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Laurel Park Approved For 56-Day Fall Meet
The Maryland Racing Commission at its August meeting approved a request from the Maryland Jockey Club for 56 days of live racing during the 2024 Laurel Park fall meet.
The meet begins Saturday, Sept. 7, and concludes Sunday, Dec. 29. For the most part racing will be held three days a week (Friday through Sunday) in September, November and December, and four days a week (Thursday through Sunday) in October.
There will be a four-day race week from Thursday, Nov. 28, through Sunday, Dec. 1, to accommodate a live program on Thanksgiving Day as usual. Regular first post time will be 12:25 p.m. with several exceptions: Saturday, Oct. 12, at 11:30 a.m. (Maryland Million); Saturday, Nov. 2, at 12 p.m. (Breeders’ Cup); and Thursday, Nov. 28, at 11:25 p.m. (Thanksgiving).
In a letter to the MRC, the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association noted that its Board of Directors approved the live racing schedule for the fall meet “pending future financial analysis that may require modifications.”
This will be the final Laurel meet operated by 1/ST Racing (The Stronach Group), which as of Jan. 1, 2025 will turn operations over to a not-for-profit entity under the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority.
In other business, the MRC approved the appointment of MTHA President Katy Voss as the MTHA representative on the Maryland Bred Fund Advisory Committee.
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The Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority on Dec. 23 officially announced that Maryland’s new Thoroughbred training center, a central component of a comprehensive plan to strengthen the state’s racing industry, will be built at Shamrock Farm near Woodbine in Carroll County. The MTROA, an independent agency established by statute in 2023, announced plans to acquire 300 acres to construct a best-in-class equine training facility.
The Maryland racing community will come together in January to celebrate the life and legacy of Rodney Jenkins, a beloved trainer and equestrian who left an indelible mark on Maryland racing. Jenkins, a native of Middleburg, Va., passed away on Dec. 5 at the age of 80. A memorial service is scheduled for noon on Tuesday, Jan. 7, on the second floor of the clubhouse at Laurel Park.
