TMJC approved for 120 racing days at Laurel Park in 2026

The Maryland Racing Commission at its November 12 meeting approved a request from The Maryland Jockey Club for 120 racing dates in 2026. It’s the same number that was approved for 2025.

The MRC dealt specifically with the Laurel Park winter meet, which will offer 33 programs from January 9 through March 29. In January, racing will be on Friday and Saturday each week, and in February and March on a Friday-through-Sunday schedule. First post time will be 12 p.m.

According to the document submitted to the MRC, the winter meet will be followed by the Preakness meet at Laurel (May 4-17), the summer meet (May 18 through August 30), and the fall meet (September 8 through December 31). Those dates are the windows for each meet, not the actual racing days.

It is expected that Laurel, as it did this year, will be dark for live racing in July and August as part of a partnership with Colonial Downs in Virginia. Specific dates will be announced in the future.

The Maryland State Fair at Timonium requested and was approved for 10 racing days, which it is permitted by statute, but the number of actual days listed in its submission to the MRC is seven (August 28-30 and September 4-7). Fair Hill was approved for its statutory maximum of eight days but the actual number will determined in the future.

In an update to the racing commission, TMJC President and General Manager Bill Knauf said October was a strong month for pari-mutuel handle on the Laurel signal. Though there were 13 programs this year compared with 18 in 2024, handle was up 30% to 40%. For the two days of Breeders Cup, wagering on the Laurel product was up $2 million on Friday and $1 million on Saturday compared with 2024.

Knauf also said about 500 tons of new material was placed on the Laurel dirt track in advance of the coming winter months.

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