A Laurel Racetrack History Timeline

When Laurel Park is converted into a training center in a year or two upon completion of the renovation at Pimlico, the racetrack’s extraordinary history will come to a close. Over its 115-year existence, the track has seen numerous Triple Crown winners and for 43 years was host to the Washington, DC International, the most prestigious international race in the world.

Horse racing wasn’t the only spectacular event that took place at the racetrack, as shown in the timeline below.

Mid-1880s  

Inventor David Weems bought the land that decades later would become the racetrack and built an experimental electric train track designed to move mail and newspapers. The train reached 120 miles an hour, but the structure collapsed under the strain. The company ceased the experiment for lack of funds.

1910 

The Four County Fair bought the land and constructed fairgrounds, which included a ½-mile dirt track for horse racing.

1911 

The Maryland State Fair Association took over the property and enlarged the track to one mile. Horse racing began in October, and 5,000 fans attended opening day. Automobile races occasionally also took place.

1911 

Just one month after opening, a betting scandal was uncovered. Crooks inside the fairgrounds used signals to communicate race results to others outside the grounds. The results were then wired to New York, allowing bettors in other states to place wagers on winning horses.

1914 

New York City grocery entrepreneur James Butler purchased the track.

1918 

The infield was used by the Army as a training camp before deployment to France in World War I.

1918 

Racing season was interrupted by the Spanish flu epidemic. The racetrack closed temporarily.

1919 

Sir Barton—the first Triple Crown winner—ran at Laurel. He was not hailed as a Triple Crown winner because the feat had not been named when he swept the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes. “Triple Crown” began appearing in print about 1936.

1924 

Fan favorite and local horse Mountain Rose broke down at Laurel and was euthanized. The horse was buried on the track grounds, the only horse so honored until 2017.

1937 

Seabiscuit and Triple Crown winner War Admiral both won races at Laurel.

1938 

Seabiscuit prepped at Laurel Park for his famous match race with War Admiral. Seabiscuit finished second in the Laurel Stakes.

1942 

Triple Crown winner Whirlaway won at Laurel.

1947 

The Maryland Jockey Club, owners of Pimlico and Timonium at the time, purchased Laurel with the idea of shifting the Pimlico dates to Laurel. But the plan was not approved by the Maryland Legislature.

1950 

Laurel was sold to Morris Schapiro and his son, John, who changed the track’s name to Laurel Race Course and introduced the Washington, D.C. International, a race that featured the best horses from around the world.

1952 

England’s Wilwyn rallied from off the pace to win the inaugural running of the International.

1952 

A life-size statue of Billy Barton, a champion racer and steeplechase jumper, was unveiled at Laurel, the first such statue at a Maryland track.

1954 

Queen Elizabeth II entered her horse Landau in the third annual DC International. It marked the first time in racing history that the silks of the Royal Family appeared in America. Landau finished last.

1956 

The first of four major floods to hit the racetrack occurred.

1957 

In an effort to improve conditions for the DC International, Laurel lengthened its turf course from seven furlongs to one mile in 1959; simultaneously, the main track was extended from one mile to 1 1/8 mile.

1958 

A record crowd of over 40,000 attended the DC International. Australia’s Sailor’s Guide won after U.S. entry Tudor Era was disqualified.

1964 

Kelso, the only five-time Horse of the Year, won the D.C. International in his fourth attempt. Kelso had finished second in the three previous Internationals, all by less than a length.

1964 

34 horses died in a barn fire started by a cigarette butt.

1967 

The first Jockey Bowl was played, which pitted the Savage Boys Club 110-pound football team against a team composed of jockeys from Laurel Race Course. The jockeys enjoyed it so much that they played numerous games against local youth football teams for a few years.

1967 

The first annual Washington/Baltimore Jazz Festival was held. The lineup of performers was an awesome group of legendary jazz musicians, including Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Nina Simone, Dave Brubeck, Herbie Mann, and others. Around 25,000 fans attended the two-day event.

1968 

Kathy Kusner was granted a jockey’s license, the first female licensed jockey. To get the license, Kusner had to submit to a test of strength by demonstrating her ability to break from the starting gate at Laurel.

1968 

The second annual jazz festival was held. The lineup was even better than the previous year: Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Mann, Thelonious Monk, Woody Herman, Count Basie Big Band, Joe Williams, Cannonball Adderly, and others. The second festival drew 31,000 fans.

1969 

Laurel Park hosted a two-day rock festival that featured some of the biggest names of the time: Led Zeppelin, Sly & the Family Stone, Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart, and others.

1969 

The third and final annual jazz festival was held. Returnees from previous Laurel festivals included Gillespie, Mann, Basie, and Adderly, joined by James Brown, Nancy Wilson, Sam and Dave, Roberta Flack, Buddy Rich, Ramsey Lewis, and others.

1970 

Laurel’s centennial celebration spanned eight days, and included a massive stage play about Laurel’s history that included a cast of almost 400 residents. A 200-foot set was constructed at the site of the production, Laurel Race Track.

1971 

The second of four major floods to hit the racetrack occurred.

1972 

Triple Crown winner Secretariat won at Laurel.

1972 

Hurricane Agnes caused the third of four major floods to hit the racetrack.

1975 

The last of four major floods to hit the racetrack occurred.

1976 

Elizabeth Taylor presented the winner’s trophy at the DC International.

1976 

Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew won at Laurel.

1977 

Triple Crown winner Affirmed won at Laurel.

1978 

Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Spectacular Bid won at Laurel.

1983 

Simon & Garfunkel performed in front of 25,000 fans at Laurel Park.

1984 

Frank J. De Francis purchased the racetrack from Schapiro.

1985 

Laurel Race Course opened the Sports Palace, the first of its kind in the horse racing world. It offered computerized handicapping and a video racing library in a setting that resembled a plush casino. The concept of the Sports Palace has been widely copied by other tracks.

1986 

The Maryland Million, created by broadcaster Jim McKay, debuted at Laurel. The race, which was modeled after the Breeder’s Cup, promoted the Maryland breeding industry.

1993 

Washington Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke announced that he would build a new stadium on the grounds of Laurel Race Course, igniting a wave of protests even though local shops started selling “Laurel Redskins” t-shirts. After months of controversy, Anne Arundel County ruled that the property was too small for the proposed use.

1994 

The track was officially renamed Laurel Park.

1995 

The last running of the DC International took place.

1996 

The Breeder’s Cup replaced the DC International at Laurel Park.

2005 

Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro won at Laurel.

2015 

Parking and admission were made free to all patrons.

2026 

The Preakness comes to Laurel.

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Kevin Leonard is a founding member of the Laurel History Boys and a two-time winner of the Maryland Delaware District of Columbia Press Association Journalism Award.