Constant change — it’s what most MGC employees have become accustomed to as they navigate the twists and turns of a brand new gaming industry, booming construction sites, and the onboarding of thousands of licensees and registrants.

But tucked away in far corners of the Plainridge Park Casino property, some MGC operations are already running like, well, like a winning horse rounding the final turn onto the homestretch.

Plainridge Park Casino opened in 2015, giving a boost to the racing operations

It is early afternoon in the middle of May, about a month into another racing meet at Plainridge Park, the fifth full since Penn National Gaming took ownership in late 2013. Well before the first post time at 4:00pm, MGC’s Division of Racing is already in full swing. The licensing team meets with racing participants, collecting and processing their license applications. Meanwhile, in the barn, members of the  veterinary staff take blood gas samples from patient horses, doing a delicate dance among the dozens of drivers, trainers, and grooms hurrying about.

Members of the MGC Division of Racing’s licensing office process license applications ahead of racing participation

It’s controlled chaos, particularly on an unseasonably steamy afternoon in which the odors from the barn are magnified, but a routine which the Division of Racing has honed to an art form. In 2017, the Division was responsible for the integrity of 125 race days at Plainridge Park Casino; this year the schedule calls for 110. It’s a meet that spans Patriots Day (a date that this year, saw torrential downpours) through the hot summer months and through the crisp days of late November.

A member of the MGC Division of Licensing veterinary staff conducts a blood gas test ahead of racing

A member of the MGC Division of Licensing veterinary staff acquires the signature of a driver ahead of racing participation

The racing staff is experienced. Some Racing Commission alumni pre-date MGC, and have watched the property around them transform. Given new life in 2015 by the adjoining casino and aided in part by monies from the Race Horse Development Fund, Plainridge Park Racecourse now boasts all the modern amenities of a top-tier harness track.

A new video board and infield improvements are among recent upgrades to the racing area at Plainridge Park Casino

Penn National Gaming, the new operator, has made significant upgrades to the barn, scoreboard, the grandstand, and the camera and replay system. In addition, cosmetic improvements to the infield in time for last year’s Spirit of Massachusetts trot remain in place this year. That $250,000 race, the richest ever in Massachusetts Standardbred racing history, saw handle eight times greater than the average per race.

Director of Racing Alex Lightbown (far right) stops in at the test barn

Today is a much more average day, but the benefits of the recent upgrades remain. “They put these in a few years ago and it’s night and day,” Judge Lou Haskell says, as he watches feeds from the four cameras watching over each race. Lou, a veteran of several tracks including the Red Mile in Kentucky, can now mark the spot where any potential infractions or violations occur and instantly go back to the video review. “We used to have to call down and have them rewind the tape for us. You can image how much quicker it is now”.

Judge Lou Haskell watches a race for violations on four monitors

The new process seems to work just fine; moments after the end of each race, Lou and Associate Judge Sal Panzera are able to provide the bettors, the facility, and the United States Trotting Association (USTA) a mind-boggling chart of the official results.

The secret to the Division of Racing’s success?

“People really care about what they are doing here,” says Director of Racing and Chief Veterinarian Alex Lightbown.