Revised claiming rule to take effect February 16 at Laurel Park

The Maryland Racing Commission on January 14 formally adopted an updated claiming rule that it endorsed in 2025. The rule, which went through the state statutory process and received no public comments, will take effect February 16.

The updated rule is as follows:

“If a horse is claimed, the horse shall not be eligible to start in a claiming race for less than 25 percent more than the claiming price for a period of 20 days from the date of the claim. For the period of the 21st through the 30th day after the horse is claimed, the horse may only start in a claiming race at a price equal to or greater than the amount for which it was claimed. For the period after the 30th day after the horse is claimed, the horse may start in a claiming race at any claiming price.”

The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association Board of Directors in April 2025 approved the suggested change in the Maryland claiming rule after it conducted a comprehensive analysis of claiming rules in other jurisdictions and found the current rule to be more restrictive. The Maryland Jockey Club endorsed the change, noting that the racing office writes a 21-day condition book. A similar rule is in place in other jurisdictions in the region.

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