Maryland horsemen and breeders have reached an agreement with the Maryland Jockey Club that will keep racing afloat through 2024, the horsemen announced.
Overnight purses at Maryland’s “mile tracks,” Laurel Park and Pimlico, will decline by about nine percent in 2024, down from this year’s all-time high.
The Md. Racing Commission approved placeholder racing dates for 2024, but with no agreement in place between horsemen and the tracks, work remains.
This is “an inflection point” for Maryland racing, MTHA general counsel Alan Foreman said in an interview.
Maryland’s horsemen and breeders outlined to the Racetrack Operating Authority a vision of the future that may not include the current track operator.
The 6-month Maryland racing agreement may allow the Maryland Jockey Club to consolidate training and stabling at Laurel, ending them at Pimlico.
To hear horsemen tell it, track man John Passero has worked wonders in a short time at Laurel Park. What’s he doing that’s made such a difference?
The Maryland Racing Commission signed off Thursday morning on allowing racing at Laurel Park to resume on the recommendation of the stakeholders.
Full training at Laurel Park will resume Thursday morning, and if all goes well, the track may resume live racing as early as Saturday.
An 11th-hour deal between the Md. Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and Md. Jockey Club provides a way forward for resolving safety concerns.