
The traditional free Thanksgiving dinner sponsored by MTHA returns on Thursday, Nov. 28, in the track kitchen at Laurel Park.
The “dinner” actually begins early in the morning during training hours and continues through part of the afternoon. First post time for the special holiday racing program at Laurel is 11:25 a.m., so training hours will be adjusted.
This marks the first time the dinner will be held only at Laurel given the closure of Pimlico Race Course for training. The Paz family has prepared the dinners for both tracks each year and will plan accordingly for the Laurel event.
The entire Maryland racing community is invited to stop by the kitchen to enjoy turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and other sides. Miguel and Bryant Paz begin purchasing and preparing food for the dinner well in advance.
In recent years, the Maryland Jockey Club has provided free pumpkin and apple pies to customers on the racing side and will do so again this year. The MJC last year sent pies to the track kitchen for distribution along with the Thanksgiving dinners.




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.
