Rosecroft Raceway

Rosecroft Raceway, nicknamed the "Raceway by the Beltway" for being close to Interstate 495, is a harness racing track in Fort Washington, Maryland. It first opened in 1949 and was owned by William E. Miller, a horse trainer and breeder. Rosecroft quickly became Prince George's County's political and social center, drawing thousands of people there each racing day. In the early 1950s, average attendance was more than 7,000 per day. After Miller died in 1954, his son John owned Rosecroft until his death in 1969. Rosecroft hosted memorial stake races annually for both William and John until 1995. Following the death of John Miller, Earle Brown controlled operations until he moved to a different position in 1980; William E. Miller II took over following Brown.

Rosecroft was sold to Mark Vogel in 1987. Vogel made several mistakes that hurt the horse racing industry in Maryland. Three years later, he was arrested for possession of cocaine, and his company went into bankruptcy. Rosecroft was sold to Weisman's Colt Enterprises in 1991. In that same year, the grandstand caught fire and was reconstructed in 1993 for $3.6 million. In 1995, after losing millions, the relatives of Weisman sold Rosecroft to Cloverleaf Enterprises. In the 2000s, Cloverleaf attempted to sell Rosecroft multiple times, but due to lawsuits and politics, all the potential buyers became uninterested. Nearby states legalized casinos to help their racetracks. Money generated from the casinos was used to increase the purses and handle (daily betting turnover), and Rosecroft was unable to produce the same amount of money. After filing for bankruptcy once again, Rosecroft Raceway closed down in 2010. The next year, Penn National Gaming purchased the racetrack with the hope to make it a racino, and Rosecroft reopened in 2011.

Throughout Rosecroft's history, it has featured notable races. From 1984 to 1988, it hosted segments of the Breeders Crown. Starting in 1990 and ending in 1995, the racetrack hosted the Messenger Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers. Rosecroft hosted the Potomac Stakes, Maryland most successful harness race, from 1990 to 1992. Rosecroft features the Maryland Sire Stakes, which showcases the best standardbred horses in Maryland. Besides the races, Rosecroft has had famous people and horses work and race at the track. John Wagner, Maryland's all-time most winning driver, has been working at Rosecroft since 1974. Several famous people—Lyndon B. Johnson, Elizabeth Taylor, and Nancy Pelosi, among others—have visited Rosecroft. Cam's Card Shark raced at Rosecroft in 1994 and challenged the single-season record for most money won in a season by winning over $2 million, and Robust Hanover set a track record while winning the Breeders Crown in 1985.

In September 1947, a meeting was held about bringing a harness racetrack to Maryland, specifically Prince George's County, and Rosecroft was chosen to be the site. William E. Miller—a future harness racing Immortal and horse breeder—founded Rosecroft Raceway in 1949. It was the first raceway to be owned by horse owners, horse trainers, and jockeys. Rosecroft was originally the WE Miller Stables and was located next to the Rosecroft Stock Farm, where horses were bred. The racetrack cost $800,000 to construct and was "first class in every respect". The Washington Post estimated a crowd of 12,000 on its opening day of May 26, 1949, but rain cancelled the races. Rosecroft's first night of racing was May 27, 1949 when 6,000 people showed up and $164,501 was wagered. The handle was the second-highest ever recorded for a night trotting track on an opening night.

For years, Rosecroft Raceway held an annual sale of yearling Standardbred horses. It hosted the annual Maryland Sire Stake Races to promote the best of Maryland-bred horses. When Rosecroft opened, it became the political and social center for Prince George's County, Maryland. Each year during the Miller era, several thousand people traveled from across the country to wager on and watch the horses. In 1953, Rosecroft's attendance of 192,585 was the highest among all harness tracks in Maryland. Owners, trainers, and drivers from across the United States moved their farms to Maryland in the 1950s following the opening of Rosecroft, hoping to compete with the best horses.

In 1954, William E. Miller died from a heart attack while driving a horse at Harrington Raceway. After Miller's death, Rosecroft hosted the William E. Miller Memorial race. Over the years, this race attracted several notable horses, including Cam's Card Shark, the 1994 Horse of the Year. John W. Miller, William's son, owned Rosecroft until his death in 1969. In 1961, the owners of Rosecroft resurfaced and regraded the track. Following John, Earle Brown owned the racetrack. John Wager, Maryland's all-time most winning driver, started to work at Rosecroft in 1974. Earle Brown moved to a different position at the racetrack in 1980 and William E. Miller II, William E. Miller's grandson, took over operations.

In 1984, the Hambletonian Society created the Breeders Crown, a traveling series of races to showcase the best 2-year-old and 3-year-old horses throughout North American and Canada. In the inaugural year, Rosecroft was awarded with a race. Rosecroft hosted the 2-Year-Old Pace of the 1985 Breeders Crown, where Robust Hanover won.

Mark Vogel, a Maryland real estate agent, purchased both Rosecroft and Ocean Downs Racetrack in 1987 for $6 million in cash plus $5.5 million in debt. Rosecroft was awarded another Breeders Crown race in 1988, making it their fifth straight—but final—year of hosting them. Vogel had three main goals when he became owner: to construct a $10 million grandstand, simulcast Rosecroft races at other racetracks throughout Maryland to attract a larger market, and have more racing days. In 1989, Vogel purchased Freestate Raceway. Freestate was sold to a development firm the next year, and Rosecroft was awarded more racing days.