The post-Preakness environment in Maryland was one of transition, as more than 700 horses based at Laurel Park began shipping to Pimlico Race Course, and a week later to the Maryland State Fair at Timonium.
The move was necessitated by a major overhaul of the Laurel Park dirt surface. The last day of limited training at Laurel was May 25—the day after horses were cleared to travel to and stable at Timonium.
The June 2021 edition of the Horsemen's Newsletter is now online and available for download. To view this edition click here
The Horsemen's Newsletter is published monthly by the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and is mailed to licensed owners and trainers in the state of Maryland.
The Maryland Racing Commission May 27 granted the Maryland Jockey's Club request to extend the transfer of Laurel Park's racing dates to Pimlico Race Course through June 30, and also asked the MJC for a schedule of the extensive work being done to overhaul the dirt surface at Laurel.
The MJC earlier was permitted to move the last few weeks of the Laurel spring meet to Pimlico, which began its meet early on April 22. Should it be necessary to continue racing at Pimlico beyond June 30, a request to the MRC would be necessary.
MRC Executive Director Mike Hopkins said that if the weather cooperates, the agency was told the project should be completed by the end of June. MJC President Sal Sinatra, who credited all parties involved with the transfer of horses and backstretch employees from Laurel to Pimlico and the Maryland State Fair at Timonium, said the hope is the project is finished by July 1.
Per the Maryland Jockey Club, Miguel Paz will begin serving food at 5 a.m. in the jockeys’ room at Pimlico Race Course every day beginning Monday, May 24. Closing hours will depend upon demand.
Backstretch workers should note that on live racing days at Pimlico, they should ensure that they get to the jockeys’ room by 11 a.m., because the room will need to be cleared as the jockeys arrive for racing. On live racing days, Paz will continue to serve food for jockeys and valets based on demand.
For backstretch workers who are relocating to the Maryland State Fair at Timonium, the track kitchen will open Monday, May 24, for lunch. Every day thereafter, it will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., with takeout dinners available.
Plans for the transition of training operations from Laurel Park to the Maryland State Fairgrounds at Timonium and Pimlico Race Course were mostly hammered out at a logistics meeting held May 19.
Anyone needing shipping out of Laurel Park to Pimlico or Timonium must contact Andy Simoff at 302-740-7290 for their needs.
MJC Race Day Shuttles will continue to be handled by Joe Sansosti, who can be reached at 301-266-0914.
The Maryland Jockey Club will offer almost $2 million in stakes purses for its summer meet, including six events for Maryland-bred or -sired horses.
The 20 stakes will be packaged to create five big-event programs from June 13 through Aug. 21. Eleven stakes are scheduled for the turf with nine on the dirt. Six of the dirt stakes are part of the Mid-Atlantic Championships Series (MATCH), which will be held in Maryland and Virginia this year beginning May 14-15 at Pimlico Race Course.
Summer meet stakes purses total $1.95 million, with $450,000 of that for the Maryland-restricted stakes.
