Track Detail

Laurel Park commenced its inaugural race meet on October 3, 1911. . . on October 18, 1917, Laurel was the site of the historic match race in which Hourless, that years Belmont Stakes winner, defeated Omar Khayyam, that years Kentucky Derby winner, by a length. . . from 1952-`94, Laurel annually hosted the Washington, D.C. International, a 1 1/2-mile turf event that lured competitors from around the globe. . . jockey Chuck Baltazar rode seven winners at Laurel on December 15, 1969. . . track record for 1 1/16 miles is 1:41 3/5; it was set on November 16, 1985, by the 4-year-old colt, Willard Scott, who was named for the longtime "Today Show" weatherman. . . winners of the Frank J. DeFrancis Memorial Dash who also were named North American sprint champs the same season include Housebuster (1991), Cherokee Run (1994), and Smoke Glacken (1997). . . jockey Edgar Pardo led all North American riders in wins in both `97 and 1998.