Extension of Pimlico Meet Sought Amid Laurel Projects

Aidan Butler, the chief operating officer of 1/ST Racing and The Stronach Group, which owns and operates Maryland Jockey Club racetracks, reassured Maryland horsemen May 7 that all possible efforts to fully resurface the racing strip at Laurel Park and at the same time eradicate a rat infestation will be stepped up once the backside is vacated.

"At the moment it is all guns blazing and full steam ahead. The second the horses are out, we're going to deal with the track, and also try to deal with these pesky rodents as best as we can," Butler said during a Zoom call with horsemen and other TSG officials. 

Live racing has been shifted from Laurel to Pimlico Race Course, and horsemen have been asked to relocate their stables to Pimlico, Timonium, or other locations. A company has been retained to erect three temporary 40-stall barns at Pimlico.

David Richardson, executive director of the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, held what he termed as an "all hands on deck" discussion with the members May 6 to determine what are their preferred locations and what will be their housing needs for their help. 

Richardson said that the Timonium dorms do not contain sprinkler systems and therefore cannot be used so arrangements will be made to house some workers in the jockeys' quarters or in other facilities there that are equipped with full bathrooms and showers. The use of local hotel rooms is also in the plan, so he urged horsemen to place their requests as soon as possible. 

At the same time, he said that people who wish to remain in their dorms at Laurel may do so and that a shuttle service for stable workers among all the various locations will begin immediately after the Preakness Stakes (G1) is held at Pimlico May 15.  

"We have stopped working on the track (resurfacing project) at Laurel now. I assume you are aware that there was only so far we could go before it would have become disruptive to training. Now that we have the plan made and the horses and the horsemen will be leaving Laurel, we have been prepping and we are ready for that to go," said Butler.

Many are calling the need to completely redo the racing strip a blessing in disguise. Year-round stabling at the track has previously made it impossible to take the measures necessary to get rid of the rodent infestation plaguing the backside. Now there will be a full-scale extermination effort. 

To that end, all horsemen have been instructed to strip their stalls, thoroughly clean out the feed rooms, and take all their feed with them. TSG officials said they are looking into hiring trucks to help anyone needing assistance.

The projected date to have both problems solved so that training and racing may eventually resume at Laurel is this summer. The Pimlico meet is scheduled to end May 31.

"We have made a request to the (Maryland) racing commission to extend the dates (for live racing) at Pimlico. The target to be back at Laurel is early July," said Steve Koch, TSG's senior vice president of racing operations.