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Laurel Park (race track)

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Laurel Park
Aerial view from southwest in 1998
Map
Interactive map of Laurel Park
LocationMaryland City Community,
at Route 198 & Racetrack Road,
Laurel, Maryland, U.S.
Coordinates39°06′14″N 76°49′51″W / 39.10389°N 76.83083°W / 39.10389; -76.83083
Operated byThe Maryland Jockey Club, Inc.
Date openedOctober 2, 1911; 114 years ago (1911-10-02)
Course typeFlat; 1.125 miles (1.81 km)
Notable racesFrank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Stakes
Barbara Fritchie Stakes (gr.3)
Baltimore Washington International Turf Cup (gr.3)
General George Stakes (gr.3)
Maryland Million Classic
Live racing handleIncrease $627.3 million (2017)[1]
AttendanceIncrease 671,852 (2014)[2]
Official website

Laurel Park, formerly Laurel Race Course, is a thoroughbred racetrack in the eastern United States, located just outside Laurel, Maryland. Opened in 1911 and midway between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., the track is nine furlongs (1.125 miles (1.81 km)) in circumference; its name was "Laurel Race Course" for several decades until returning to the "Laurel Park" designation in 1994.

In April 2024, the Maryland General Assembly approved a bill to consolidate thoroughbred racing in Maryland to Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. Laurel Park hosted the 2026 Preakness Stakes; it is to close for live racing once renovations at Pimlico are finished[3][4] and be converted into a year-round training facility.[5]

History

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Laurel Park Racecourse opened October 2, 1911, under the direction of the Laurel Four County Fair.[6] In 1914, two New York businessmen and prominent horsemen, Philip J. Dwyer and James Butler, purchased the track and appointed Matt Winn as the general manager. In 1918 the field was used by Army Engineers as a training camp before deployment to France.[7]

In 1946, a stable fire broke out; 60 horses were saved. In 1947, the Maryland Jockey Club, which owned Timonium and Pimlico, purchased Laurel Park from the Butler estate. The club aimed to shift the Pimlico meeting to Laurel, but this was rejected by the Maryland General Assembly.

In 1950, the club sold the track to Morris Schapiro, who appointed his youngest son, John D. Schapiro, as track president. Schapiro renamed the track Laurel Race Course and introduced the Washington, D.C., International: 1+1⁄2 miles on the turf. In 1953, Laurel opened a new clubhouse and turf club. In 1954, 14 horses were saved from another stable fire. In 1957, the grandstand was remodeled. In an effort to improve conditions for the International, Laurel lengthened its turf course from seven furlongs to one mile in 1959; simultaneously, the main track was extended from one mile to one mile and one-eighth.

In 1964, arson at the stable killed 34 horses.[8] In 1965, the trotting track was covered with an artificial 3M "Tartan Turf".[9] Laurel remodeled its clubhouse and grandstand to accommodate winter racing in 1966, enclosing the track's seating area with 30,000 square feet of half-inch-thick glass. In 1967, a fire in two stables was mitigated by new sprinklers.[10] When Laurel was awarded the summer racing dates in 1982, the track installed an air-conditioning system in the grandstand and clubhouse.

In 1984, the 34-year Schapiro era ended with the sale of the track. In December 1984, Frank J. De Francis, governor Harry Hughes's selection for Economic Development secretary, and his partners, Robert and John "Tommy" Manfuso, purchased the racetrack from Schapiro before racetrack legislation would pose a conflict of interest.[11] In 1985, a "Sports Palace" was added. In August 1989, Frank De Francis died and his son, Joe De Francis, then served as president of Laurel and Pimlico. In 1994 the track's name returned to "Laurel Park". Improvement were made to the main entrance, grandstand interior, and backstretch barns.

In 1994, a proposal was floated to redevelop land occupied by Laurel Park and its adjacent properties in order to move the Washington Redskins Stadium at the crossroads of Whiskey Bottom Road and Brock Bridge Road. Citizens and clergy launched an opposition campaign that killed the proposal, in part for lack of parking.[12]

Laurel Park track and grandstands in 2026, just after the Preakness race

In 1999 the MJC broke ground on a new $1.85 million backstretch housing project, Laurel Commons, in cooperation with Laurel Quality of Life, Inc., the Enterprise Foundation, Inc. and the Ryan Family Foundation, Inc. In addition, Laurel Park, as part of a $16 million multi-year renovation plan, opened four premier Clubhouse areas: "Tycoons," an upscale cigar and brandy bar with an excellent television presentation of racing and other sporting events; "Sunny Jim's," a simulcast theater with individual carrels, and food & beverage service; "Clocker's Corner," a casual simulcast theater and cafe in a convenient track-side location and the "Kelso Club," a premier accommodation for VIP customers with concierge service. Magna Entertainment Corp. purchased the track on July 15, 2002, and announced an alliance with The Maryland Jockey Club designed to raise the level of Maryland thoroughbred racing to new heights.[13] Another renovation of Laurel Park's track and facility in 2004 to early January 2005 widened both racing surfaces.

