Work underway on Laurel turf course; dirt track freshened

Work began recently on the Laurel Park turf course renovation project and is expected to ramp up as the weather improves.

During a March 15 Zoom meeting with horsemen, jockeys and Maryland Racing Commission representatives, Maryland Jockey Club Track Superintendent Chris Bosley provided an update on the turf course and the dirt track at Laurel. The plan for the turf course was developed earlier this winter by The Stronach Group.

Bosley said the maintenance crew the second week of March began thatching the course and vacuuming off the dead material. Aeration, which he called an “intense process” that involves use of deep tines, began soon after. The goal is to pierce the turf 12 inches below the surface; the tines are currently reaching down 7 1/2 to 10 inches depending on the location on the course.