Laurel Park Racing
Rt. 198 Laurel Race Track Road
Laurel, MD 20724
Phone: (301) 725-0400
Website: www.laurelpark.com
Racing Season: June - July August September - March
Notable Laurel Park Racing Events
- Barbara Fritchie Handicap | 3 year olds & up fillies & mares going 7f
- General George Handicap | 3 year olds & up going 7f
- Private Terms | 3 year olds going 1-1/8 mi.
- Marylander | 2 year olds going 7f
Recent Laurel Park News
History of Laurel Park Horse Racing
Opened as the Laurel Four County Fair in 1911, Laurel Park really got noticed in 1914 when Matt Winn - who had made the Kentucky Derby famous at Churchill Downs - took over as general manager. It wasn't until the De Francis family took over Laurel in 1984 that the race track was renovated into a glittering Sports Palace with the feel of a casino with technological innovations such as computerized handicapping and a video racing library. From 1952 to 1995, Laurel Race Course was known for hosting the Washington D.C. International, a stakes race created to bring together the world's best marathon turf runners.About Horse Racing at Laurel Park
The Laurel Park race course backstretch houses nearly 1100 horses.- The main race track is a 1 mile 600 feet oval with a 7.5f chute to the first finish line and a 1 mi. cute to the second finish line. The track is 95 feet wide and comprised of 89% sand and 11% silt and clay.
- The turf course is 7/8 mile and 254 feet oval that is 142 feet wide. The grass is 90% Tall Fescue with 10% bluegrass over a sandy loam base.
- There are six configurations for the turf course, each named for a great racehorse who competed over the fabled surface: All Along, Bowl Game, Kelso, Dahlia, Exceller and Fort Marcy.