MTHA: Pimlico to Pause Turf Racing This Coming Weekend

Citing a notification from the Maryland Jockey Club, the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association tweeted June 24 that turf racing at Pimlico Race Course will pause "this coming weekend" for the execution of "an enhanced maintenance program that will allow us to sustain turf racing through August."

Pimlico is in the midst of an extended season as a result of an overhaul of the main track at Laurel Park, which customarily runs most of the racing dates in Maryland. The Maryland Racing Commission has approved the extension of racing at Pimlico through Aug. 22. 

Prior to Thursday's announcement, four turf races were drawn for the June 25 card at Pimlico and another two on June 26. The June 27 card, drawn Thursday, is comprised only of seven main track races. Forty-four horses were entered, an average of 6.3 horses per race.

"We want to do more aeration and fertilization," said MJC track superintendent Chris Bosley, who also oversees the turf courses at Pimlico and Laurel Park. "We want to be able to confidently say the turf course can hold up until we get back to Laurel (in early September). I think getting off the turf course this weekend will help us out a lot—it's a reasonable goal."

The card for July 2 will be drawn June 27, and MJC officials said they are hopeful the turf course will be ready for use for the weekend of July 2-4.

The announcement of an enhanced maintenance program follows a June 20 card that ended with a spill on the Pimlico grass. 

Racing in the ninth race, a waiver $16,000 claiming contest, over a firm turf course this past Sunday, Kens Lady  fell "after sustaining a catastrophic injury near the three-sixteenths pole" according to the Equibase chart. Another horse, Sweet Sassafrassy , fell over the fallen Kens Lady, the chart indicated.