Maryland Jockey Club | Horse Racing Free Tips

Up To 250 Spectators To Be Permitted On-Site At Laurel Park Beginning Thursday

Following the successful reintroduction of live racing to its racetracks, and given the green light by state and county officials, the Maryland Jockey Club will reopen to the public on a limited basis starting with the Thursday, Oct. 15, program at Laurel Park.

The move comes following approval from Anne Arundel County, where Laurel Park is located, and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan's revised executive order issued Sept. 28 allowing up to 250 spectators at state racetracks. Laurel Park opened its calendar year-ending fall meet Oct. 8, five days after the conclusion of the six-day Preakness Meet at Pimlico Race Course.

Laurel Park was nearing the end of its winter meet when it was closed to the public March 12 due to health concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic. Starting March 15, live racing was paused in Maryland for 2 1/2 months before returning to Laurel May 30.

Racing has been conducted without spectators following its return at both Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, though owners with participating horses have been permitted to watch them perform from the track apron since June 6.

The 250 persons allowed in the executive order are in addition to owners and other licensed personnel that have been granted access since late May in order to conduct live racing. Post time for Thursday's eight-race program at Laurel is 12:40 p.m.

Owners, patrons and employees will be granted entry through Laurel's grandstand entrance after having their temperature screened with a thermal camera. The horsemen's entrance adjacent to the historic paddock will only be staffed on live race days beginning at 8 a.m. for authorized personnel only.

Facial coverings and proper social distancing are required for all persons and will be strictly enforced. Physical barriers have been installed where personal interaction is necessary, and increased disinfection and sanitization of common areas will be in place. Laurel's simulcast room will be at 50-percent capacity.

While remaining dark on Mondays and Tuesdays, Laurel Park will be open for simulcasting on Wednesdays as well as live racing Thursday through Sunday in October and November. The first-floor grandstand concession area will operate from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on those days, with the second-floor grandstand sports book bar open Friday through Sunday.

Laurel's first-floor clubhouse, currently being used to accommodate jockeys and valets, will remain closed to the public.

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Maryland Jockey Club Announces Re-Opening Protocols For Patrons At Laurel Park

Laurel Park will reopen Thursday, Oct. 15, to a limited number of patrons after having received the go-ahead from Anne Arundel County government.

The county's approval came after Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan issued a revised executive order allowing racetracks to accommodate up to 250 “spectators,” a number that doesn't include the licensed personnel who have had access in order to conduct live racing programs or licensed owners. Laurel Park reopened for racing May 30 after a two-and-a-half-month shutdown because of COVID-19 restrictions, and soon after permitted licensed owners to view races from the apron.

In a letter to the Anne Arundel County Health Department, MJC President Sal Sinatra noted that Laurel and Pimlico Race Course have conducted live racing “under strict protocols to ensure the safety of all participants in racing—jockeys, stewards, owners, trainers, horsemen, backstretch workers, support staff and others” with success. The MJC also submitted a list of protocols for the return of patrons to Laurel.

The grandstand entrance at Laurel Park, which is equipped with a thermal camera for temperature screening, will be the primary entrance for employees, patrons and owners each day. The Horsemen's entrance near the Racing Office and paddock will be staffed only on live racing days beginning at 8 a.m. for trainers, jockeys and backstretch personnel that require access.

Food and beverage service will offered in the concession area in the food court in the first-floor grandstand from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. subject to discretion of management. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the SportsBook Bar on the second floor of the grandstand will be open with the option to purchase food and beverage prepared in the food court.

Laurel Park will be open five days a week, with Mondays and Tuesdays dark for simulcasting until otherwise noted. Racing is currently held four days a week on a Thursday-through-Sunday schedule. Simulcasting will be available on Wednesdays in the grandstand Silks simulcast area.

Facial coverings will be required for all guests and employees. Furniture will be rearranged to accommodate social distancing, and physical barriers have been installed where person-to-person interactions will occur. There will be increased sanitization measures and disinfection of all commonly-touched areas such as self-service betting machines.

The first floor of the clubhouse will continue to be used to accommodate jockeys and valets and will not be open to the public.

The information window in the Silks simulcast area in the grandstand will be open Thursday through Sunday. On Wednesdays, check-cashing will be handled through the Guest Services booth in the Silks simulcast area.

The following is information specific to owners and trainers:

Owners will be allowed access to the apron from the clubhouse fence line to the apron tent, which will be exclusive to owners.
Owners will be allowed to watch from the paddock area but will not have access to inside the paddock.
Owners on the grandstand side who wish to visit the paddock area must leave the building through the grandstand exit and walk or drive to the Horsemen's paddock entrance near the Racing Office. They can return to the grandstand through the primary grandstand entrance only. The walkway along the racing surface from the paddock to winner's circle will not be available to owners.
Winners' photos will continue to be taken on the racetrack.
Trainers who enter the grandstand and need to travel to the paddock for saddling must exit the building via the grandstand entrance and walk or drive to the paddock, and return to the building through the grandstand entrance. The walkway along the racetrack will not be accessible.
Owners and trainers will have limited access to the horsemen's boxes on the second floor and can access the area via the clubhouse staircase closest to the grandstand simulcast area. The pathway will be partitioned with privacy curtains.
The valet parking lot will be reserved for horsemen only live racing days. Horsemen overflow parking will be available in the adjacent lot generally used for paid parking.

