Meet Opens Saturday, Stakes Schedule Begins Saturday, Sept. 14
LAUREL, MD – Laurel Park’s fall meet, which begins Saturday, will be highlighted by the 39th running of the Jim McKay Maryland Million Oct 12 along with 36 stakes worth $3.53 million.
The fall stakes scheduled begins Saturday, Sept. 14 with the $100,000 Polynesian for 3-year-olds and up at one mile on the main track and pair of scheduled $100,000 grass events for fillies and mares 3 and older, the 1 1/8-mile All Along and 5 ½-furlong Sensible Lady Turf Dash.
The $100,000 Twixt for fillies and mares 3 and up going one mile and $100,000 Weather Vane for 3-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs highlight the Sunday, Sept. 22 program. Saturday, Sept. 28 features the $150,000 Laurel Futurity for 2-year-olds and $150,000 Selima for 2-year-old fillies, both scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the grass. They are joined by the listed $100,000 Japan Turf Cup for 3-year-olds and up on turf going 1 ½ miles.
The ground-breaking Maryland Million, which debuted in 1986 to celebrate stallions standing in the state and inspired copycat programs throughout the U.S. and Canada, returns Saturday, Oct. 12 with eight stakes and four starter stakes worth $1.08 million anchored by the $150,000 Classic for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles. Juveniles are in the spotlight in the $100,000 Lassie for females and $100,000 Nursery, both at six furlongs.
Maryland Million will also offer the $125,000 Turf (3-year-olds and up, 1 1/8 miles), $125,000 Ladies (fillies and mares 3 and up, 1 1/8 miles), $100,000 Sprint (3-year-olds and up, six furlongs), $100,000 Distaff (fillies and mares 3 and up, seven furlongs), and $100,000 Turf Sprint (3-year-olds and up, 5 ½ furlongs).
Pre-entry deadline for the Maryland Million is Tuesday, Oct. 1.
Juveniles return to center stage Saturday, Nov. 9 in the $100,000 James F. Lewis III and $100,000 Smart Halo, the latter for fillies, both at six furlongs. The card will also include the $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go at 1 1/16 miles for fillies and mares 3 and up.
Laurel Park will serve up a pair of stakes Saturdays both before and after its traditional Thanksgiving Day program. The $100,000 Dave’s Friend at six furlongs and $100,000 Richard W. Small going 1 1/8 miles, both for 3-year-olds and up, are joined by the $100,000 Willa On the Move for fillies and mares 3 and older sprinting 6 ½ furlongs Nov. 23. Nov. 30 offers the last stakes races in Maryland for straight 3-year-olds, the $100,000 Safely Kept for fillies and $100,000 City of Laurel, both sprinting seven furlongs.
The final month of the calendar year will feature eight stakes worth $750,000 in purses, launched by the $100,000 Maryland Juvenile for 2-year-olds and $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Filly, each at seven furlongs, for Maryland-bred/sired horses Saturday, Dec. 7.
Maryland-bred/sired horses are again in the spotlight Saturday, Dec. 21 with the seven-furlong, $75,000 Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial for 3-year-olds and up and six-furlong, $75,000 Politely for fillies and mares 3 and older. Also on the program are the $100,000 Robert T. Manfuso for horses 3 and older going 1 1/16 miles and $100,000 Carousel for fillies and mares 3 and up at 1 1/8 miles.
The 2024 stakes calendar concludes Saturday, Dec. 28 with the $100,000 Heft for 2-year-olds and $100,000 Gin Talking for 2-year-old fillies, both sprinting seven furlongs.