Thanksgiving Tradition Continues at Laurel Park with Free Dinner for Horsemen

The traditional free Thanksgiving dinner sponsored by Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association returns on Thursday, Nov. 26, 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.

The entire Maryland racing community and those who ship in from outside the state for racing that day are 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.

The Maryland Jockey Club will continue its tradition of giving away free pumpkin and apple pies to customers who purchase a racing program on Thanksgiving, and also will provide pies for the backstretch community. The MJC sends the pies to the track kitchen for distribution along with the Thanksgiving dinners. The pies are first-come, first-served.

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