Mayor Keith Sydnor distributes posters for Main Street businesses to promote the city’s “Saddle Up Laurel!” initiative leading up to the Preakness. (Photo: City of Laurel) As many Laurelites know, Laurel Park isn’t actually in Laurel. It is located outside the city’s administrative borders, in Anne Arundel County, but falls within an area—overlapping four counties—that the USPS has designated “Laurel” and which most people recognize as “greater Laurel.” Try explaining that to

Photos: Charles Sisler Over its 115-year history, Laurel Park has played a major role in thoroughbred racing. It hosted the first-ever international thoroughbred race held in the United States, the DC International, for decades. Six Triple Crown winners raced at Laurel before they became household names, and Seabiscuit trained at Laurel Park prior to his storied race with War Admiral. Back then, the 4,000-seat grandstand would fill up for big races, with hundreds more standin

Baltimorean John Barnes enjoys the Alibi Breakfast at Laurel Park, which included a souvenir Preakness edition tin of Old Bay seasoning. (Photo: Angie Kozlowski) The pleasant sounds of live music floated from the Club House entrance into the parking lot. The smooth jazz was welcoming, as people began arriving before 9 am for a cherished Preakness week tradition—the Alibi Breakfast. Begun in the 1930s, the breakfast is held on the Thursday before Preakness; it started as a roa

Photo: Angie Kozlowski Jockeys count on him to get everything just right. He is the one who knows which saddle out of a number of differently weighted choices to use for each jockey and what position it needs to be in for each jockey for each ride. He makes sure the saddle is fitted properly and is completely safe for the jockey. He takes in the temperament of each horse and lets the jockey know if it is out of sorts in any way. Daniel Orellana has been keeping his jockeys sa

International reporters Emanuel Aguilar M. (Chile) and Frank Pineda (Peru) pose with photographer Juan Gamboa (Peru) in the media room at Laurel Park for the 151st Preakness. (Photo: Angie Kozlowski) Spanish-speaking horse racing fans made up much of the worldwide audience for the 151st Preakness, turning to social media and other outlets for live updates. In the media room at Laurel Park, members of the international press worked alongside American counterparts from print an

Photographer Charles Sisler joined Voices of Laurel for remarkable behind-the-scenes access to Laurel Park during both Black-Eyed Susan Day and the Preakness Stakes, capturing the excitement from every angle—from the grandstand and paddock to the infield and winner’s circle. This special photo essay offers a glimpse of the unforgettable moments he documented. A selection of his images appeared in our Summer 2026 print edition, while the complete gallery can be viewed below.

(Left): The author as a teen in Adams County, PA, and (right) Angie Kozlowski and Diane Mezzanotte in the media room at the Preakness. As a teenager in southcentral Pennsylvania, I was in love with horses. My paternal grandfather occasionally took me riding along country back-roads. He had a framed portrait, now passed down to my father, of three early 1900s trotters: George Gano, Minor Heir, and the famous Dan Patch, with the caption “Fastest Stallions in the World.” My fami

Photo illustration by Richard Friend Before I share my horse racing wisdom with you, please consider my credentials. I was born in a Baltimore hospital across from Pimlico Race Course and grew up a short trot away from the track. For nearly 40 years, I’ve lived five miles west of Laurel Park. Given these two facts, many people have long thought of me as a horse racing connoisseur. That makes them kinda wrong. In fact, by my estimation, I’ve attended approximately zero races i

(From left): Mike Muscato, a clerk from Saratoga, handled bets in the rooftop Press Room. Laurel resident Lori Caraway, clerking in the grandstand. Philadelphia-based Gail Valdes has worked every Preakness since 1992. Dominic and Ron have worked together as clerks on major stakes races for almost 40 years. (Photos: Angie Kozlowski) Times have changed. Jobs once entrusted only to smart, quick-thinking, honest, and friendly humans have been delegated to machines and now, even c

NBC Sports’ Kenny Rice, reporting live from Laurel Park before the running of the Preakness Stakes, introduced a video package showcasing the racetrack’s long history featuring photos provided by The Laurel History Boys. We had been contacted by NBC Sports, who discovered our previous coverage of Laurel Park through Voices of Laurel. (Photos: NBC Sports) Grants and Donations Thank you to Connie Lucas and James Bowman for their monetary donations. We appreciate the continued s

