TMJC

An increase in minimum purse payouts for all finishing positions was approved by The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA) in coordination with The Maryland Jockey Club (TMJC) on Mar. 19, it was announced on Sunday. The MTHA Board of Directors approved the measure after a recommendation from the MTHA Purse Committee, which includes representatives from the TMJC. The changes took effect starting with races on Mar. 21 at Laurel Park and will remain in place through the summer meet, which ends on June 28. The structure will then be reviewed...

Coming off a weekend in which Laurel Park ran eight races on Sunday with 48 starters and nine races on Saturday with 55 starters (with three four-horse fields between the two days), the non-profit  (TMJC), which took over the management of Laurel and Pimlico Race Course this year, is banking on a combination of better weather, an upcoming schedule break, and a new carryover structure for the Pick Five to boost field sizes and betting handle. In response to a query from a commissioner, Bill Knauf, the president and general...

The GIII General George Stakes and GIII Barbara Fritchie Stakes highlight a 25-strong stakes schedule worth a combined $2.6 million for the winter/spring meet at Laurel Park. The seven-furlong events are part of a Feb. 15 card that also includes the John B. Campbell Stakes and Nellie Morse Stakes, each carrying a $100,000 purse. Three-year-old males and females feature on programs scheduled for Feb. 22, with the one-mile Miracle Wood Stakes for sophomore boys and the seven-furlong Wide Country Stakes for the girls. Those two events serve as lead-up races...