After Magna's bankruptcy in 2009, Penn National Gaming and MI Developments acquired joint ownership of the Maryland Jockey Club in 2010 for operation of Laurel Park.[14] The Stronach Group bought out Penn National's minority ownership interest in the Maryland Jockey Club in June 2011.[15] In May 2011, Frank Stronach gave up leadership of MI Development in exchange for Magna's former gaming assets, giving him control over Laurel Park.[16]

In 2013, after a failed attempt to introduce slot machine gambling, Laurel Park owners Stronach Group announced plans to use the Maryland Racetrack Facility Redevelopment Account to fund year-round racing, facility improvements and a tunnel under the adjacent B&O railroad tracks, connecting to a 1,000-unit transit-oriented development called Laurel Park Station on the Howard County portion of the Racetrack property.[17] In 2018, the track began using a GPS-based timing system.[18]

In October 2019, as part of an agreement between The Stronach Group and the city of Baltimore to keep the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course, plans were announced for upgrades to Laurel Park. Under the proposal, The Stronach Group would donate Pimilco and Laurel Park to new government entities that would oversee the properties, with Stronach licensed to conduct the race meets. Laurel's grandstand would be demolished and replaced, and new dirt, synthetic, and grass surfaces for racing would be installed. New housing for backstretch workers and new barns would also be constructed. The plans would have to be approved by the Maryland state legislature when it convened in 2020, as existing state laws would have to be modified in order for the proposal to be realized.[19][20]

In April 2021, problems with Laurel's main track surface forced spring racing dates to be moved to Pimlico.[21]

2026 Preakness and training center conversion

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In January 2024, it was announced that major renovations would take place at Pimlico Race Course, resulting in one or two runnings of the Preakness Stakes moving to Laurel.[22] A bill introduced in the Maryland General Assembly in March 2024 provided for the consolidation of thoroughbred racing in the state to Pimlico, with the 2026 Preakness run at Laurel during the Pimlico redevelopment.[23] The bill passed in April 2024 after amendment, and was expected to be signed into law by Governor Wes Moore.[3] Laurel was expected to close permanently for racing, and the land possibly used for redevelopment, once renovations at Pimlico were completed.[4]

On January 1, 2025, management of Laurel Park changed from the former Maryland Jockey Club (part of the for-profit Stronach Group) to the new Maryland Jockey Club, which operates as a non-profit entity of the state-run Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority. The Stronach Group continues to own the Laurel Park property.[24] The operating authority was dissolved on June 30, 2025, per a budget provision, and its duties passed to the Maryland Stadium Authority.[25] In January 2026, Maryland officials announced that they had reached an agreement to purchase Laurel Park from the Stronach Group for $50 million, with plans to convert it into a horse training center to complement the Pimlico facility.[26] The purchase cleared a regulatory hurdle in April 2026 when the board of the Maryland Stadium Authority approved the purchase, with the cost revised to $48.5 million.[5]