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Stronach Five: Four Tracks, Four Turf Races Featured In Friday’s Wager

The popular Stronach 5, featuring an industry-low 12-percent takeout, will feature four tracks and four turf races Friday, including the $75,000 Bert Allen Stakes and $75,000 Punch Line Stakes from Laurel Park.

Along with races from Laurel, Gulfstream Park West, Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Park, the Stronach 5 will also have a $100,000 guaranteed pool.

The Stronach 5 begins at 3:58 ET with a dozen claimers going 6 ½ furlongs on the main track at Gulfstream Park West before the action moves to Laurel Park and a pair of $75,000 stakes on the turf for Virginia breds.

The Bert Allen, at 1 1/16 miles, features Largent, a son of Into Mischief who won the Edward P. Evans at Colonial Downs and was second in the Lure Stakes Sept. 7 at Saratoga. The 5 ½ furlong Punch Line drew a field of 14 including Embolden, second in the Edward P. Evans and fourth Aug. 29 in the Saranac (G3) at Saratoga.

The Stronach 5 wraps up out west with maiden California-bred or sired 2-year-olds going a mile on the turf, and 2-year-old maidens also going a mile on turf at Golden Gate Fields.

Friday's races and sequence

Leg One – Gulfstream West 8^th Race: (12 entries, 6 ½ furlongs) 3:58 ET, 12:58 PT
Leg Two –Laurel Park 7th Race: (8 entries, 1 1/16-mile turf) 4:20 ET, 1:20 PT
Leg Three –Laurel Park 8^th Race (14 entries, 5 1/2 furlongs turf) 5:02 ET, 2:02 PT
Leg Four –Santa Anita 4^th Race: (9 entries, 1-mile turf) 5:08 ET, 2:08 PT
Leg Five –Golden Gate Fields 3^rd Race: (9 entries, 1-mile turf) 5:23 ET, 2:23 PT

Fans can watch and wager on the action at 1/ST.COM/BET as well as stream all the action in English and Spanish at LaurelPark.com, SantaAnita.com, GulfstreamPark.com, and GoldenGateFields.com.

The Stronach 5 In the Money podcast, hosted by Jonathan Kinchen and Peter Thomas Fornatale, will be posted by 2 p.m. Thursday at InTheMoneyPodcast.com and will be available on iTunes and other major podcast distributors

The minimum wager on the multi-race, multi-track Stronach 5 is $1. If there are no tickets with five winners, the entire pool will be carried over to the next Friday.

If a change in racing surface is made after the wagering closes, each selection on any ticket will be considered a winning selection. If a betting interest is scratched, that selection will be substituted with the favorite in the win pool when wagering closes.

The Maryland Jockey Club serves as host of the Stronach 5.

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Laurel Park Kicks Off Fall Meet Thursday; Five Virginia-Bred Stakes On Friday

On the heels of an historic Preakness meet at Pimlico Race Course that saw Swiss Skydiver become only the sixth filly in 145 runnings to capture the Preakness Stakes (G1), the Maryland Jockey Club is set to raise the curtain on its calendar year-ending fall stand.

Laurel Park will play host to a 44-day session beginning Thursday, Oct. 8 and running through Thursday, Dec. 31 that will feature 35 stakes worth $3.23 million in purses including the $150,000 Allaire du Pont (G3).

Racing will be conducted Thursday through Sunday in October and November and Thursday through Saturday in December with a special Sunday, Dec. 27 program. There will be no racing Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, Dec. 24 and 25.

Post time will be 12:40 p.m. through Sunday, Oct. 18 and move to 12:25 p.m. for the remainder of the meet with 11:25 a.m. exceptions on Maryland Million Day, Oct. 24; Breeders' Cup Saturday, Nov. 7; and Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26.

Laurel's Thursday opening day program of eight races includes four scheduled for its world-class turf course which drew a total of 54 entries, an average of 13.5 starters per race. The feature comes in Race 7, a second-level optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting 5 ½ furlongs over the All Along turf course layout. The 9-5 program favorite is Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, R.A. Hill Stable and Joseph Besecker's Shippy, third in the Schuylerville (G3) last summer and winner of the Blue Sparkler Stakes July 11 at Monmouth Park.

Nine races are on tap for Friday, Oct. 9, highlighted by five $75,000 turf stakes for registered Virginia-bred/sired horses. The action kicks off in Race 1 with the M. Tyson Gilpin for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting 5 ½ furlongs where Eagle Point Farm homebred What the Beep will look to defend her title from 2019, when the series was held at Colonial Downs. What the Beep won her only start of 2020, the 5 ½-furlong Camptown Stakes, July 29 at Colonial.

