Laurel Park turf season extends to latest day since 2016

Davyjonz’s victory in the eighth race at Laurel Park on Thanksgiving Day put a tidy bow on a highly successful season of turf racing in Maryland.

According to statistics from Horse Racing Nation, Laurel Park ranked third in the nation in the number of turf races in 2025, behind only Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park. Since April 1, Laurel Park has carded the most turf races of any racetrack in North America.

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“I’d like to thank our fantastic team of track maintenance staff, including director of racing surfaces John Banno, turf superintendent Tony Gatto, track superintendent Daniel Finke, Jr., and C6 Turf Management’s Logan Freeman for their hard work in keeping our turf course in excellent shape all year long,” said Bill Knauf, president and general manager of the Maryland Jockey Club. “The turf played safe and fair all year, and that’s all we could ask.”

Thanks to the maintenance team and mother nature, Laurel Park ran seven more days of grass racing in 2025 than in 2024. Thanksgiving day was the latest turf racing date in Maryland since 2016, when the season concluded on Dec. 4.

“Throughout the year, the turf course supported large fields and multiple turf races a day,” Freeman said. “Our maintenance crew now needs to shift focus to essential off-season work – aerification, seeding, soil amendments, rolling, and overall surface recovery – to prepare for winter and ensure a strong start to 2026. In fact, some of the preparations traditionally done on the Pimlico turf course will now be implemented at Laurel Park in preparation for hosting Preakness weekend 2026.”

Handle trended noticeably upward on significant stakes days in Maryland, highlighted by turf races, including the 40th edition of the Jim McKay Maryland Million.

“We’re delighted that the bettors are responding to our racing product, especially our highly competitive fields on turf,” Knauf added.

“The turf course supported one of the heaviest turf race loads in the country during the fall,” Freeman stated. “This performance reflects several years of improved practices and management, combined with excellent communication among track management, maintenance staff, jockeys, and trainers.”