Pimlico absorbs Laurel dates

The Maryland Racing Commission approved a request by Pimlico Race Course to extend its current meet by three weeks in order to accommodate construction delays at Pimlico's sister track, Laurel Park.

The Pimlico meet will now end on Nov. 2, rather than Oct. 11, with Laurel opening on Nov. 4. Four stakes that were scheduled to be run at Laurel have been moved to the extended Pimlico meet: the Sonny Hine Stakes on Oct. 16, the Japan Racing Association Stakes on Oct. 23, and two stakes for Maryland-bred 2-year-olds on Oct. 30, the Heavenly Cause and the Rollicking.

Laurel's backstretch and racing surfaces have been closed since mid-June, when construction crews began widening the dirt and turf courses.