Laurel Park

Laurel Park has annonced a Labor Day weekend stakes line-up worth $900,000. The nine stakes on offer include the Federico Tesio, a 'Win and In' for the GI Preakness S., and the Weber City, a 'Win and In' for the GII Black-Eyed Susan S. Both races will be held Monday, Sept. 7. The Labor Day card will also feature three races on the turf--the Henry Clark S. and Laurel Dash for 3-year-olds and up, and the All Along S. for fillies and mares. There will be four $100,000 stakes Saturday,...

The Maryland Equine Safety, Health and Welfare Advisory Committee, which falls under the Maryland Racing Commission, has approved a plan for post-race video endoscopies of all starters in 2-year-old races in the state through the end of the year. Details of the survey study designed to determine the extent of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhaging were released Tuesday morning by the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and follows Sunday's announcement of an agreement to card Lasix-free 2-year-old races in the state through Dec. 31. Private veterinarians who practice at Laurel will conduct the...

The Maryland Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review Committee has approved the Maryland Racing Commission's emergency regulation that will facilitate Lasix-free 2-year-old races, it was announced Sunday evening. No races for juveniles have been held in Maryland this year due to a stalemate between the state's racing factions over the use of the anti-bleeder medication. It was announced on July 16 that The Maryland Jockey Club, The Stronach Group and the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association had reached an agreement for a Lasix-free pilot program through 2023. While no 2-year-old races are...

The GoFundMe account set up to support jockey Rosario Montanez, injured in a spill at Laurel, surpassed its goal of $20,000 less than 24 hours after it was created. Montanez, 28, suffered multiple fractures to his back in a first-race spill at the Maryland track July 17, and underwent successful surgery the following morning at R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. Agent Joe Rocco, Sr. said Montanez also injured his neck in the accident. Laurel trainer Brittany Russell launched the fundraiser the same day to help with medical...

Laurel-based jockey Sheldon Russell, who leads the current summer meet, will miss at least two months with a broken right wrist suffered in a gate mishap Thursday at Delaware Park. Agent Marty Leonard said the 32-year-old Russell was hurt after being unseated by his mount Maliceinthepalace (Palace Malice), a 3-year-old filly trained by Michael Gorham, as the horses were loading for Delaware's third race. She would go on to run fourth under Alex Cintron. "Walking into the gate the horse just reared up and he came off," Leonard said. "When...

After the Maryland Racing Commission (MRC) on Thursday refused to vote or otherwise rule on a late agenda request to allow The Stronach Group (TSG) to card Lasix-free races for 2-year-olds, an attorney for the TSG-owned Maryland Jockey Club (MJC) told the commission that the MJC-owned Laurel Park wouldn't be scheduling any juvenile races at all under the present rules that allow the use of the controversial anti-bleeding medication. "We currently [don't] have, and I don't believe we will have, any intent of carding a 2-year-old race under the condition...

The Maryland Jockey Club announced policy changes Friday at Laurel Park in response to Maryland Governor Hogan's authorization to enter into Phase 2 of the state's Roadmap to Recovery plan. Effective Saturday, June 6, a limited number of owners will be permitted to watch races from the track apron while adhering to the COVID-19 mitigation protocols already in place at the track. Owners must enter the facility at the Clockers' entrance and must display a Maryland Racing Commission badge. The MJC has requested that owners watch their horses race and...

The Laurel Park summer race meet is a go, starting Saturday. A 28-date schedule was approved by a unanimous teleconference vote of the Maryland Racing Commission (MRC) at its Thursday meeting. After an initial Saturday-through-Monday, three-date opening spanning May 30-June 1, Fridays and Saturdays will be the primary live racing dates through Aug. 22 (a Monday, June 8, program is also scheduled, according to the Laurel calendar). Alan Rifkin, an attorney for the Maryland Jockey Club (MJC), which owns Laurel, explained to the commission the rationale behind scaling back to...

The Racing and Community Development Act of 2020, a capital plan aimed to protect horse racing in Maryland through the development of Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park, was allowed to pass, without signature, by Gov. Larry Hogan May 7. Passed by the Maryland General Assembly Mar. 18, the legislation clears the way for the Maryland Stadium Authority to provide up to $375 million in bonds, stemming from a combination of funds from the Racetrack Facility Renewal, Purse Dedication Accounts and Baltimore City' video lottery terminal payments and funds from...

The 2020 edition of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships Series (MATCH) had been canceled due to the ongoing uncertainty of racing schedules and concerns about purse money due to the coronavirus. The series was set to debut with races split between Laurel and Charles Town Apr. 8. "Obviously, we are all disappointed, but it was the right thing to do", said MATCH Series creator and THA Chairman Alan M. Foreman. "No one wanted to compromise the quality of the event and the brand we are building. MATCH is a luxury, and...

As racing nationwide grinds to a halt in many jurisdictions, the focus--rightfully so--has been on the lifelong racetrackers who have had their Thoroughbred livelihoods upended by the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus. But what about the up-and-comers who are just now breaking into the sport? Their perspectives are unique and important, too. Take apprentice jockeys. When the game is going full-tilt, hardly a week goes by without news that a "bug" rider has achieved a maiden-breaking victory, complete with the ritualistic dousing of water, eggs, shaving cream, talcum powder,...

Officials at the Maryland Jockey Club announced the cancellation of Friday's scheduled live racing program at Laurel Park and will pause racing indefinitely following an executive order from the office of Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. "In accordance with the Maryland Governor's Executive Orders and as part of the continuing effort to protect the health and safety of essential personnel and the horses they care for, the Maryland Jockey Club will temporarily pause live racing at Laurel Park and Rosecroft Raceway," read a statement. "Our top priority is the well-being of...