A roundup of local news, events, and announcements Amigos Mexican Grill reopened on May 14 after a six-day closure ordered by the City of Laurel following the Cinco de Mayo violence. As part of the agreement allowing it to resume operations, the restaurant accepted new operating restrictions, including a three-year ban on outdoor tent events and mandatory law enforcement security during peak evening hours. (Photo: Richard Friend) Laurel Hit with String of Violent Crimes in Ma

Local news covering the Oldtown area A section of the Lewis family’s backyard garden. (Photos: Caitlin Lewis) The Garden Tour: A View from Inside In March, my friend Maria Gonzales Jackson texted me: “Question for you. The Laurel Museum is working on planning our garden tour and a board member passed by your house and wondered who the owner is and if they would be interested in being one of the gardens on the tour.” Flattered, I ran the idea past my husband, since he would be

Local news covering the North Laurel, Savage, and Scaggsville areas The new memorial to veterans and their loved ones (Photo: Howard County Veterans Foundation) HoCo Updates Neighboring Community on Status of Route 1 Housing Plan Approximately eight acres of property along Route 1 from Whiskey Bottom Road northward could be the future site of condominiums and an apartment community. A status report on the plan was provided to area residents by Howard County Housing Commission

Local news covering the West Laurel and Burtonsville areas Ginny Geis (front row, second from right) with her AFS classmates. (Photo: Russ Geis) Another Reunion—How Time Flies! I recently had the amazing privilege of attending yet another 50-year reunion, this time in Sweden rather than Laurel High. The year after I graduated from high school, I was an AFS (American Field Service) exchange student and lived with a family in Sweden on a potato farm. The Swedish high school sys

Local news covering Laurel Lakes, Victoria Falls, Oakcrest, Montpelier, and the Route 197 corridor Qamaria’s beautiful décor greets you as you enter. (Photo: Diane Mezzanotte) Talk of the Town: Qamaria Coffee Shop I’ve covered several restaurant openings in South Laurel over the last few years. Unfortunately, a few of them have already come and gone. (RIP, Dirty Dough) But this latest opening, Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co., feels like a real winner. Qamaria has enjoyed a steady f

Local news covering the Russett and Maryland City areas Russett’s new community gardens await gardeners. (Photo: Rick Goddard) Russett Unveils First Community Garden New things are growing in Russett! Known for its park-like setting, the community is nestled next to the Little Patuxent River, encompasses 613 acres, and has 12 miles of walking trails and 70 acres of wetlands, which are part of the Oxbow Lake, a natural preserve. Originally farmland and undeveloped woodland, th

Laurel History Boys reflect on milestone anniversaries for organization and Voices of Laurel Photo illustration by Richard Friend While it seems like only yesterday that we started, Voices of Laurel recently celebrated its five-year anniversary. More incredibly, The Laurel History Boys have now been an organization for more than a decade. Time really does fly when you’re having fun! These milestones had me thinking—reflecting on the stories we’ve covered and the things we’ve

I wonder if, 100 years from now, there will still be a City of Laurel and if the citizens will remember that, 100 years earlier, it was declared that June 5th is Laurel Elementary Day. Laurel Elementary held its centennial birthday on June 5, 2026, with an after-school celebration unlike anything we have put on before. The cafeteria staged the proclamation made by Mayor Keith Sydnor and Councilmembers James Kole and Adrian Simmons before current families and many guests who h

Photos courtesy of Laurel Historical Society On June 5, community members, students, alumni, and current and former teachers gathered at Laurel Elementary School (LES) to celebrate the school’s 100th anniversary. The celebration began with a short ceremony in the school cafeteria. Across from the stage was a mural of the original 1926 school building, a nod to the past and a reminder of the school’s century-long history! The ceremony began with a presentation of the colors by

Photo: City of Laurel OPINION Whether you like it or not, the AI revolution is here to stay. It has become nearly impossible to go a day online without artificial intelligence playing some role in our digital experiences, from Google’s AI Overview appearing at the top of search results to the content that fills our social media feeds. As AI continues to change how we consume, create, and interact with information, communities and organizations are steadily contending with bot