Maryland Jockey Club

The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen Association, Maryland Horse Breeders Association, and 1/ST RACING have announced a one-year deal to continue live horse racing in Maryland until December 31, 2024. The deal ensures that the GI Preakness S. will be run at Pimlico in May and provides for ongoing racing operations throughout 2024. "We are pleased to come to terms on a one-year extension to the 2012 agreement with The Stronach Group, 1/ST RACING and Maryland Jockey Club and appreciate the work by all that went into finalizing this deal," said David...

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) will be the recipient for this year's Canter for a Cause charity event, set to take place on Sunday, Oct. 29 at Pimlico Race Course, the aftercare organization announced on Tuesday. Sponsored by the Maryland Jockey Club, Canter for a Cause will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with all proceeds going to the TAA. Canter for a Cause gives horse owners the opportunity to ride their personal horse on a racetrack and also help promote second careers for Thoroughbreds. Named for exceptional...

Canter for a Cause, back for the third straight year after the 2020 cancellation, will return to Pimlico Race Course Sunday, Oct. 29. Sponsored by the Maryland Jockey Club, the organization allows the public the chance to walk, trot, canter or gallop their favorite horse or pony over the same oval which has hosted esteemed runners like Seabiscuit, Secretariat, War Admiral and recent Triple Crown champions American Pharoah and Justify. More than 270 riders participated last fall, one of the most successful events. Registration is $65 per trip, with proceeds...

Jamie Ness was the leading trainer and Jaime Rodriguez was the top jockey at the Laurel Park summer meet which concluded Sunday. Ness saddled 27 winners at the 33-day stand, while Brittany Russell was second in the standings with 22 wins. Rodriguez outdistanced five-pound apprentice Axel Concepcion, 39-29, to finish as leading rider. Ness and Rodriguez put an exclamation point on their meet with a Sunday hat trick--Madison Avenue Racing Stable, Inc. and Jagger Inc.'s Liberty Star in Race 5, Double B Racing Stables' My Boy Colton in Race 6...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) canceled live racing Friday at Belmont Park due to a rapid decline in air quality late this morning, the organization said in a release midday. After horses were in the paddock for the first race, the decision was made in consultation with the New York State Equine Medical Director, NYRA management and veterinary staff in order to ensure the safety of all participants. The indoor facilities at Belmont Park and Aqueduct Racetrack remained open for simulcasting. Live racing is scheduled to resume on...

Tuesday's Maryland Racing Commission (MRC) meeting yielded the news that the state's horsemen, breeders, and the operator of Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park have agreed on yet another six-month extension agreement to keep racing going after a 10-year deal expired at the end of 2022. The placeholder agreement will go into effect for the final six months of 2023, and it follows a similar six-month extension reached earlier this year that is set to sunset June 30. The eventual goal is to come up with a longer-term contract. Mike...

Concerns over the safety of the troubled main dirt track at Laurel Park have quieted since racing was halted there Apr. 21-28. Mike Rogers, the president of the racing division for 1/ST Racing, which owns both Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, told the Maryland Racing Commission (MRC) Tuesday that several "tweaks" to the maintenance routine represent the only significant changes to the surface since racing resumed Apr. 29. The tone was noticeably less tense and in-person attendance was diminished during the MRC's regular monthly meeting at Laurel May 2....

The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA) and the management team at 1/ST Racing announced an agreement Tuesday morning that will allow for the MTHA's preferred track maintenance consultant, John Passero, to be retained to perform testing that will hopefully lead to the latest round of fixes in a years-long series of safety woes that have plagued Laurel Park's main dirt track. The agreement, which was announced at an emergency meeting of the Maryland Racing Commission (MRC) Apr. 25, put off for the time being any action by the commission that...

A few hours after the Maryland Jockey Club (MJC), which operates Laurel Park, put out a statement in which it said it had concluded "that there were no issues with the track and that it is safe to race and train," the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA) and the Maryland Horse Breeders' Association sent a joint email to Maryland Racing Commission Chairman Michael Algeo calling into question the safety of the track and calling the current situation a "catastrophic emergency." There have been off-and-on concerns about the main track at...

The Maryland Jockey Club (MJC), which cancelled racing this weekend after two fatalities at Laurel Park Thursday, issued a new statement late Saturday regarding the status of the Laurel surface. The statement appears in full below: The Maryland Jockey Club has cancelled its Thursday, Apr. 27 racing program at Laurel Park due to insufficient entries. The racing office will be open and taking entries Sunday for the Friday, Apr. 28 program. We acknowledge the recent statements in the press regarding the safety of our racing surface. However, we want to...

The Maryland Jockey Club, which operates Laurel Park, announced late Friday that racing at Laurel has been cancelled at least through this weekend. "The Maryland Jockey Club (MJC) announced that after consultation with the Maryland Racing Commission, racing will be cancelled this weekend at Laurel Park while MJC works with the Maryland Racing Commission to understand and address any issues of concern raised relating to recent injuries," the statement read.  "MJC will also be discussing plans for implementation of updated safety and veterinary protocols similar to those that have been...

The Maryland Jockey Club announced it will host a hiring fair Apr. 20. Open to the public from 1-4:00 p.m., the fair will offer short- and long-term employment opportunities with local businesses including Select Event Group, SAFE Management, The Beadle Group, Battle Tested Security, Ridgewells Catering, Atlas Restaurant Group and the Maryland Jockey Club. Positions that a slew of companies will look to fill at this year's fair include: line and prep cooks, host staff, servers, kitchen, assistants, buffet managers, action station attendants, tent chefs and supervisors, unarmed event security...