Race 3 is the 1 1/16-mile Brookmeade for fillies and mares 3 and up featuring Bella Aurora, third in the Camptown and a winner of the Gin Talking on dirt last December at Laurel; 2019 Just Jenda Stakes winner Tasting the Stars, fifth off more than a year layoff in the 1 1/16-mile Twixt on dirt Sept. 5 at Laurel; and stakes-placed Secret Or Not, Pink Pearl and Fionnbharr.

A field of seven 2-year-olds were entered in Race 5, the 5 ½-furlong Jamestown, four coming from the Delaplane, Va. barn of Susan Cooney – Quest Realty homebred maidens Canherun, Point of Grace and Paupin and Andrew Lavin's Virginia Fib, a first-time starter.

Twin Creeks Racing Stables and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Largent, first or second in seven career starts for trainer Todd Pletcher including a win in the one-mile Edward P. Evans July 29 at Colonial, tops a field of eight in Race 7, the 1 1/16-mile Bert Allen Stakes for 3-year-olds and up. Among the competition are 2018 Hansel and Bert Allen winner River Deep and Black Prong, third in last year's Bert Allen.

Wrapping up Friday's stakes is the 5 ½-furlong Punch Line in Race 8 for 3-year-olds and up. The field of 14 includes 2019 Jamestown winner and Grade 3-placed Embolden; Fly E Dubai, third in last year's Punch Line; 2016 Jamestown winner Lime House Louie; 14-time career winner and multiple stakes-placed Sir Rockport; Reform School, third by a half-length in the six-furlong James F. Lewis III Stakes on dirt last fall at Laurel; and stakes-placed Braxton and Carbon Data.

Stakes action continues Saturday, Oct. 24 with the 35^th annual Jim McKay Maryland Million featuring eight stakes and a total of 12 races for eligible Maryland-sired horses worth $1.005 million in purses, led by the $150,000 Classic for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles. Returning to the program for the first time since 2012 is the $75,000 Turf Sprint, also for 3-year-olds and up, at 5 ½ furlongs.

The $100,000 Maryland Million Turf for 3-year-olds and up saw its distance extended from one mile to 1 1/8 miles for 2020. Other stakes are the $100,000 Nursery for 2-year-olds, $100,000 Lassie for 2-year-old fillies and $100,000 Sprint for 3-year-olds and up, all at six furlongs; $100,000 Ladies at 1 1/8 miles and $100,000 Distaff at seven furlongs, both for fillies and mares 3 and up.

Pre-entry deadline for Maryland Million is Wednesday, Oct. 14. Pre-entries can be made by calling the Laurel Park racing office at 800-638-1859.

The $100,000 James F. Lewis III for 2-year-olds and $100,000 Smart Halo for 2-year-old fillies, both sprinting six furlongs, will be held Saturday, Nov. 14 on Laurel's Salute to Veterans Day program.

Following its traditional Thanksgiving Day program, this year Nov. 26, Laurel will host the Fall Festival of Racing Saturday, Nov. 28 with six $100,000 stakes led by the Concern for 3-year-olds and Smart Halo for 3-year-old fillies, each at seven furlongs. Also scheduled are the 1 1/16-mile Thirty Eight Go Go and six-furlong Primonetta for females 3 and older and 1 1/8-mile Richard Small and six furlong Frank Whiteley Jr. for 3-year-olds and up.

Juveniles will again be in the spotlight on Maryland Spectacular Day, Saturday, Dec. 5 in the $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Futurity and $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship.

The 2020 stakes season concludes in style on Christmastide Stakes Day, Saturday, Dec. 26, with eight stakes worth $850,000 in purses led by the 1 1/8-mile duPont for fillies and mares 3 and older, repositioned on the calendar after traditionally being run on the Preakness undercard.

Four races are for 2-year-olds – the $100,000 Gin Talking for fillies and $100,000 Heft, each at six furlongs, and the $100,000 Anne Arundel County for fillies and $100,000 Howard County, both going 1 1/16 miles. Rounding out the stakes action are the $100,000 Native Dancer at 1 1/8 miles and $100,000 Dave's Friend at six furlongs for 3-year-olds and up, and $100,000 Willa On the Move for fillies and mares 3 and older sprinting seven furlongs.

Jockey Trevor McCarthy and trainer Claudio Gonzalez return to defend their Laurel fall meet championships from 2019. McCarthy led the six-day Preakness Meet with nine wins to earn his 13^th career individual title and seventh of the last nine in Maryland, where he has been the state's leading rider four times (2013, 2014, 2016, 2019).

McCarthy, 26, is named in six races Thursday and five Friday, including Tasting the Stars in the Brookmeade, Largent in the Bert Allen and Embolden in the Punch Line.

A 43-year-old cancer survivor, Gonzalez won five races including the historic Pimlico Special (G3) with Harpers First Ride to lead all trainers during the Preakness Meet. He has now won 11 of the last 12 meets in Maryland dating back to Laurel's 2017 spring stand and owns or shares 14 titles overall. He has led the state in wins three consecutive years (2017-19).

Gonzalez has horses entered in three races at Laurel Thursday and two Friday.

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