by Fred Hudson

This Sunday (April 15) the Maryland State Racing Commissioners will take to the sulkies and compete in three scheduled non-betting events at Rosecroft Raceway. The race has been named the In Your Pace championship.

The racing commissioners will race in two eliminations consisting of four commissioners each with the two winners returning for the championship match race. The commissioners participating include: David Hayden, Clarissa Coughlin, Mike Algeo, Tom Bowman, Konrad Wayson, Tammy Lafferty, Mike Hopkins and Ron Thomas.

Gina Maybe, the acting vice president of the Cloverleaf Standarbred Owners Association (CSOA) stated, “We are excited to be hosting the Maryland Racing Commissioners this upcoming Sunday as they compete against one another. For some of them this will be their first opportunity to sit behind a Standardbred and we are overjoyed with their enthusiasm.”

Maybe also thanked the many horsemen and women of CSOA for donating their horses and time to make this race the success that it will be, “because without them we could not have done it”

Mike Copperthite, of the Washington, D.C. famed Copperthite Pie Company, has donated a pie to be presented to the winning commissioner. Copperthite’s family dates back to his grandfather, who built a racetrack and was an owner/driver in Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia and on the Grand Circuit in the early 1900s .

There was some friendly kidding when Coughlin announced that she would be racing in a race bike while the others would be racing in jog carts. This immediately brought objections from the other commissioners. Coughlin was overruled and will participate in a jog cart like her opponents.

Post times for the elimination races are 4:45 p.m. and 5:10 p.m. and the championship match race will take place after the fourth race.

First elimination
Post time – 4:45 p.m.
1- Crab Cake – David Hayden
2- Old Bay – Clarissa Coughlin
3 – Natty Boh – Mike Algeo
4 – Rochfish – Tom Bowman

Second elimination
Post time – 5;10 p.m.
1 – Route Fifty – Konrad Wayson
2 – Patuxent – Tammy Lafferty
3 – Charm City – Mike Hopkins
4 – Assateague – Ron Thomas

Match race championship will take place after the fourth race.