With 10 to 15 inches of snow expected in Anne Arundel County by Saturday
evening, the Maryland Jockey Club (MJC) has canceled live racing and
simulcasting at Laurel Park and Pimlico for Saturday. The National Weather
Service has issued a winter storm warning for Maryland and its neighboring
states from Friday evening until late Saturday night.
“The weather reports highly suggest that a major snowstorm will hit this area
tomorrow morning and continue late through the day with the heaviest
accumulations from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (EST),” MJC President Tom Chuckas said.
“Safety is a key issue for our horsemen and patrons so we hope they enjoy the
day.”
The Saturday card was to be the last live racing day of the 2009 season. The
2010 campaign opens on January 1. First post will be 12:35 pm. Laurel Park and
Pimlico will be open for simulcasting December 20-23 and 26-31.
Also canceled is the Maryland Horse Council rally, which was scheduled to be
held in the Laurel paddock at 11 a.m.
The thirty-three giving tree gifts and 2010 racing calendar giveaway
promotions scheduled for Saturday will now take place on January 2.
The $50,000 Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship for two-year-old fillies has
been rescheduled for New Year’s Day but with different conditions since all
horses become a year older on the first day of the year. The race will be
re-named the Maryland Filly Championship. The racing office will draw for the
January 1 card on December 29. All 16 runners nominated are eligible to run.
With tomorrow’s cancellation, the 15-week Laurel Park fall meeting ended
Friday with Erick “E Rod” Rodriguez and Scott Lake winning individual titles.
Rodriguez captured the riding title by winning 53 races, 14 more than
apprentice Joshua Navarro. The 29-year-old tied a career-high by winning four
races on both October 31 and December 9. A top 10 rider in Maryland since 2003,
Rodriguez had 15 multiple win days during the meet and won at a 27.2 percent
rate.
Lake won 25 races during the stand, three more than runner-up Dale Capuano.
Since 2006, the Lake barn has captured 12 of the 16 meets conducted at Laurel
and Pimlico. Overall, the 44-year-old conditioner has 18 training titles at the
major Maryland tracks this decade.
Lake and Luis Garcia captured year-round titles in the state. Lake runners
won 89 races at Laurel and Pimlico, while Garcia reached the winners’ circle 84
times. Both will be honored by the Maryland Jockey Club on January 9.