Laurel Park: Workouts may resume Thursday, racing on Sunday

Officials for the Maryland Jockey Club said during a Tuesday Zoom meeting with horsemen that the Laurel Park main track will be ready for timed workouts on Thursday and if everything goes well, racing would resume with Sunday’s program.

“We really did a full-court press (on the track),” said Mike Rogers, the interim president of the MJC. “We continued on the same plan that we’ve been talking about, but we really accelerated it.”

The plan to fix Laurel Park’s dirt track, which has not held up to winter weather after undergoing a complete renovation last year, includes adding coarse sand to the mix to help it with drainage. The MJC brought in several outside consultants to execute that plan, including Glen Kozak, who oversees the racing surfaces for the New York Racing Association.

“We started stripping the cushion back and the track crew graded that over,” Kozak said. “About 2,000 tons of cushion was taken off the track to be able to add the coarse sand that was part of the original plan.

“It’s just getting this product into the cushion so that it can be maintained. It’s moving along very well.”

Following the dirt track's overhaul last year, eight horses died at Laurel Park in October and November. Following that spike of equine fatalities, the track was shut down on Dec. 3. 

Rogers and Tim Keefe, Maryland of the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, agreed if the track performs to expectations the next two days then entries would be taken on Thursday for a Sunday program.

“We want to wait and see how (light training on Wednesday) goes and Thursday with workers in the morning, then take entries and think positively to try and run on Sunday,” Rogers said. “I’m absolutely willing to do that.”

Added Keefe: “I think there’s no question we should try and take entries for Sunday as long as the track is performing like it’s supposed to be performing.”

Several Maryland-based horsemen also weighed in, asking about how the racing calendar in the state will be made whole following the spate of cancellations at Laurel in December and January. Keefe suggested adding race days during the middle of the week when the track is normally dark.

“We’re desperate to run these horses,” Keefe said.

Both Rogers and MJC racing secretary Jillian Tullock said they would be open to executing that plan, but the potential hitch would be getting the facility fully staffed during those days.

“I am perfectly willing to give it a shot,” Tullock said. “But I think the only question would be employees, track workers. I think my people would be willing to work all week. I don’t know about the rest of the building.”