Highlights of the first 100 years

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  • Triple Crown winners Sir Barton, War Admiral, Whirlaway, Secretariat and Affirmed won races at Laurel Park during their Hall of Fame careers.
  • Classic winners Omar Khayyam (1917 Kentucky Derby), Hourless (1917 Belmont Stakes), Exterminator (1918 Kentucky Derby), High Echelon (1970 Belmont), Riva Ridge (1972 Derby & Belmont), Spectacular Bid (1979 Derby & Preakness Stakes), Bet Twice (1987 Belmont), Go and Go (1990 Belmont) and Barbaro (2006 Derby) also competed at the central Maryland track.
  • Seabiscuit prepped at Laurel Park for his famous match race with War Admiral. On October 15, 1938, two weeks before the Pimlico Special, Seabiscuit finished second in the Laurel Stakes, a race he had won the previous year.
  • Kelso, the only five-time Horse of the Year, won the 1964 Washington D.C. International in his fourth attempt, beating rival Gun Bow. Kelso finished second in his three previous tries in the International, all by less than a length.
  • Sandy Hawley became the first rider in history with 500 victories in a single-season when he guided Charlie Jr. to victory at Laurel Park on December 15, 1973. Hawley finished the year with 515 victories.
  • Chris McCarron surpassed Hawley with his 516th winner on December 17, 1974, aboard Oh My Love at Laurel Park. He completed the year with 546 victories.
  • Kent Desormeaux broke McCarron's mark when he rode his 547th winner for the year, aboard Gilten, at Laurel Park on November 30, 1989. Desormeaux finished the year with 598 victories, a record that still stands.
  • The Maryland Million, an innovative program devised by broadcaster Jim McKay to promote the Maryland breeding industry, debuted at Laurel Park in 1986. The 26th running of the event took place at Laurel on October 1, 2011.
  • Edgar Prado became the fourth jockey to win 500 races in a single-season when he reached the wire first aboard Hardball on November 30, 1997, at Laurel Park. Prado ended the year with 536 victories.
  • Mario Pino became the 15th rider in North America to reach 6,000 career wins when he guided Pass Play to victory at Laurel Park on November 7, 2007.
  • Rapid Redux joined Zenyatta and Peppers Pride as the only horses in North American thoroughbred history to win 19 consecutive races in a row after he out stepped four starter allowance runners at Laurel Park on October 27, 2011.

Racing

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Stakes events

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Races at Laurel Park, listed by grade and sorted by inaugural year. The following Graded events were held at Laurel Park in 2019.

Grade 3 Stakes Races:

State-bred Showcase Stakes Races:

Listed Stakes Races:
Ungraded stakes races run at Laurel Park, listed by inaugural year:

Discontinued Stakes Races:

  • Annapolis Stakes (1972–2000)
  • Belair Stakes (19??–2001)
  • Bowie Stakes (1962–2000)
  • Chesapeake Stakes (1912–2000)
  • Dancing Count Stakes (1985–2012) Winter
  • Horatius Stakes (1994–2008) Winter
  • Humphrey S. Finney Stakes (1986–2009)
  • Squan Song Stakes (1988–2011) Autumn

Music festivals

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During the late 1960s Laurel Race Course hosted a number of jazz festivals, as well as a pop festival on the eve of Woodstock. The 1967 festival, titled "Jazz Runs at Laurel," also known as the First Annual Washington/Baltimore Jazz Festival, featured Miles Davis, the Jimmy Smith Trio, Dizzy Gillespie, and Woody Herman and his Big Band on the first night, followed by Art Blakey, Nina Simone, Horace Silver, Dave Brubeck, and the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. The final night featured Thelonious Monk, Herbie Mann, the Modern Jazz Quartet, and Clark Terry.[27][28]

The following year "Operation Jazz 1968" presented return performances by Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Horace Silver, Herbie Mann, Thelonious Monk, Woody Herman, Jimmy Smith, and Mel Lewis-Thad Jones, as well as Sonny Rollins, the Count Basie Big Band, Joe Williams, Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, Freddie Hubbard, Wes Montgomery, Cannonball Adderley, Gary Burton, Miriam Makeba, Art Farmer-Jimmy Heath Quintet, Arthur Prysock, the 5th Dimension, and Rufus Harley.[28][29]

The 1969 Laurel Jazz Fest starred Count Basie and His Orchestra, Eddie Harris, Herbie Mann, Mongo Santamaría, Nancy Wilson, the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, Buddy Rich, Cannonball Adderley, Dizzy Gillespie, Horace Silver, Roberta Flack, Sam & Dave, and James Brown. [30]

The 1969 Laurel Pop Festival featured some of the biggest names in rock and roll of the time: Led Zeppelin, Sly & the Family Stone, Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart, and others. The second night of the pop festival was delayed because of rain, which led some fans to build a bonfire out of wooden folding chairs to keep warm. As the festival dragged on behind schedule the police finally shut down the festival around 2:00 a.m. during Sly & the Family Stone's set. Those problems, which some media reported as a "riot," meant the end of the jazz and pop festivals, even though the pop festival had turned a profit for the promoters.[31][32][33]

Public transit

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The racecourse can be accessed via MARC Train at the Laurel Race Track station, and RTA Buses 409 and 502.

