Maryland Jockey Club announces condition changes

The Maryland Jockey Club announced changes to its condition book that will take effect in May. Among the changes, a new state-restricted maiden special weight condition will be added to Laurel cards, while prices for various claiming conditions will be adjusted.

“We’re of the position that we’re going to try things,” Bill Knauf, president and general manager of TMJC, said Tuesday. “If they don’t work, then they don’t work, but we’d rather try it than not try it and see how it progresses.”

Knauf was put in charge of a reformed version of The Maryland Jockey Club in January, marking a fresh start for horse racing in the state alongside local government and the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association. These will be the first condition-book adjustments made under the new leadership.

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All conditional claiming races, including those between maidens, will now be categorized in four new levels – $10,000-$8,000, $16,000-$12,500, $25,000-$20,000, and $40,000-$32,000. Claiming races currently carded for $7,500 will be adjusted to $5,000, and an open $8,000 category will be added.

Adjustments also are being made to state-restricted competition. The current book allows Maryland-bred or -sired horses to run against open company with a waived claim in $45,000 maiden-claiming races. This will be replaced with a state-restricted maiden special weight. Statebred horses running in $40,000 maiden-claiming races in open company may still compete for a $50,000 price.

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