Laurel cancels racing 'indefinitely'

Live racing at Laurel Park in Maryland has been canceled “indefinitely,” according to a one-sentence announcement posted on social media by the track’s parent company Friday.

It is unclear what led to the cancellation. Representatives of the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and 1/ST Racing, which owns Laurel, did not immediately return phone calls Friday morning.

Laurel raced Thursday and had live race cards scheduled Friday through Sunday, all of which were called off. On the Thursday card, a horse was euthanized on the track after sustaining a catastrophic injury in the fourth race, according to charts. In the next race, a horse was pulled up lame and vanned off the track.

1/ST Racing has been seeking input from horsemen on the condition of the Laurel Park main track for several weeks. The dirt surface was completely replaced in 2021.

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