
Horses can begin returning to Laurel Park Sunday, Aug. 8, and training—including workouts—will be available Tuesday, Aug. 10, Maryland racing officials announced July 28 during a community Zoom meeting hosted by the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association.
The massive reconstruction of the Laurel dirt surface, which involved replacement of the base and substructure, is nearing completion. The original target date for training to begin was Aug. 6, but executives with 1/ST RACING (The Stronach Group) had said earlier that could be pushed back by several days.




The MTHA will hold a public meeting Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 11 a.m. Eastern Time via Zoom to discuss a proposed digital auction process for horses receiving two or more claims in a claiming race.

An October 7 Daily Record article about proposed Maryland Racing Commission regulations has generated questions about increased penalties, medication enforcement and the state’s investment in Thoroughbred racing.
