Laurel Park’s new turf course is a positive turn for the industry.

Maryland’s lawmakers have been reluctant to approve slots for a number of reasons—many of which have little or nothing to do with Thoroughbred racing.
But the race tracks have deservedly been blamed on at least one major count: Doing too little to improve their business while waiting for a bailout from expanded gaming.
Wondrously, that is no longer the situation.

Overall wagering was up 29.7 percent at Laurel Park’s fall meeting (September 7 to December 31), an increase directly attributable to the new, state-of-the-art turf course installed by Magna Entertainment Corp. Fans at out-of-state locations developed a new enthusiasm for the the Maryland signal, boosting the export business by 60.8 percent.
The new grass course, 142 feet wide and divided into five lanes so that it functions as five separate courses, emerged after a lengthy and disruptive construction process, and ultimately lived up to the best hopes of horsemen and track management.

“We know how much people love to run their horses on the turf,” said racing secretary Georganne Hale. “So we expected big fields. What surprised us a little were the numbers of horses shipping in from out of state specifically to run on our turf course.”

During the early part of the meet, Laurel typically ran four turf races a day; the number was reduced to two in November and December in order to keep the surface in the best possible shape for a return to use in April. Turf racing ended at Laurel on December 10. A total of 134 races were run on the turf during the four-month stand, and 29 of them (27.6 percent) drew a maximum-sized field of 14 starters.

Large fields equate to multiple betting opportunities, and that, of course, was the key to the rise in business.

Magna appears to have done it right, and the effects of Laurel’s new turf course should be felt for years to come. The turf—put in place this past June as 18 acres of sod—is supported by a sophisticated drainage and irrigation system that is light-years away from the previous method of course maintenance, as explained by Robbie Mitten, who has served as turf superintendent at Laurel for nearly 30 years and oversaw the construction project. These days, a computerized moisture monitor in Mitten’s office delivers data every 15 minutes. “The old way was to walk out and look it over and feel it and come up with an estimate,” said Mitten.

Maryland racing is once again at the forefront, at least in this area. The change has been well-noted by horsemen and the wagering public. Let’s hope it also makes a difference in Annapolis.