Ocean Downs Casino

Merle "Moe" LaFountaine has been in the horse business his entire life, staring his own stable of horses at the age of 18. He has lived in Ohio and Michigan and his current home state of Maryland. He has been an integral part of horse racing as an owner, trainer and driver. He is the Patrol Judge for Ocean Downs Racing and he has been here every summer since 2017. Moe recently received his accreditation to become an associate judge which is no easy feat!  Moe loves Racing and being a judge as no two races are ever the same. He is constantly alert to everything that is going on at every moment before, during and after the race has finished. Moe is vey busy as he handles judge and investigating duties at many other racetracks including the Meadowlands, Chester, Rosecroft, Harrington, Dover and Freehold.  When Moe isn’t working he enjoys spending quality time with his wife Jennifer. They get to as many baseball games as they can, thrifting, and travel when time permits especially cruising, as they are looking forward to their next trip in 2025.  We here at Ocean Downs are lucky to have an exemplary team member like Moe! #teammembertuesday #employeespotlight

Olivia Clark started her career 11 years ago at Ocean Downs selling racing programs for the summer. She was offered a position as a Mutuel Teller when the live racing season ended and spent time learning about racing and betting. Three years later she transferred to Marketing as a Player’s Club Representative eventually becoming a Lead Representative. She enjoyed her time in Marketing as she loved helping with promotions. Two years ago she took the class offered at Ocean Downs to become a Table Games Dealer, and she hasn’t looked back! She loves the excitement that comes with being a Dealer and having fun guests at her table is even better. She enjoys this position the most as she literally comes to work every day and gets to play games. When Olivia isn’t working, she loves to read. Her main genre is fantasy, but she says she will read anything! Her favorite books are Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. She also enjoys writing and is working on writing a book. Thanks Olivia, for being a valued member of the Ocean Downs team! 

#TeamMemberTuesday featuring Kyle Era! Kyle Era began his career in July 2019 at Ocean Downs as a Player’s Club Representative. He was promoted to Player’s Club Lead Representative and then took a position as a Database Analyst. He has been working as our Marketing Specialist for 3 months handling all things Social Media, dealing with the advertisement agencies and all types of signage for the property. He is well versed in all things Marketing and always a helping hand for other departments with his vast knowledge. Kyle had always wanted to work in the entertainment industry, as he loves putting together experiences that patrons of Ocean Downs can enjoy. Kyle says he has the best job as he gets to experience this through the promotions. He also enjoys the interaction and seeing our guests leave with a smile on their face! When Kyle isn’t working he enjoys playing video games.

Janeth has bee a valuable member of the Human Resources department for 6 years. She enjoys her co-workers and the challenging work she does each day. She has an HR background having worked in a different industry before becoming immersed in all things Casino. When Janeth isn’t working, she enjoys walking her dog Kobe 🐕, traveling to Mexico to visit family, and playing video games 👾. #teammembertuesday

Our Schol Supply Drive in July far exceeded our expectations and we were able to donate BOAT loads of supplies. A massive thank you to everyone that donated; because of your help we were able to benefit kids from both the Worcester County School system AND the Youth Care Center. #oceandownscasino #wherethefunshines

Team Member Tuesday is a Two-Fer! Please meet David Mintz and Nancy Stack! David is Day 1 Team Member who has been Employee of the Year and our 1st Dealer. David is a local, who moved from Baltimore. He enjoys fishing and spending time with his grandkids on his days off. David has an infectious laugh and draws us all in to his joyful mindset. Nancy has been with Ocean Downs since 2018 and has a 1000-watt smile! She relocated from the Philadelphia area where she was a voting coordinator for many years. When Nancy is not working, she enjoys watching the Olympic swimmers. Nancy revealed she also likes tennis—but mostly because of her secret crush on Bjorn Borg! (not so secret anymore) Nancy also enjoys her cat, Baby Girl, and is an avid animal lover.

Laura Basile started working at Ocean Downs in May 2019 as a mutuel teller within Racing Operations. She has become an integral part of the department and now works as a supervisor. Her vast knowledge of live racing goes a long way in helping our summer visitors understand how to place bets and have fun doing it! Laura’s love of racing began in May of 1989 at Monticello Raceway and continued with thoroughbred racing at Belmont Park. Promoting live racing is her passion and she is really good at it! When Laura isn’t working at Ocean Downs she is helping her cousin run a very successful plumbing business and doing genealogical research for friends and family. She is a huge sports fan and she can be found rooting for the NY Mets, NY Rangers and the NY Giants. She often travels to distant stadiums, ice rinks or fields to cheer on the NY teams. #teammembertuesday

Sheree Mobley-Bradham has been a valuable member of the Player’s Club for almost 3 years. Her outgoing personality makes a perfect fit to greet our customers and talk about the wonderful promotions we have going on at Ocean Downs. She says this is what makes her position so enjoyable! Talking to the patrons, explaining the promotions, encouraging them to utilize their free play, and this time of your she talks about the fun happening outside during our live race meet!  Sheree retired from the Philadelphia school system where she worked as an elementary school teacher. Her position at Ocean Downs is a great post retirement job, as she enjoys working “where the fun shines”. When Sheree is not working, she often sees her 7 adult children and 7 grandchildren either in person or Facetime. She indicated how important her family is to her and modern technology helps her to stay in touch with them on a regular basis. Sheree loves the outdoors, cooking spicy foods, and travel. She is planning 3 cruises this year! #TeamMemberTuesday #OceanDowns

Jack Ragone began working at Ocean Downs in November of 2022 as part of our Facilities team. He currently handles the busy evening shift, which has many different components including the live racing meet 4 nights a week. He recently assisted in the annual camel and ostrich races which is an event many look forward to each year. Jack did an apprenticeship with an HVAC company prior to starting here, so his knowledge in this area has come in handy. Jack enjoys his position here as he likes the Casino atmosphere where patrons are here to enjoy themselves and have a fun time. He knows that no two days are ever the same and that keeps him on his toes! When Jack isn’t working he can be found helping his family on the farm, getting used to his new motorcycle and playing his favorite game, Old School RuneScape. #teammembertuesday

Meet Amanda! ✨ Amanda is a bartender with Ocean Downs property for 13 years. She has worked in Food & Beverage the entire time! She enjoys her job and being “behind the bar”. The best part of her work is her customers and coworkers. Amanda grew up in Annapolis near the water and relocated to Ocean City—and enjoys the Southern hospitality of this area. When Amanda is not working, you can usually find her spending time with her husband Brian or golden-doodle Grace out on their boat. If Amanda wasn’t doing this role, she would be driving a racecar! Amanda’s family did build and race at the Capitol Raceway, where she and her brother were both drivers. The quote that is most often heard about Amanda is “ Amanda has a smile that you can actually hear light up the room”. We are grateful for team members like Amanda who enjoys her job and makes us all want to come to work with her!