Fort Washington, MD — The expected presence of world record holder Bulldog Hanover in the $125,000 Potomac Pace at Rosecroft Raceway Nov. 10 garnered some attention at the Nov. 1 Maryland Racing Commission meeting.

Bulldog Hanover, a 4-year-old Shadow Play horse owned by Jack Darling Stables and Bradley Grant, most recently won the Breeders Crown Open Pace Oct. 29 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Earlier this year, he set a pacing world record for one mile in 1:45.4 in winning the William R. Haughton at the Meadowlands. His career record stands at 27-4-1 in 36 starts for earnings of $2.24 million.

Mike Rogers, acting president of the Maryland Jockey Club, which owns Rosecroft, in an update told MRC members that the connections of Bulldog Hanover had accepted an invitation to the Potomac Pace. Jackie MacLeod, president of the Maryland Standardbred Breeders Association, also discussed the upcoming race in comments to the commission and urged members to attend. Darling, who also trains Bulldog Hanover, indicated after his Breeders Crown victory the horse would most likely race in the Potomac Pace.

“How many times in our lives will we get to a chance to witness a horse with this level of talent?” MacLeod said. “Can we anticipate a Potomac Pace record as well as a track record? We’re very fortunate he’s coming to Rosecroft for the Potomac.”

The all-age pacing track record at Rosecroft, a five-eighths-mile track known to produce rapid fractions even in overnight races,. is 1:47.3, set by Keystone Velocity in the 2017 Potomac Pace.

Tattoo Artist and Allywag Hanover, second and third, respectively, in this year’s Breeders Crown Open Pace, are also expected for the Potomac Pace, which fills a niche between the Breeders Crown and the TVG Open Pace at the Meadowlands later in November.

In other business at the MRC meeting, Bobbi Sample, general manager of Ocean Downs Casino, said about $5.7 million in purse money was paid during the Eastern Shore track’s 2022 meet — $4.6 million in overnight purses and $1.1 million in purses for the Maryland Sire Stakes and Maryland Standardbred Race Fund events. Sample said six of the top 10 drivers and eight of the top 10 trainers in this year’s standings are based in Maryland; Russell Foster won the driving title with 65 wins, while Jonathan Roberts, recently elected president of the Cloverleaf Standardbred Owners’ Association, was second with 58 victories.

Sample also said that Ocean Downs is in the process of finishing a resurfacing project on its half-mile track.