References

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  1. ↑ Maryland Jockey Club (2017). Maryland Jockey Club Annual Report (PDF) (Report). Maryland Jockey Club. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  2. ↑ Maryland Racing Commission (2010). Ninety-First Annual Report (Report). Maryland Racing Commission. p. 11. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  3. 1 2 Witte, Brian (8 April 2024). "Maryland lawmakers OK plan to rebuild Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness". Associated Press. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  4. 1 2 Vespe, Frank (9 April 2024). "Maryland a Step Closer on Pimlico-Centered Racing Plan". bloodhorse.com. The Racing Biz. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  5. 1 2 Ng, Greg (April 20, 2025). "Maryland Stadium Authority approves $48.5M agreement to purchase Laurel Park". WBAL-TV. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  6. ↑ "History". Laurel Park. Retrieved July 14, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Track at Laurel Will Be Used By Army Engineers". The Washington Times. 28 December 1917.
  8. ↑ Walter Haight (5 November 1964). "Arson Suspected In Laurel Fire: Horses Turned Loose". The Washington Post.
  9. ↑ Steve Cady (17 April 1965). "Synthetic Turf Passes Maryland Test". The New York Times.
  10. ↑ "2 Barn Fires at Laurel Called Arson". The Washington Post. 21 December 1967.
  11. ↑ Harry Roe Hughes. My Unexpected Journey: The Autobiography of Governor Harry Roe Hughes. p. 169.
  12. ↑ Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke sought a special exception that would allow a National Football League stadium in an industrial zone east of Laurel in Anne Arundel County. The Redskins also hoped for variances from county codes on matters such as parking and landscaping for the 78,600-seat stadium. Baltimore Sun, August 11, 1994
  13. ↑ Morgan, Jon; Keyser, Tom (July 16, 2002). "Canadian Firm to Buy Pimlico, Laurel Tracks". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 14, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Penn National Gaming and MI Developments enter into joint venture for assets and operations of Maryland Jockey Club tracks, Laurel Park and Pimlico" (Press release). MI Developments. PR Newswire. May 7, 2010. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  15. ↑ Walker, Andrea K. (July 29, 2011). "Stronach in charge of Pimlico, Laurel Park". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  16. ↑ McCrank, John (April 1, 2011). "Magna's rags-to-riches Stronach set to go electric". Reuters. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
  17. ↑ Sonny Goldreich. "Owner pitches Laurel Park redevelopment plan to state panel". Gazette.net. Archived from the original on April 3, 2015. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  18. ↑ Hegarty, Matt (October 11, 2018), Woodbine, Laurel, Pimlico officially adopt GPS timing system, DRF, retrieved October 14, 2018
  19. ↑ Barker, Jeff; Wood, Pamela (5 October 2019). "'Historic' deal aims to keep Preakness in Baltimore; track owner, city reach agreement after 4 months of talks". baltimoresun.com. The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  20. ↑ Hegarty, Matt (5 October 2019). "Coalition lays out plan for major redevelopment of Pimlico, Laurel". drf.com. Daily Racing Form. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  21. ↑ Walker, Childs (16 April 2021). "Track problems at Laurel Park will shift racing to Pimlico starting next week". baltimoresun.com. The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  22. ↑ Hogan, Jack (2024-01-05). "Preakness owner, MD horse racing authority push to revamp Pimlico, shift from Laurel". Maryland Daily Record. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
  23. ↑ Witte, Brian (14 March 2024). "Maryland lawmakers consider new plan to rebuild Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness". Associated Press. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  24. ↑ Walker, Childs (30 December 2024). "Maryland thoroughbred horse racing prepares to step into its future in 2025". timeswv.com. Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  25. ↑ Wood, Pamela; Gardner, Hayes (April 6, 2025). "Maryland abruptly eliminates authority that had overseen Pimlico transition". The Baltimore Banner. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  26. ↑ Gardner, Hayes; Sanderlin, Lee O. (January 20, 2026). "Maryland plans to purchase Laurel Park in horse training center switcheroo". The Baltimore Banner. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  27. ↑ "Jazz at Laurel 1967 Setlists". Setlist.fm. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  28. 1 2 Laurel History Boys. "The Laurel Jazz Festivals". Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Miles Davis/Dizzy Gillespie Jazz At Laurel Concert Poster (1968)". Heritage Auctions. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  30. ↑ "Jazz at Laurel 1969 Setlists". Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  31. ↑ Leonard, Kevin. "Summer of Love Music Festivals: Woodstock, Altamont, and Laurel?". The Laurel History Boys. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  32. ↑ Constine, David. "The Laurel Pop Festival: Maryland's Woodstock-Before-Woodstock". Boundary Stones. WETA. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  33. ↑ "Laurel Pop Festival 1969 Setlists". Retrieved May 30, 2026.
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