Laurel Park wraps up busy turf season * The Racing Biz

Laurel Park concludes the busy grass season

• Press release
• November 28, 2025

Davyjonz’s win in the eighth race at Laurel Park on Thanksgiving Day nicely capped a very successful season of turf racing in Maryland.

According to statistics from Horse racing nationLaurel 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 would like to thank our fantastic team of track maintenance personnel, including Director of Racing Surfaces John Banno, Turf Superintendent Tony Gatto, Track Superintendent Daniel Finke, Jr. and Logan Freeman of C6 Turf Management for their hard work in keeping our turf field in excellent condition year-round,” 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 for.”

Thanks to the maintenance team and Mother Nature, Laurel Park hosted seven more days of grass racing in 2025 than in 2024. Thanksgiving Day was the last grass racing date in Maryland since 2016, when the season ended on December 4.

“Year-round, the turf track supported large fields and multiple grass races per day,” Freeman said. “Our maintenance staff must now shift focus to essential off-season work – aeration, seeding, soil improvement, rolling and overall surface restoration – to prepare for winter and ensure a strong start to 2026. Some of the preparation traditionally done on the Pimlico turf course will now be implemented at Laurel Park in preparation for the 2026 Preakness weekend.”

The handle showed a noticeable increase on key betting days in Maryland, highlighted by turf races, including the 40^e edition of the Jim McKay Maryland Million.

“We are thrilled that punters are responding to our racing product, especially on our highly competitive artificial turf fields,” Knauf added.

“The turf track supported one of the heaviest turf racing loads in the country during the fall,” Freeman said. “This achievement reflects several years of improved practices and management, combined with excellent communication between track management, maintenance staff, jockeys and trainers.”

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