With racing still on hold at Laurel Park, horsemen, Maryland Jockey Club agree to have consultant examine dirt surface

The Maryland Jockey Club and the state’s horsemen have agreed to have an outside consultant examine the dirt surface at Laurel Park as racing remains on hold after two horses suffered fatal injuries in competition last week. The agreement, reached less than an hour before an emergency meeting of the Maryland Racing Commission on Tuesday morning, brought temporary peace to a contentious standoff between the horsemen and the Maryland Jockey Club’s parent company, 1/ST Racing, over racing conditions at Laurel and comes amid horse racing’s most high-profile time of the year.