Track crew to examine area of Laurel dirt course; no training Sept. 23-24

Laurel Park will be closed for training Wednesday, Sept. 23 and Thursday, Sept. 24 for maintenance work on a small portion of the dirt surface, the Maryland Jockey Club said.

The goal was to reopen for training Sept. 24, but MJC said the project is not yet complete and would take addtional time to complete. MJC said would provide further updates as they come available.

The track maintenance crew was working on an area near the five-eighths pole on the main track, MJC President Sal Sinatra said. The work is necessary for health and safety reasons and to prevent a larger issue from developing later.

Track Superintendent Chris Bosley said he was on his way back from Pimlico Race Course, which begins its meet Sept. 24, to oversee the Laurel project. He said his crew noticed that the area in question, which had been repaired before, felt differently the morning of Sept. 22.

“It’s an area about five to six feet off the rail,” Bosley said. “It’s possible the patch didn’t take well with all the rain we’ve had, so we’ll go ahead and look at it to make sure it’s right. I always err on the side of caution.”