened, the attendance and handle rose dramatically; in 1984, a record $1,094,054 was wagered on the night of that race.<ref>{{Cite news | last=Nowakowski | first=Jack | date=July 21, 1990 | title=Rich Potomac Makes Debut at Rosecroft | newspaper=The Washington Post | page=D9}}</ref> In his first six years of operations, Freestate's average attendance increased from 4,477 to 5,453.<ref>{{Cite press release | title=Freestate Raceway (Harness) Laurel, Maryland | publisher=Freestate Raceway | url=http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/pkf79a00/pdf | format=PDF | accessdate=May 26, 2012}}</ref> In 1988, Roosevelt Raceway, which hosted the Messenger Stakes, closed operations, and the race was given to Freestate for the remainder of Freestate's history.<ref>{{Cite news | title=Messenger to Md | newspaper=The Washington Post | page=D9 | date=October 22, 1988}}</ref> In 1989, DeFrancis died, and Freestate was sold to become an industrial park the following year.<ref name="sold">{{Cite news | last=Rezendes | first=Michael | date=September 6, 1989 | title=Freestate Raceway Is Sold for Planned Industrial Park | newspaper=The Washington Post | page=D1}}</ref> The park is a 320,000-square-foot shopping center with a grocery store and an adjacent Carmax dealership.<ref>{{Cite news | last=Nelson | first=Erik | date=January 12, 1992 | title=Raceway Rezoned for Neighborhood Shopping Center | newspaper=The Baltimore Sun | page=4}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

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Category:Harness racing venues in the United States Category:Horse racing venues in Maryland Category:Defunct sports venues in Maryland Category:1948 establishments in Maryland Category:1990 disestablishments in Maryland Category:Defunct horse racing venues in the United States Category:Sports venues demolished in 1990 Category:North Laurel, Maryland