Laurel Park will kick off its 2026 winter meet with a 10-race card Friday, featuring a $53,000 allowance for older fillies and mares and three races restricted to new 3-year-olds. In the twilight of its 115-year lifespan, the track is preparing for one of its biggest years to date. To maximize the number of races per card during the quietest part of the racing year, Laurel will conduct racing on Fridays and Saturdays through January. Sunday cards will be added in February. “I’m looking forward to kicking off a great 2026 for Laurel Park,” Bill Knauf, president and general manager of the Maryland Jockey Club, said in a statement. “With our first year of operation under our belt, we carried some nice wagering momentum towards the latter half of the year compared to previous years. We had success increasing handle and participation last year on a handful of days with multiple stakes and will roll that strategy into this year.” In its first year as a non-profit using state-run facilities, the Maryland Jockey Club had several challenges to overcome, including a smaller population of horses, 29 fewer race dates because of a new arrangement with Colonial Downs, and a nationwide decrease in handle toward the end of 2025. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Despite this, the new leadership enjoyed several triumphs, setting a wagering record of $5.5 million on Preakness Preview Day in April and handling $5.7 million on Maryland Million Day in October, a 20 percent increase from 2024. According to the MJC, in 119 live racing days across Laurel and Pimlico, the tracks handled $447,521,540 in wagers and increased the average daily handle by $350,000 from 2024. In coordination with the Stronach Group, the MJC also helped to rake in $67.26 million in wagering on the 150th Preakness at Pimlico, the highest total bet on the race since a record was set in 2021. The Preakness Day card drew $110 million in total wagering, also a near-record. This year, the spotlight at Laurel will burn brighter than ever, just before it is expected to close. While Pimlico is being rebuilt, Laurel will host the Preakness for the first time in 2026. The MJC plans to consolidate racing at Pimlico in 2027. “While not the traditional Pimlico backdrop, Laurel has a fantastic track and large turf course that will offer great wagering opportunities on Preakness and Black-Eyed Susan days,” Knauf said. “Additionally, the updated clubhouse offers a comfortable feel for patrons watching the races, and a different perspective from Pimlico.” While the track prepares for the national spotlight, most of Laurel’s most prominent local figures are expected to continue making noise at home. Brittany Russell, the leading trainer at Laurel’s fall meet for a fourth straight year, has five horses entered this weekend. Jamie Ness, who has denied her for three straight winter meet titles, remains focused on Parx Racing but is sure to bring his best to Laurel soon. Trainer Gary Capuano’s elite band of juveniles also are expected to continue rocking as 3-year-olds. Coming off his first Laurel riding title, apprentice jockey and Eclipse Award finalist Yedsit Hazlewood is set to continue his torrid run. The Panamanian rider has mounts in 19 of the first 20 races at the meet. Hazlewood is not the only one who has benefited from the absence of Jaime Rodriguez, Laurel’s perennial leading rider who is still earning consistent mounts at Aqueduct. Jockeys Jevian Toledo and Mychel Sanchez are predictably busy, while Martin Chuan has stayed in the Mid-Atlantic to ride at Laurel and Parx. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.