Laurel Park had been set to shutter. Suddenly, though, the historic racetrack in Anne Arundel County has new life.
As part of the umpteenth plan to revitalize Maryland’s thoroughbred horse racing industry, the state plans to purchase Laurel Park and convert it into a training center, replacing plans to do so at Shamrock Farm in Carroll County.
State officials said Tuesday they have reached a tentative agreement with Stronach Group, the Canadian company that owns Laurel, to acquire the property. The state is expected to pay about $50 million for Laurel, according to three sources familiar with the deal.
“This represents more than a planned acquisition — it represents the preservation of a storied racing facility,“ Maryland Stadium Authority Chair Craig Thompson said in a statement. ”By pursuing Laurel Park as the home of Maryland’s statewide training center, we are creating a path to secure the state’s historic investments into Maryland’s horse industry and develop the next generation of Triple Crown champions.”
This year’s Preakness Stakes — held at Laurel Park while Pimlico Race Course is rebuilt — was supposed to be Laurel’s swan song as a track; instead, it’ll kick off the century-old venue’s next chapter.
The state government’s most recent blueprint had called for Pimlico in Northwest Baltimore to be rebuilt and Shamrock Farm to be transformed into a top-shelf training center using more than $500 million in state funds.
Shamrock was identified following a state-hired consultant’s study, published in 2024. That report considered Laurel Park as a training center, but the potential acquisition price held it back. Other sites, including Shamrock and Mitchell Farm in Harford County, were considered more favorable options.
The state’s spending board, chaired by Gov. Wes Moore, approved in May the $4.5 million purchase of Shamrock — which had been owned by the same Rooney family that founded the Pittsburgh Steelers — only to change course.
Documents posted on the Maryland General Assembly website said Shamrock Farm was deemed “not viable due to environmental impacts and excessive costs.”
During a legislative update in Annapolis on Wednesday, Gary McGuigan, an executive vice president with the stadium authority, said that the cost of turning Shamrock into a training center was much higher than anticipated and would have been “north of $210 million.”
The cost of buying Laurel and transforming it into a training facility will cost a little more than $120 million, he said. That would leave just under $400 million for Pimlico.
McGuigan also said that an environmental study of Shamrock revealed that a population of brown trout could be harmed by the development, which he called a “fatal flaw.”
Del. Courtney Watson, a Howard County Democrat, questioned if there was a “study period” that would have uncovered the trout problem before the state bought the farm. McGuigan replied that Shamrock was selected by the now-defunct Maryland Thoroughbred Racing Operating Authority last year and that the authority had “no input into that decision.”
Since the abrupt dissolution of the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority last year, the stadium authority has been tasked with building the racing facilities.
The stadium authority plans to meet with Carroll County officials and horse racing leaders as part of a “task force” to plan Shamrock’s future. Early proposed uses include a horse rescue sanctuary or recreational development.
The new training center would complement everyday racing held at a rebuilt Pimlico, which is scheduled to host the 2027 Preakness. However, some observers are skeptical that the new venue — which is expected to be built on a tight budget — will be ready by then.
Officials said Wednesday that the 2027 Preakness will be an overlay event, meaning it will utilize many temporary structures, and that a permanent clubhouse will be ready for the 2028 race.
In a way, the plan is a return to one from more than six years ago, when Maryland planned to revitalize both Pimlico and Laurel as operational mile-long tracks. That proved far too costly, though, and only one track — Pimlico — is now expected to host races and spectators.
Under the proposed framework, Pimlico will operate with a “ship-in” model where trainers bring their horses to the track on race days. Those runners will primarily be stabled for training at Laurel Park.
That pivot removes the need for many of the new stalls planned for Pimlico, which the stadium authority estimates will save $26 million in construction costs.
“Laurel Park is an ideal training center, valued for its history and its status as our current Maryland racing hub,” Maryland Jockey Club Executive Director Bill Knauf said in a statement. “This acquisition enables a smooth transition from racetrack to training facility, minimizing disruption for horsemen and staff. The proven dirt and turf surfaces are ideal for preparing horses for races at the new Pimlico Race Course.”
Stronach Group had operated Maryland racing’s day-to-day for years, but a state-created nonprofit, dubbed the Maryland Jockey Club, took over those duties on Jan. 1, 2025.
However, Stronach Group will operate the Preakness this May.
Although the Preakness has been a money loser in recent years, it is generally considered to be a lucrative event. Beginning in 2027, the jockey club nonprofit will pay Stronach Group roughly $5 million a year for the right to run the Preakness, which industry leaders hope can generate substantial revenue and help the enterprise break even.
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